While the history behind the steel bridges, specifically in MA for this post, is one of my main appreciations, the architecture of these bridges proves to be the most powerful.  Their intricate structure, massive expansion, and longevity define the true definition of awesome.  Standing on, or under these bridges, I couldn’t shake the comparison in my mind to cathedrals. They are the Cathedrals of Rivers.  As ludicrous as that sounds, I challenge you to stand on the Schell Bridge and not be moved the same way.

These bridges all, roughly, follow Route 2A from Boston to Western MA.  They are nearest or even in Shelburne Falls.  While some are active, others abandoned, and some just for walking, all provide a great experience into the past of how this state was built.  The trips to these locations take you through colonial homesteads, rural towns, and vast farmlands.

Schell Bridge – Northfield, MA

The Schell Bridge was apparently created by an affluent member of Northfield wanted to make it from downtown to the train station across the river.  More extraordinary than that, is that it still stands today.  Contracts were given in 1999 to tear it down, yet it remains an historic piece of the town.  A few groups have been created to preserve it, yet large metal plates have been welded across the gates in an attempt to prevent access.  This is the most gorgeous abandoned bridge in MA I’ve been able to discover.  The deck of the bridge is blocks of wood with bright green moss breaking through the seams.  The ironwork is extraordinary.  I’ll let the pictures speak for that.  However, the greatest characteristic of the Schell is that it’s perfectly hidden.  If you go to the end of East Northfield Road, you’ll encounter the same scene as every other dead end.  The only difference however, is that between the trees there is what appears to be a small walking path.  A few paces on that path and you notice that it’s actually paved, and widens into more of a fourwheeler trail. One hundred more feet and you emerge onto a recognizable street strewn with branches and debris.  Then, out of nowhere, explodes a bridge out of the vegetation.  Be careful around this bridge, but go see it before it’s torn down.

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Bardwells Ferry Bridge – Conway, MA

If there is a favorite pick for an active steel bridge, Bardwell’s is the winner.  While this bridge is an active spot for fishing, boating, and provides a decent swimming destination, it’s the ride in that will provide the charm.  The narrow back roads wind in tight curves between old farm lands and nearly on top of old colonial homes.  There were actually several times where I stopped as I thought I was riding up a private driveway as I came up to the front of a house, just to come close enough to see the road barely snuck by.  Vintage gas pumps and rolling hills line the way.  After a few miles, you cross a train track and pop right onto the bridge.  Come next summer, this will be the first swimming adventure.

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Bridge of Flowers – Shelburne, MA

A bit of a deviation from abandoned and steel bridges, yet the Bridge of Flowers is something to be seen.  While you might have to shuffle past a few elderly tourists, this bridge is a great sight in the Americana town of Shelburne.  I could share another post of the benefits of taking a journey to Shelburne, but I’ll spare that for now.  However, this bridge alone and its vibrant spectacle should be part of the draw.

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French King Bridge – Erving, MA

From the top, the French King Bridge is far from spectacular.  It appears as ordinary as every other overpass.  Yet, the supporting structure is quite incredible.  Conveniently there are some paths that wrap around to the underside of the bridge which provides a great view of its span over the Connecticut River.  Don’t plan on staying too long however, as some of the trucks can make it a loud venue.

Walking Bridge to Abandoned United Cooperative Farmers – Fitchburg, MA

The town of Fitchburg has a lot of rough spots.  One towards the center of town would be the United Farmers Cooperative building.  An abandoned structure with a web of railroad tracks leading right through.  In a blue collar town, this bridge connecting the local homes with plant serves as a nostalgic tribute to some of its finer days.  Currently, it provides shelter for drug use over torn chairs and weathered couches.

East Mineral Road, Walking Bridge – Erving, MA

This little gem is right under the French King Bridge.  I discovered it by accident, and it only happens to be a walking bridge.  However, on the other side is a great old house of what historical context I don’t know.  However, on a sunny day, there’s a great rock outlook of the French King Bridge to the right, and a little beach perfect for a campfire.

I wouldn’t dare say all states are created equal in this spirit.  (Additionally, I’ll guarantee you’ll never find me repeating this holiday in Connecticut.)  Yet, I come from a state with a bold slogan and habits to match.  From this patriotism evolved the greatest friend weekend Arlington Pond has ever seen.

It all began with a deep seeded desire to introduce a few city friends to the rural pleasures of a persevering blue collar neighborhood.  The plan was to invite a few friends up to my former home for a relaxing weekend.  Then one thing single-handedly tipped the scales.  Sparks Fly Fireworks released a Buy-4-Get-7-Free (no typo) sale on 500gram firework cakes (the biggest you can get). Naturally, I’m a rewards program member there, so I even walked away with an eighth.

Done.  We merged a friend’s birthday, invited all the friends, and created the perfect concoction of ingredients for any New Hampshire party.  What are they?  A lake, fireworks, aquatic trampoline, musket, camping, a bonfire, good beer, better friends, and a cannon.  Combine in no particular order.

