The surest way to establish a connection with your customer is through expressions of local culture. On the shores of Tampa Bay, football fans dress like pirates and cheer for their “Buccaneers”, while here on the grasslands of the Texas Central Prairie, Fort Worth fans celebrate (what else?) our “Cowboys”.
Local culture develops through customs and traditions reflected in art, music, and intellectual taste, which are sustained through language, clothing, and codes of behavior.
Fort Worth is the perfect example of a city with a distinctive personality based on its cultural heritage. By honoring that heritage, you can connect with your Cowtown customers on an emotional level.
Culture Binds Locals Together -- and Draws Newcomers
Long known as “Where the West Begins”, Fort Worth has also become known as “The Cultural Capital of the Southwest”. Fort Worth is on an ascending arc that has been “discovered” by young professionals and retirees alike, fueling an extraordinary surge in population.
In Fort Worth, a big night out might start with champagne and caviar – or with longnecks and brisket. Many newcomers are attracted by the blend of city-slick amenities and small-town charm.
Many others are drawn to our high culture, including opera, symphony, museums, and galleries. And pretty much everyone enjoys the all-American mythos of the Old West, lovingly preserved in Fort Worth institutions such as the Stockyards and Sundance Square.
Cultural Symbols Evoke Pride in Belonging
Some of your prospective customers are long-time residents who are made to feel at home by our symbols and traditions, and the rest are newcomers eager to belong. You can reach them both by accenting your visual branding and graphic communications with the power of local symbols.
The first symbol of Fort Worth is our flag, which uses the silhouette of a longhorn steer. Other Cowtown symbols come from ranch and prairie life, including cowboys who ride, rope and rodeo. The West also includes our Native American heritage, rich with pottery and jewelry, which inspire works of art.
Many more symbols and colors speak to our Texas heritage, including blue topaz, yellow roses, bluebonnets, purple sage, armadillos, prickly pear cactus, pecan trees, red grapefruit, mockingbirds, and monarch butterflies. These symbols reach Texans on a level much deeper than words.
Cheer for The Home Team
Your graphic communications can also reach Fort Worth customers through our love of sports. Our college heroes are the TCU Horned Frogs. We also follow the Stars, Mavericks, Cowboys, and Rangers.
And while we’re on that subject…if you don’t know about the real Texas Rangers, you have some homework to do. Since Texas declared itself a republic in 1835, their star-in-a-circle badge has been the best-known symbol of Texas history and pride. And it looks great on a wall sign or a window graphic.
Symbols of Faith
Although famously rowdy, Texans are reverent people. Bumper stickers shout “God Bless Texas!” on the red, white, and blue of the Lone Star flag. Dallas-Fort Worth has the largest Christian population of all major metro areas (78%), almost half describing themselves as “highly” religious.
Bear this in mind when planning holiday displays. Your message must never pander, but your banner or sign will always be welcome to join your customers in a respectful acknowledgment of their faith.
To learn more about celebrating Fort Worth culture through visual branding, talk with the graphic communication experts at Cowtown Graphics & Signs. Visit us online at www.cowtownsigns.com or speak with one of our advisors right away – call 817-446-6000.
