The City of Boston is looking to use licensed merchandise like apparel and drinkware to generate revenue for the city.
According to BNN, the goal is to create a “unified brand, a stronger local economy, and an increased pride among residents and tourists.”
Boston city Council member Sharon Durkan proposed a licensing program for city-branded products that would include Boston’s skyline, seal, and other “iconic symbols” representing the city, not unlike how New York has taken the “I Love New York” slogan and other imagery like the Statue of Liberty to appeal to locals and tourists alike.
Durkan used New York as an example in her proposal, citing New York’s more than $25 million in annual income from licensed merchandise.
According to WBUR, Durkan’s proposal would allow various city agencies to create merchandise, something we’ve seen in other cities that have created merchandise for transportation authorities and more.
“In the absence of a structured framework, these treasured emblems remain untapped reservoirs of potential, susceptible to indiscriminate reproduction and commercialization,” Durkan said, according to WBUR.
The program will be the focus of hearing in the future, and Durkan said she hopes to start working with the various city departments to eventually ask local artists and businesses to get involved with the program.
“I’m excited to see where the conversation goes,” she said.
Cities that receive a lot of tourists benefit from this kind of thing. People want souvenirs from their trips. They might not be sports fans, so a Red Sox hat isn’t as enticing as something just representing Boston. For fans of public transit, maybe something from Boston’s public transit authority will make its way to merchandise, boosting revenue for the city to improve programs like these along the way.
The city of Pittsburgh just did something similar, working with a local printer to create apparel and other products that captured the city’s identity with various official imagery.
On the topic of New York City, they even used T-shirts to help the fight against the rats that have seemingly taken over the city. Cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and more have also created specific merchandise for their local governments and cultures.
So, this doesn’t seem like such a reach for Boston to achieve. Should the motion get approved, it’ll be interesting to see how the local government works with artists and uses things like flags, seals, and landmarks for merchandise.
