Here I go

I read Lisa Gray's article in the Houston Chronicle the other day, and it made me want to help Houston remake its image. So here I am, doing my part; I plan to write about various issues including Houston ISD, my church, and other things that come to mind. Although there are a few posts today, I only plan to update this once a week or so. I'm just not a good or quick enough writer to add things more often.

Does Houston need an "image overhaul"? Coming from a brand marketer such as Patricia Martin, the answer can only be yes; if it's no, she's out of a job. So take that recommendation with a grain of salt. It's going to be necessary, and of course it's going to be expensive.

But more importantly, what does it mean for "us" to have an image? What are "we" trying to sell? How homogeneous are "we" - and if we're trying to accomplish different things with a "brand", wouldn't that logically imply we should have multiple "image"s?

Overall, I'm pretty skeptical that such a large and diverse group of people should have a common identity. Of course, I go to a UU church, and such a small and diverse group of people has to frequently remind themselves what principles they hold in common, so I don't hold out much hope for 4 million people who come from all over the world, with so many languages, so many different skills, talents, and careers, and so many different goals. Do I care that Houston has a reputation for something or other in particular? Would I be proud or embarrassed to be associated with that image? I worry it's a 50/50 chance of either, so why spend a lot of time and energy on the project? From previous efforts, what do we have? Houston - Expect the Unexpected, Houston - It's Worth it, and Houston - It's Hot!. For this, we could pay millions?