Tysons Partnership rounds corner on rebranding effort with launch of new website

Tysons has a new logo.

Replacing the multi-colored “O” that has greeted drivers for the past five or so years with bright blue block letters, the Tysons Partnership unveiled the new emblem on Thursday (May 13) as part of a rebranding effort that included the launch of a new website.

18 months in the making, the Partnership says the new brand “reflects the urban district’s current successes and assured confidence in its future.”

“This has never been just about a new logo. This is about how Tysons defines itself and how, through public-private collaboration, we will be more,” Tysons Partnership President and CEO Sol Glasner said in a statement. “In just ten years we have proven success with a reported 2020 asset valuation of nearly $18 billion, imagine what we will accomplish together in the next ten to thirty years.”

A nonprofit association of private stakeholders formed in 2011 to implement the Tysons Comprehensive Plan, the Tysons Partnership started working to rebrand the area that Fairfax County wants to turn into “America’s next great city” in late 2019.

Supported by a $1 million economic opportunity grant from the county and $630,000 in private funding, the rebranding involved surveys, focus groups, and discussions with county officials and community members to define Tysons’ identifying characteristics and future aspirations, according to a press release.

Features of the new website include:

• A downloadable Tysons Activation Guide that explains the new brand and the Partnership’s strategy for establishing a consistent, recognizable identity for Tysons going forward
• Maps of Tysons neighborhoods and completed, planned, and in-progress developments
• Links to county and other public resources, such as the Comprehensive Plan, Capital Bikeshare and Metro
• A “Residents’ Stories” section with comments from people who live in Tysons
• Resources from the Tysons Transportation Management Association, which is dedicated to improving the area’s transportation conditions
• An events calendar

The brand launch was preceded by the release of an economic report and market study on March 4 that analyzed the state of Tysons’ economy, including trends in office use, retail, housing, development, and employment.

The Tysons Partnership ultimately hopes to establish a data hub that will make it easier for people to find information about the area.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors nominated the Partnership in December for an additional $1 million in economic opportunity funds that the organization plans to use for marketing, research and data analysis, transportation projects, and community events.

Right now, the Tysons Partnership starting to determine what the area’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic might look like with a still-open community survey.

County officials say the rebranding will further their vision of Tysons as a vibrant downtown area with a distinct sense of community, rather than the cluster of office buildings scattered around two shopping malls that it has been in the past.

“The fabric of Tysons is changing as residents and families add a new vibrancy to established diverse communities,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said. “The new brand aligns with this newer Tysons community, reflecting a future of inclusion and equity. It’s fun and vibrant, but more importantly it represents opportunity and possibility.”

Staff photo by Jay Westcott, image courtesy Tysons Partnership