Midlands business group unveils '3 Rivers' brand to promote 27-mile riverfront

The Midlands Business Leadership Group on July 30 presented a new regional marketing identity called “3 Rivers” to the City of West Columbia City Council, seeking a shared brand for the 27 miles of walkable riverfront that runs through multiple municipalities.

The branding team’s north-star, Mike Scribe said, was to “create a unique regional brand that unifies the stakeholders throughout our region by focusing on the river system and attractions as a lifestyle.” Ty Price of Chernoff Newman, the consulting firm that facilitated the project, described the identity as deliberately simple: “3 rivers is 5 simple characters with a confluence of meaning, a shorthand that nods to unity and a permanence of place.”

The presentation outlined a six-month process that included a 15-person branding team made up of representatives from the five governments that touch the river, local organizations and private stakeholders. Consultants said the work included primary and secondary research and focus groups to identify messaging that would appeal to residents and visitors while allowing each municipality to retain its own identity.

Ty Price said the brand was designed as a “servant brand” that communities could use alongside existing local identities. The presentation showed how the 3 Rivers mark and palette could be co-branded with municipal logos and applied to merchandise and digital campaigns. Price told the council the mark is flexible — able to appear vertically or horizontally and to function as a secondary identifier without always requiring the words “3 Rivers.”

The presenters said the River Alliance — a regional river-focused nonprofit — will own and steward the brand going forward and will be responsible for executing the marketing strategy and keeping the identity current. No council action was requested or taken on the brand itself; the presentation was described as the first public showing of the work.

Council members asked design and implementation questions during the presentation, including one about a dotted graphic element that the consultant described as “an outdoor stamp” and a flexible type/design treatment. Mike Scribe emphasized that the platform was intended to lift all participating communities: “a rising tide lifts all boats,” he said, describing the proposed shared-equity approach.

Next steps were not set as formal council business during the meeting; presenters said the River Alliance would manage adoption and merchandising if communities elect to use the brand.