Small City Branding Around the World

Connecticut Develops a New Brand Strategy, Quickly

Connecticut is one of those states that people think they know, but have extreme difficulty in naming what to do there as a visitor. Beyond some brand associations such as financial and insurance companies, rich people and Yale University, not much comes to mind for many people. I have always seen it as a place with a fascinating history, idyllic small towns and certainly part of the New England experience.  It’s good to see that after several years of virtually no tourism marketing, the government is now investing in tourism again.

The Day.com reports that the first actions are establishing a brand strategy for the state and identify its strongest positioning. Randy Fiveash, director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism , said “The branding initiative, which normally would be an eight- to nine-month process, has been condensed to a three to four month period in order to hit the ground running with a state tourism campaign this Spring.”

It’s great to see the state recommence its tourism marketing programs by re-evaluating its brand positioning and platform. This is being done through local consultation and perceptions research in external markets. My concern is that three or four months is insufficient time to develop a genuine destination brand strategy for a place as complex as a state and will only result in little more than a tagline and theme for an advertising campaign created in a rush for a launch in the Spring. If so, let's hope they are looking to complete the strategy after the ads are released.

Who’s a Desirable Loiterer in Your Placemaking Plans?

An article by Emily Badger in The Atlantic Cities appealed to both my sense of humor and my eye for placemaking in downtown precincts. Badger points out, “(When) residents moved out of cities and stopped using their public spaces and streets, the only people still walking them were deemed riffraff: the homeless, jobless and, officials feared, gang members and prostitutes.” These are the loiterers who caused local authorities and urban planners to form all types of rules to protect the citizenry and the park benches.

Many cities now recognize that people lingering in downtown precincts are not necessarily loiterers, and are actually good for their economic and social well-being. I totally agree with Badger who goes on to state, “Lingering, on the other hand, is both a means to an end and a desirable end in itself. People who linger create vibrant public places and welcoming streetscapes. They also increase the safety of an area, with more eyes on the street. And leisurely foot traffic can lead to more street commerce, more connected communities, and spontaneous exchanges.”

When I lived in New York City, Bryant Park was near our office and was certainly not the place you would want to venture, even in daylight. It is now one of the best examples of a rejuvenated public space in the USA where people hangout day and night, i.e. linger. The successful cities will increasingly be those that recognize and cater to the differences between loiterers and lingerers.

“Until we change the vocabulary,” Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute says, “then we’ll (not see change). (When I see) the last loitering sign in America, I want to photograph it and say ‘this is it.’ Maybe the new signs will say ‘please linger.’”

Image - Bryant Park NYC - Baker

A Great Case Study in Worst Practice Place Branding

It’s very hard to know where to start with this one. There is a fineline where edgy and funny can become crass and plain stupid. KJCT8 TV has shone a light on Fruita, CO where a bumper sticker has evolved into being proposed as the city’s tagline. The bumper sticker reads “WTF”, meaning “Welcome To Fruita”.

"We saw them and thought it was pretty funny and thought it might be a good idea," Fruita city manager Clint Kinney told KJCT8. "And so before we ran with the idea we wanted to get feedback from the community."

Mr. Kinney might like to also get the opinions from prospective visitors, potential new residents, or executives considering relocating a business to the city. Does the acronym hint at any benefit or reward for them? What message does it convey to them? Has The City of Fruita also considered that it really doesn’t come any more generic than “welcome to”? There’s zero distinctiveness about that.

This contains so many examples of what small communities shouldn’t do when they want to establish a verbal identity to project their competitiveness. If Fruita adopts this as their tagline, the reaction to it from outsiders might well be, “WTF!” Cities need to take their competitive identity way more serious than this. It has a direct impact on the income and well-being of the comunity as well as the tax receipts of the city council. It deserves much more serious and informed consideration than to base the city's identity on a joke from a bumper sticker.

Image: Fruita.org

England's North East Tourism Secures Its Brand Equity

Well-developed place brand strategies can falter for a wide variety of reasons.  Some of the most common pitfalls can relate to a lack of funds for consistent implementation or changes to the structure and emphasis of the lead organization.

An interesting situation has been resolved in North East England, where their successful destination branding strategy was under threat because the lead organization One North East is due to close in March due to government cuts. The Passionate People Passionate Places campaign was launched in 2005 by One North East. The region’s tourism industry was very loyal to the brand and recognized its value to business i.e. its brand equity. Importantly, they didn’t want to contemplate life without the brand.

BBC reports that the Passionate People Passionate Places intellectual property and brand elements have been purchased by NewcastleGateshead Initiative on behalf of their tourism partners across the North East for £2,500.  It’s good to see that the region can capitalize on its hard-earned brand equity and ensure that it continues to deliver for them.  This highlights our conistent point that a destination brand is not owned by the DMO but its stakeholders and residents.

Santa Monica’s Place Brand Ambassadors Take to the Streets

While visiting Los Angeles over the weekend, I took a walk through Downtown Santa Monica to see the latest additions to Third Street Promenade.  I used to live nearby and over the past twenty years I’ve enjoyed observing the evolution of this lively precinct.

What caught my eye this time were several very well-uniformed, enthusiastic people who were located strategically throughout the precinct as “Downtown Ambassadors”. They were proactively greeting visitors in a very friendly way, and seemed to be well trained and genuinely enjoying what they were doing. I discovered that there are approximately forty of the ambassadors, with eight usually rostered for weekends throughout Downtown.  I was also impressed to learn that they are paid and not volunteers.  Their uniforms were sharp, well suited to the beach environment (and the Santa Monica destination brand), and clearly identified them as being there to help visitors.  There was also a small visitor information kiosk located conspicuously in the center of this pedestrian street – staffed by a live person!

