AUGUSTA -- Say "the Big Apple," and everyone knows you're talking about New York City.

Say "the Old Port," and most folks know you're talking about the city of Portland's waterfront area of shops, restaurants and bars.

But what brand or image could say Augusta and, more specifically, downtown Augusta, in a way that's snappier than just saying the word spelled A-u-g-u-s-t-a?

The city by the same name wants to know.

About three months ago, the city formed its own Branding Committee in an effort to come up with an image, name or some other form of identity it could use in marketing and promoting the city.

"A brand or theme, ideally, identifies who we are, what it is that is special about us and what we want to become," Mayor Roger Katz said. "Through use on our Web site, in promotional materials and signage, a brand will convey who we are to the rest of the world."

The Branding Committee plans a public forum Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the lecture hall at Augusta City Center, to collect people's ideas for Augusta's brand or image.

"We encourage everybody with any creativity or marketing, come and join the community and think out loud as to any suggestions," said City Councilor David Rollins, chairman of the committee. "There are no bad ideas in this session."

Rollins cited Yarmouth's use of the image of a clipper ship as an example of a Maine community using a branding image.

For Augusta, Rollins said, a similar idea could be a silhouette of Memorial Bridge, the cityscape or Old Fort Western.

The idea for a brand for Augusta initially sprung from Katz's desire to create and install directional signs to help people find the city's downtown riverfront area. That idea expanded to include the idea of creating an image that could be used on those signs, and has since expanded to include ideas for a brand or image for the downtown area and for the city as a whole.

"At first it revolved around the downtown initiative and directional signage," Rollins said. "But it has become not just about directions, but what's the message, the image, to go with that? Something that fits into the bigger message for the city as a whole. The riverfront may just be one component of features that standout and are identifiable about Augusta."

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com