This post contains the captured joy of these spoils. I recommend watching all of the firework videos:

Thank You’s:

A huge THANK YOU to the Co-Chair Timothy Roy.  Without him we would have never been able to pick up the fireworks or complete the 2 months of cleanup it took to get the beach house up to par.  Thank you to my brother Josh who painted and cleared leaves to the dump, and made a Rebel Alliance flag for the party. F-ing righteous.  Thank you to JAMES who we met for the first time and cooked breakfast for EVERYONE.  Thank you to Seth and Victoria for sewing up the trampoline and cooking burgers for everyone.  Thank you to Dustin for deconstruction said Trampoline.  Thanks to my father Bob for blowing it up and providing the beach house.  Huge dangerous thanks to Ben for climbing the flag pole to put the Rebel Alliance flag up, and helping a drunken Caleb collect firewood.  Thanks to Ashley for coming all the way from NY to party.  Thanks to Joe Burleigh for providing a Jam Box and booze.  Thanks to Bryan Christie for being born.  Another huge thanks to Josh for providing, packing, and firing the cannon and musket.  And now Tim deserves another thank you for being Captain.  Thanks to Shay and Brennan for the extra tents and tubes. I’m sure I’m forgetting people, but as you can see, this was a huge team effort. Most importantly, thanks to everyone who came up!  For those that missed it, get on our level next year!  Another thank you to Seth For this Awesome video:

Below is a short video from this collection along with the highlight images from this summer day.

We caught DJ Nite Train in the mix!

100th Aniversary of Opening Day at Fenway Park from Caleb Hutchings on Vimeo.

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In “How to Tell Your Brand’s Story Effectively”, Mike Troiano offers a detailed framework to articulate your message into something consumable and actionable for your target.  Through case studies, collaborative workshops, and his extensive personal experience, he guides students through a scientific approach to crafting this language.  The three key takeaways from this course are the structures for your “Golden Circle”, Message Model (this helps you craft your positioning statement), and your “One Simple Thing” (OST).

And if “Message Model” conjured this image to mind, you should probably take the course:

I

Very early into my exploration of the BBA’s goals, it became quite clear what the paramount obstacle was: Brand Recognition.  Membership growth was the key metric of perceived success, yet the majority of businesses in the Back Bay had no idea the BBA exists.  While the association’s support of the Hynes Convention Center, execution of the Boylston Street Improvement Project, and work facilitating the new Liberty Mutual building stood testament to its value, it was clear we weren’t effectively communicating these wins.  To drive this awareness and further our mission of representing the neighborhood, we identified four key goals of our strategy:

• Clearly communicate the value of the BBA.
• Represent the visual brand of the neighborhood.
• Become THE curator of information and news for Back Bay.
• Be THE resource for businesses, and act as liaison with city.

II

At the foundation of everything was our positioning language.  This was the crucial piece that would dictate everything from our website design, calls-to-action, and sales material.  It was clear that even though the association was approaching its 90th anniversary, a clear concise value proposition hadn’t been universally adopted.  Some stakeholders would even default to calling it, “Like a chamber of commerce for the Back Bay.”  Diving deep in the qualities represented in the brand and applying the structures set in Mike’s Intelligent.ly course, we defined the “One Simple Thing” that communicates the core value of the BBA.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION BEFORE:

The Back Bay Association, established in 1923, is Back Bay’s largest and most prestigious organization representing local businesses, retail merchants, restaurants, hotels, property owners, major corporations, schools, and churches.  The BBA is the advocate for the Back Bay business community.  The primary focus for the BBA and its 400 members is to ensure the continued commercial strength of the area and to initiate programs that improve, promote, and protect the quality of life in Back Bay.

“ONE SIMPLE THING” AFTER:

“OST” Broken Down:

• Back Bay Association – Simply our brand
• Champions –  Evokes the most positive image of advocacy, conveying that our work is to the benefit of the neighborhood.  Also embodies all the various actions we fulfill in one word.
• Economic Vitality – We’re a business association.  Our focus on the big picture of economic growth distinguishes us from other neighborhood associations.
• Boston’s… neighborhood – The framework of our target.  We’re a hyperlocal association, so we only target businesses within this segment.
• Most Dynamic – The distinction from all other Boston neighborhoods.  Back Bay is the commercial heart of Boston with its shopping centers.  Additionally, its unique heritage and prominent cultural centers create an incredibly dynamic residential environment.

Logo Before / After:

To reflect the organizational change and evolution of this brand, it was crucial that the BBA redesign its logo.  Using our personality traits defined in our message model, we crafted a logo that was positive, inviting, and used colors representing responsible development and forward-thinking. 

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III

The website was the largest obstacle standing in the way of executing the tactics to accomplish our strategy.  To start, the BBA actually had TWO websites; one intended to cater to visitors, and the other to represent the association to local businesses.  The site catered to the association didn’t use a CMS platform, making every small edit cost hundreds of dollars for an external web developer to update.  This made the website essentially static, prevented the BBA from publishing content, didn’t allow online event registration for an event-rich organization, and the dated coding actually began shutting down the website server.

