Official Site of The State of New Jersey

When someone mentions the Pinelands or the Meadowlands, most people have a general idea what that means. That doesn’t happen with the Highlands. Yet.

In the 21 years since the Highlands Act was passed, understanding of the importance of the region has certainly grown, but not to the extent necessary for the Council to fulfill some of its core objectives, especially related to economic sustainability. One of the key recommendations to come out of the 2022  Highlands Region Economic Sustainability Plan was the need to develop a Highlands brand that could be used to support region-wide growth across a variety of industries.

Building on the idea that people tend to protect what they value, establishing a New Jersey Highlands brand will showcase the variety of assets available in the region and help people understand why it’s important to protect and enhance those assets. Perhaps most importantly, a Highlands brand will help the seven counties and 88 municipalities of the Highlands leverage their special status in ways that will benefit their residents and business owners.

In 2024, the Highlands Council awarded a contract to national place branding and marketing firm North Star to develop a unique brand and associated marketing plan for the New Jersey Highlands. The project was led by the North Star team in collaboration with the Highlands Economic Sustainability County Coalition, a committee with representation from economic development experts from across the region. The Final BrandPrint Report was completed and delivered in May 2025