Graduate Program

Communication Studies

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

Spring 2026

Thesis Director

Claudia Janssen Danyi

Thesis Committee Member

A.J. Walsh

Thesis Committee Member

Josh Grube

Abstract

The Village of Mount Prospect has heard a fair share of negative critiques about the village’s branding; however, officials have not yet taken the initiative to rebrand. As stated by a village official, the village needs to understand what residents think about the branding before considering a rebrand. This knowledge offers valuable insight into what branding elements are liked/valued by residents, but also whether a rebrand would cause resistance or a mini crisis. Place branding literature highlights that residents determine the authenticity of a place brand (Braun et al., 2013), so Mount Prospect officials seek to make future branding decisions based on their perspectives. This study used a mixed-methods approach using an online survey and three virtual focus groups. The survey gathered responses from 137 Mount Prospect residents and 14 residents participated in the focus groups. Both methods were organized by the four branding elements: the logo, colors, font, and slogan. The three research questions for this study are as follows: how do residents perceive the village’s branding elements, how do residents identify with the branding, and how do residents feel about a potential rebrand? Overall, twelve themes emerged in the focus group transcripts that were supported by the survey findings. This led to four strategic recommendations for village officials: use a vibrant color palette, modernize the logo, keep the font and slogan, and center residents in additional rebrand communication.

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