A relationship with Fluent Concepts led to the solution of all of our digital aspirations.  We essential merged both sites by incorporating a call-to-action on our homepage to direct visitors or businesses to respective content.  Created on a WordPress CMS, the BBA can now edit and publish all content internally at no cost.  With the Membee software application members can now register for events online, pay membership dues via the website, and update their member listings/information remotely.  Furthermore, the imagery of the site now conveys the vibrant color, architectural heritage, and social fabric of Boston’s most dynamic neighborhood.

Homepage Before / After:

The respective homepages for Visitors and Businesses have specific calls-to-action to direct traffic throughout the site.  They also now feature a sponsor scroll, calendar, social channels, and newsletter signup to aid in developing our communication channels.

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Back Bay Information Before / After: 

Making our website THE resource for visitors looking for information on the neighborhood was one of our most important goals.  After scouring our website, tourists still didn’t have a comfortable understanding of the neighborhood.  I would constantly receive calls from Arizona, New York, and Nevada asking for accommodation recommendations and attractions.  One visitor even asked me if it was a safe neighborhood, due to the low price of her hotel booking.  If the website didn’t convey it was one of the most affluent, beautiful neighborhoods in Boston, we certainly had room for improvement.

The redesign included vibrant images of public spaces, brownstones, and lifestyle centers to craft a visual representation of the Back Bay.  Detailed information, calls-to-action, and featured attractions improved this valuable resource.  Visitors can now explore accommodations, landmarks, and cultural events with ease.

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Events Before / After: 

While our events are one of the core member benefits, they weren’t detailed on our website.  The new site offered descriptions for each type of event, and an image of our most recent with Senator John Kerry.

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Our Work Before / After:

Communicating our value was our most imperative objective.  Under our work section we clearly articulated what projects we facilitate, included powerful images, and featured the influential committees on which we serve.

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IV

The BBA actually had two identical Facebook pages as well, one being a Brand page and the other a Place.  The aggregation of fans was slow, with only a handful per week.  After owning and merging both pages, I added a vibrant cover photo, uploaded photo albums from events, and followed member pages, effectively creating a newsfeed of relevant content.  I used Facebook as the page itself to comment on members’ updates, share content, and engage relevant users.  These tactics resulted in a 60% growth to 8,500 fans, and a peak of 27,000 weekly impressions.  A similar strategy grew our Twitter followers by 57%.

To achieve our goal of becoming the content curator for the Back Bay, we also turned to our newsletter.  The transfer to Mailchimp saved costs, improved analytics, and consistently removed obsolete email addresses from our list.  I created a Google Alerts feed for Back Bay and all of our 400+ members.  This enabled the most content rich newsletter for the Back Bay, which was recognized by board members, local media, and members alike.

Facebook Before / After: 

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Back Bay Theme Week Campaign: 

Since the BBA, and the majority of its members, has no ad spend, I began exploring innovative ways to attain the same promotion.  It was at this time I connected with my good friend Chris Rohland of Boston.com, and we executed the first hyperlocal themed Boston Deals week.  The concept was to include 10 members of the BBA that represented a variety of the culture, cuisine, and experiences the Back Bay has to offer.  It was channel to help brand the Back Bay as a whole, offer incredible print/digital/social promotion to members that couldn’t afford it otherwise, and add a benefit of membership by driving sales to participating members.  The results were fantastic with some merchants like Beacon Massage booking 150 appointments, and the French Cultural Center growing its young professional network by nearly 50 members.

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Before you launch your startup or rebrand an organization, it’s crucial to define these positioning statements.  Not only does it enable you to communicate your brand to consumers, but it clearly defines a unified blueprint for the values to which all stakeholders should adhere.  The structure provided by the OST, Message Model, and Golden Circle should serve as a solid foundation for moving forward any entrepreneurial plan.

City bathrooms are normally quite bare bones.  In the absence of adequate storage or accents, turning to a DIY alternative can offer a creative solution.  May I introduce the wine crate cabinet.

Wine crates can be found at most any flea market, yet they’re not created equal.  The branding is unique for each winery, and some evoke warmer textures than the average box.  The two I discovered cost only $7, and actually came from establishments in the state.  It might be a profitable inquiry to call local wineries to see if they have any available before you begin your search.  Once you’ve found your boxes, it’s time to fabricate.  This couldn’t be more simple.  I disassembled my less favorite box, cut pieces to length, and inserted them into the pre-cut grooves of the favorite crate. A few nails to keep things in place, and you’re done.  When hanging, be sure to find a stud, and some metal hangers can secure the weight.

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On John’s Island, just outside of Charleston, SC, there exists one of the oldest living things in the nation.  A sight that seems almost alien, The Angel Oak is a 1,500+ year old tree that sprawls across the sandy land.

The drive on John’s Island is a great foreshadow for the experience to come.  Old and young oaks alike stretch over the road providing a green canopy for the majority of the journey.  Approaching the park, you transfer onto a dirt switchback which nearly threw me to the ground repeatedly after consuming my motorcycle’s tire.  When the sand subsides you find yourself at the base of this mammoth life form.  From most angles the tree appears to be reaching out to you.  As you walk through the branches bouncing along the earth, it seems you have unparalleled interaction with such a natural element.  Most of the experience can not be captured in a relayed description, so I encourage you to make it a mandatory visit when in Charleston.