REDMOND — In an effort to draw businesses and shoppers, the area’s marketing agency has designed a communitywide contest to come up with a branding slogan that will give the downtown district an identity.

The Redmond Downtown Partnership is seeking ideas from the public, including downtown businesses and residents, for up to four words that appropriately capture the essence of what downtown Redmond is and what it can become, said Susan Nobles, executive director.

“Think ‘Just Do It,’ extended to downtown Redmond,” said Nobles, referring to Nike Corp’s highly recognized ad campaign. “What we’re looking for is a short line that states the essence of the district and what makes it marketable.”

After a tagline has been created and a $500 cash prize awarded, a call to artists will be made to design the logo for the campaign, she said.

Think “swoosh,” Nobles said.

So far, the branding campaign had solicited roughly 100 entries, said Nobles, who would not cite the details of those entries until the campaign concludes on Sept. 15.

The branding campaign is part of the Redmond Downtown Partnership’s efforts to recruit more businesses and attract more customers in the 14 months before the expected completion of the U.S. Highway 97 reroute. The reroute is expected to take much of the city’s truck and auto traffic out of downtown, Nobles said.

The branding campaign will encompass the area south to north from Highland to Dogwood avenues and east to west from Fourth to Ninth streets, Nobles said.

Redmond’s branding campaign will be a look to the future, said Todd Dow, marketing manager of the High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon, which has locations in Sisters and Redmond.

Dow has worked on a similar campaign in Sisters.

“Every community needs a brand,” Dow said. “It’s essential for Redmond to be able to develop a brand that captures the spirit of the community and what downtown stands for and be able to market itself.”

Some potential themes could include Redmond’s new focus on arts and culture, its entrepreneurial spirit or its historic buildings, Dow said.

Shopping downtown amid the sights and sounds of truck and auto traffic, Cyndi Butler, who has lived in Redmond for 15 years, said anything that brings more businesses downtown would be beneficial to the whole community. “They have just got to start over downtown,” Butler said. “Everything is going to be new. They have to keep doing face-lifts like they’ve been doing. They should do it all over downtown if possible.”

The campaign is a step in the right direction, but only part of what is needed to bring more businesses downtown, said Steve Hudspeth, downtown owner of PS Shoes on Sixth Street.

He would like to see downtown growth happen sooner.

A shop local campaign, which has been discussed for two years, as well as more promotions and events, would help bring more shoppers downtown, he said.

“There have to be reasons why people should shop downtown as opposed to the big-box stores,” Hudspeth said.

One empty storefront, the former site of longtime women’s dress shop Clothes Encounters, posted a sign offering 50 cents-per-square-foot on its window.

“Why hasn’t somebody jumped all over that?” Hudspeth asked. “Everybody else is charging a buck to a buck-and-a-quarter.”

When completed, the new brand for downtown will be featured prominently around town and on an updated Web site, Nobles said.

“We need to have an identity to bring people to us,” she said.