(WORK) (UNION SQUARE PARTNERSHIP)
Union Square Partnership
BRAND BACKGROUND
Union Square Partnership (USP) is New York’s oldest business improvement district. Since the founding, USP has been a dedicated steward of the Union Square and 14th Street area, including Union Square Park, which stands as one of NYC’s most vital civic spaces.
THE PROBLEMIn the past, the Union Square Partnership has adopted an ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ approach to marketing. There was no consideration of audience or channel – it was all about saturation and getting the work in front of anyone. This lack of strategic targeting has resulted in low brand awareness and engagement.
Compounding this issue, the marketing budget has been cut significantly due to low sponsorship and fundraising, as well as rising expenses. The most critical of these expenses is the management of Union Square Park, which has further strained financial resources.
METHOD- Primary and Secondary Research
- Historical, Cultural and Social Brand Audit
- Strategic Positioning
SOLUTIONA new strategic positioning was articulated and a messaging framework was defined, to build a brand that could bring cohesion to USP's communications, reflect the character of the neighbourhood, and engage audiences ranging from residents and businesses to visitors and city officials. The repositioning also recommended a refreshed brand identity.
IMPACTThe new positioning and brand identity attracted new stores to the Union Square district, including Uniqlo and Sweetgreen, and held an extremely successful 2025 fundraiser, called Harvest. The partnership has also entered into a historic revenue sharing agreement with the Parks Department which channels revenue from paid park events to the Partnership to help expand volunteer efforts.
Initial research focused on identifying the heart of Union Square Partnership, and understanding the problems they were facing. They serve a variety of audiences, all which need to view the Partnership as a trusted source for their answers.
Union Square functions as a town square – with civic centres, plazas, open markets, community gatherings, and serving as a transportation hub. The Partnership sees great potential for Union Square to burgeon as a mixed-use district, with a vision to build a neighborhood that people want to go to all the time.
AMBITION MAPPING
There core need is to support economic growth, so that Union Square and the 14th street corridor can become a more inviting home, a dynamic town square, and an attractive retail location.
The Partnership sees great potential for Union Square to burgeon as this mixed-use district, with a vision to be:
- a partner for local knowledge
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a community steward
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a realiable source for market intelligence
A PLACE OF UNIONS
Union Square was built at the “union” of the two principal thoroughfares of the island at the time, Broadway and Bowery.
Over the years, it has been a gathering place for various causes, and continues to be one today, inspiring the spirit and coalescence of culture in the neighbourhood today.
First Labour Day parade, 1882: “All Workers, Many Voices, One Fight”
Emma Goldman advocating for free access to brith control, 1916
First Earth Day celebrations, 1970Protests on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 2022
Today, it carries forward that name by owning its place as a central gathering point as one of the most traversed areas of New York City: for both hustle and recreation.
Transportation hub: 370,000 people pass through everyday
Home to New York’s chess hustlers
THEN & NOW: The “Bench warmers” of Union Square parkThe Farmer’s Market, the heart and soul of the neighbourhood
It has the prescence and authenticity to be able to host both large scale pickleball marketing activations at the centre of the square, as well as unassuming one-man beignet cafes in the corner.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF UNION SQUARE?
While tourists rejoice in visiting a convenient, attractive location that is off the beaten path, New Yorkers find Union Square to be a true center of the city.
“The farmer’s market is such a treat on a Wednesday morning when I’m walking to work. I pick up breakfast, flowers, so many things!”
- Female, 24, New Yorker
“I’ve spent so much time with my friends at Irving Plaza attending concerts. And we always get a bite before, and hang out after. Its such an easy location.”
- Male, 37, New Yorker
“Whenever someone visits the city, I tell them to stay around Union Square. There’s always something to do, and so easy to go anywhere from there too.”
- Female, 26, recently moved to new York
“The only painting I ever bought is from one of those stands in the square. I don’t know, there’s something so authentic about it. New York can be so pretentious.”
- Female, 45, New Yorker
INSIGHT & THE SHIFT
Ever since its construction, Union Square has housed multitudes. It has been a location of celebration, of mourning, of rebellion, of expression.
It is an area that is well suited to be the centre that preserves difference, that allows freedom of expression for everyone that passes through the square.
FROMAnything goes
TOEverything works
SOLUTION: NEW BRAND POSITIONING & BRAND IDENTITY REFRESH
BRAND PURPOSE: WHY WE EXIST. EVERYTHING WE DO IS IN SERVICE OF OUR PURPOSE
BRAND VALUES: WHAT WE CARE ABOUT
BRAND PERSONALITY: HOW WE ACT
MISSION STATEMENT
MESSAGING MATRIX
BRAND LANGUAGE SAMPLES
MANIFESTO
Come venture into Union Square.
An invitation to thise navigating the city’s pace to trust in the “mix.”
A space that is unapologetically real and constantly evolving.
Where every block tells a story,
Where a startup might share a street corner with a decades-old family business,
Where street art sparks conversation,
Where community breathes with every next adventure.
We landscape possiblity by creating a district that invites residents to experience cultures that help them find their rhythm, businesses to find dreams with every storefront, and tourists to experience the city beyond postcard moments.
Our commitment is radical: We make space for all.
Not by smoothing out differences, but by being the keepers of eclectic and vibrant expressions of human experience.
Here, you don’t just pass through, you participate.
VISUAL IDENTITY REFRESH
TEAM Project done at The Working Assembly.