McKinley County Lauches Bold New Brand

By James Glover, Partner, Once a Day Marketing

The upcoming 2024 Economic Development Week theme of The Gallup Brick Road: No Place Like Home reflects the desire of Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation (GGEDC) and multiple community partners to encourage entrepreneurs to follow a clearly marked economic development path to Gallup/McKinley County to own and operate successful businesses. 

The newly developed McKinley County Find Your Joy™ community brand was created to ensure individuals on the Gallup/McKinley County path to work here, as well as to play and stay, have a very clear understanding of the benefits the McKinley County and the region provides. 

After months of research and soliciting extensive input from residents, businesses and organizations, McKinley County has officially launched the Find Your Joy™ community brand. The essence or mind setof the brand is simple: McKinley County and the region delivers rewarding experiences that lift your spirits. This brand promise relates to all aspects of life in the area for both residents and visitors with an initial emphasis on tourism and outdoor recreation. 

This new aspirational brand is designed to create accurate perceptions of what McKinley County stands for. As community members begin working together to provide rewarding experiences that lift one’s spirit, over time this reputation will become the brand identity and image of the region. McKinley County will become known as a place where you “find your joy.” 

According to Brian Money, Deputy County Manager, McKinley County is extremely pleased with the Find Your Joy™ branding initiative and looks forward to how it will create positive perceptions about the community moving forward. 

McKinley County understands that for place branding to be successful it must include both place making and place marketing. In the case of McKinley County, place making is all about ensuring that residents, businesses, and organizations deliver rewarding experiences that exceed the expectations of locals and visitors. Economic Development Week is a perfect example of delivering on the brand promise that lifts your spirit. GGEDC and community partners are sharing how they will support efforts to launch or expand a business in Gallup/McKinley County. The assistance available will certainly help individuals find their joy as their companies grow. 

Along with the brand, a new McKinley County logo has been created. The logo calls for you to Find Your Joy™, with a northwest-pointing compass as the main design element. The interior compass motif is quite special as it boasts the New Mexico border in the interior shape. Additionally, in Navajo culture, the number four holds great significance such as the four directions. The directions are often represented by colors — the same represented in the logo: white shell (east), turquoise (south), yellow abalone (west) and jet black (north). 

The Gallup/McKinley County Chamber is embracing the Find Your JoyTM brand and stands ready to work with local businesses and organizations to integrate the brand mindset into their operations and offerings. According to Chamber CEO Bill Lee, successful branding takes time to fully integrate into a community. He cites the development of the New Mexico True brand noting that when it was launched many people did not understand the brand but that today, with communities and organizations embracing the brand, New Mexico True is well-known across the state and the USA. 

As more community members work together to deliver on the Find Your Joy™ brand promise, McKinley County’s reputation will be strengthened and its brand stature will rise among residents and visitors. In time, the desired brand identity becomes recognized and recalled by many, creating greater pride among residents and bringing people to the region to find their joy! 

To learn more about the Find Your Joy™ community brand, contact Deputy County Manager Brian Money at (505) 863-1400 or brian.money@co.mckinley.nm.us.