Branding 101: the language of location condocity
geography | maps of meaning by shannon harvey
branding mapping naming selling Vancouver
Marketing, history, and place are all determi- nants in the naming of what is momentarily the latest, greatest, future home of hundreds; the hi-rise condominium. This map surveys trends in development by taking an aerial snapshot of condo lingo in Vancouver. Neighbourhoods become branded by the lan- guage of location, be it local, international, royal, artistic, exotic... tapping into societal longings and creating a collective identity for the inhabitants within. The result is a map that linguistically identi- fies intended character and the era in which the neighbourhood developed (the West End uses more nautical and personal names, while Coal Harbour has a distincly tropical feeling, while the new area around Gastown/ Chinatown is taking on a much more global character). Due to Vancouver’s exceptional location, there is a seemingly endless list of geograph- ic descriptors that can connect a building to a place. This use of pacific northwest/coastal specific terminology is commonly believed to create a connection people will feel. Also evident however is a certain disconnect with these surroundings and yearning for a south- pacific or tropical breeze to be magically diverted our way. There is some question as to whether it is this city, this neighbourhood, or the place of our collective exotic imagina- tion that is being referenced. Once the name lures you in, do you ever con- sider it again? Does the inhabitant of Concor- dia I, II or III stop and ponder their creator, Concord-Pacific, as they walk through the front door? D
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