Businesses, cities, and even sports teams sometimes change their names to better identify with or separate themselves from a certain image or community.  A name can carry with it a strong impression of community identity, whether or not it is accurate. While its boundaries may vary, depending on with whom you speak, the Inland Empire is generally defined as the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses more than 27,000 square miles of Southern California, and is home to over 4 million people.

Originally coined to distinguish the area just east of Los Angeles and Orange County, the Inland Empire, or "IE," moniker describes an area that was once part of the Orange Empire. Area cities such as Riverside, Corona, and Redlands played a major role in the American Citrus industry during the early 19th century. The IE is well known for having affordable housing options, a central location, and very decent weather.

But to some, the IE has come to describe a vast wasteland of poverty, dust, and drugs. Popular culture mocks the lifted trucks and tattooed, flat-brimmed-hat wearing "bros" of cities like Riverside and Chino, and names like "SMOG Belt" conjure up images of dirty brown air. Flying over the region on your way to Ontario or Los Angeles airport affords you a view of sprawling, low-density housing tracts that fill the area's valleys and climb its hillsides.

While the IE does have its share of undesirable qualities, a closer look reveals a region with many higher education options (the City of Riverside alone has 3 well respected universities and a new medical school), and communities that value energy efficiency and water conservation, as well as a respect for the benefits of arts and innovation. The City of Riverside was awarded first-place in the Cool California Challenge, demonstrating a desire to lower emissions from energy use. The County recently received a grant to install 45 electric vehicle chargers in various locations, helping to reduce future emissions from automobiles. The Riverside County Department of Public Health recently received a grant from the State to develop plans for safer walking and biking routes to school for kids. All of these factors paint a picture of a region with potential.

The IE brand is a strong one, so the question becomes: how do you create a public perception that focuses on education and innovation in Riverside, as opposed to poor air quality and bankruptcy in San Bernardino? Whether it is possible to change the perception of the IE brand or necessary for the region to re-brand itself, a change in the image of Inland Southern California is both imminent and important.

How do you shift a well established, negative regional image to reflect positive changes? Has you city or one that you know of faced similar branding challenges? Share their stories in the comments below.

Credits: Images by Taylor York. Data linked to sources.