FORUM: North County needs to work on identity

By John Ball, Partner/Creative Director

The collaborative effort among the mayors of several North County communities to boost the area's economic development is admirable, but doesn't go far enough. On the surface, they can blame lagging growth in North County on a lack of investments, but at the core, it is due to a lack of identity.

Although North County has tried to brand itself before, it has put too much stock in identifying itself as one North County region, largely ignoring the unique identities of its communities and failing to differentiate itself from the rest of San Diego. North County will be more successful by taking a backseat to its individual communities.

It's a classic brand dilemma: Should North County be a "branded house" or a "house of brands"?