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Saturday, January 7, 2012

COVINGTON: FILL IN THE BLANK

by Michael Monks 
NEW ADDRESS: Email Michael
Find us on Facebook: The River City News @ Facebook
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A strong jolt of pride could go a long way here in Covington. We have a lot of work to do here in Northern Kentucky's capital city but the list of brags Covington has is a long one. It is a preservationist's dream with ample old buildings is shockingly strong conditions for living or working or both. The nightlife is unrivaled in the entire Greater Cincinnati region. No other city does festivals as well as Covington. The number of quality restaurants ranging from fine dining to neighborhood pizzeria to hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon is immense. But what Covington lacks weighs down the list of good because what we lack is pride in that long list. 
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Recently at The River City News, we bragged on Louisville's slogan, "Possibility City". It is an incredibly optimistic invitation to visit, move to or create business in Kentucky's largest city. It was mentioned that shortly after Louisville merged its government with Jefferson County, thus gaining hundreds of thousands in population, a sign was erected on the interstate welcoming motorists to America's 16th largest city. Do you think the 15th or 17th largest cities brag about that? Probably not, but Louisville is proud. Proud of everything good within it. Covington could stand to learn a lesson in pride from its larger neighbor one hundred miles down the Ohio River.
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But Louisville is not alone in creating a positive slogan that captures the imagination of insiders and outsiders alike. The Atlantic Cities recently profiled strong slogans from other metropolitan areas:

BALTIMORE, MD "A Great Place to Grow"
BUFFALO, NY "Buffalo. For Real."
BURTON, MI "Burton: Small Town, Big Heart.”
CHICAGO, IL "Second to None"
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO "Live it Up!"
DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS, NV "Every City Has a Soul"
MODESTO, CA "Modesto. Family Owned and Operated"
NEW ULM, MN "Come See What's Brewing."
SUMTER, SC "Uncommonly Patriotic"
UTICA, NY "Renaissance City"

Full background on the reasoning behind the slogans along with more examples, at the link. (Hat tip: Chuck Eilerman)
Image via
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So, if you were charged with creating a slogan for Covington, what would it be? We have used (and still use on police uniforms and cruisers) The Gateway to the South. We were burned by the 2000s effort, It's Happening. The Convention & Visitors Bureau has used The Southern Side of Cincinnati. But can we do even better than that as we settle into the second decade of the twenty-first century, a critical period for the future of Covington? Share your ideas here in the comments section or on The River City News @ Facebook

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