At a time when many DMOs and communities are wondering about the future role of their visitor information centers, Santa Monica is solving the problem where people need assistance – in the pedestrian precinct. I have no doubt that this is contributing toward extending Santa Monica’s lengths of stay and holding and dispersing people throughout the neighborhood, as well as contributing toward increased satisfaction and return visits – all the while reinforcing the Santa Monica brand – the essence of California lifestyle. A wise investment!

I realize that other communities conduct programs like this, but this is one of the best I have seen. I also appreciate that not all places can adopt this approach because they do not have the critical mass of visitors within a precinct.  Several things impressed me, but most of all it’s the commitment, consistency, professionalism and resources dedicated to this program. So big props to Bayside District Corporation and the team at Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau.  I’d really like to hear of similar programs in other cities or towns.

Branding a Fashion District for Durban, South Africa

Durban, South Africa is well known for its Indian culture and fabulous beaches, but it will soon have a dedicated fashion district.  Durban Daily News reports on an interesting economic development branding initiative where a specific city neighborhood will be nominated, and then boutiques, material suppliers, designers and pattern makers are invited to set up shop in the area. The long term objective is to develop a sub-brand for Durban as South Africa’s Fashion Capital, and then acceptance as a world class leader in fashion.

“We want it to house the entire fashion industry supply chain,” said Jasmine Sultan, the program director of the KZN Fashion Council. “After many years of talking, it is now time for action. The next step is for the city’s urban design department to see how to design and brand the fashion district. We want to position Durban as a fashion destination, and the district will eventually be marketed as a tourist route,” Sultan added.

South Africa has had great success in fostering collaborative partnerships to establish tourism and economic development initiatives. It’s going to be interesting to see whether they can successfully pull together all of the necessary stakeholders and achieve their lofty ambitions on the world’s fashion stage. I wish them well.

Image: Flights Australia

Collaboration is Essential to Boost Competitiveness of Some Cities

The competitiveness of cities and regions is becoming an increasingly important issue as they develop strategies to rebound from the recession. Adding to their dilemma is the emergence of global competitors which changes the playing field. Now small cities must decide whether to go it alone, or collaborate with regional partners to present a more relevant value proposition. A recent article in The New Statesman, considered these realities in regard to the competitiveness of cities and regions in England.

A report by Ernst & Young observes, “Cities are engaged in intense competition for resources in the form of the talented people and capital to drive innovation. And because people are increasingly mobile they will migrate to cities that are the most aligned in what they offer in terms of brand, strategy, investment, services and culture. Achieving this depends on city leaders ensuring that the four environments that co-exist within a city - urban, business, social and cultural - are supportive to attracting and retaining innovative companies, talented people and crucial foreign direct investment.”

"Competition among cities is like a bicycle; if you don't pedal you'll fall off," says the Urban Land Institute. The competitiveness of our cities on the global stage is crucial to the UK's recovery. But should all cities be competing all of the time? And at what point should cities collaborate rather than compete?”

Over the years, I have observed many cities that should put aside their long held animosity, petty politics and myopic views of neighboring cities and adopt a more regionalized approach to their branding and economic development. But then again, that might bust up some old “clubs”!

Why Are so Many Romantic Comedies Set in Cities?

I just came across a very insightful article in Atlantic Cities by Kaid Benfield, the director of the Sustainable Communities and Smart Growth program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Kaid answers one of the most provocative questions that is probably on your mind this Valentine’s Day: “Why are so many romantic comedies set in cities?”.

He refers readers to the criteria he set last year in a short essay entitled, "What Do the World's Most Romantic Cities Have in Common?" The criteria are:

• Strong sense of place anchored by historic preservation
• Lively, walkable, diverse downtowns
• Compact development patterns
• Extensive and well-used public transportation
• Great public spaces for lively human interaction
• Parks and quiet places mixed in with the urban setting
• Great traditional neighborhoods with a strong sense of community
• Welcoming to people of diverse cultures

He’s so right, and these are really characteristics that small cities should aspire to in their urban core as well. They also contribute toward places that are vibrant and great to hang  out, shop, dine, work, live and study – on the other 364 days beyond Valentine’s Day!

Detroit: An Amazing Case Study in the Making

The furor over the Clint Eastwood ad for Chrysler during the Superbowl, at its core is very interesting. Here was an auto company in decline, or demolition, in possibly the country’s most maligned large city, Detroit. This is the city that no-one wanted to be associated with. Even in Oregon, the small town of Detroit wanted to change its name to disassociate itself from the auto city.

Then during last year’s Super Bowl, Eminem’s “Made in Detroit” ad for Chrysler marked the comeback of the company – and Detroit. The grisly voiceover starts the commercial asking viewers "What does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life?" It then took viewers on a short tour past historic buildings and snow, presenting a cold, hard look at what makes the city strong. And as the Los Angeles Times reported, “it was an editorial in defense of a beleaguered Detroit and, perhaps, a withering philosophy of what America is about.”

Several weeks ago, Crains Detroit Business observed “the "Imported from Detroit" ad campaign and Midtown Detroit's economic development progress exemplify the new, hopeful Detroit. While the city has pressing financial challenges, the rebranding and risk-taking success stories of the campaign and Midtown are part of a bigger Detroit story that may be reshaping national perceptions.”

We saw the next passage of the “Imported from Detroit” campaign featuring Clint Eastwood during the Super Bowl and highlighted the renaissance of Chrysler and Detroit are not disconnected from the challenges that America has been facing.   

I am quite certain that Detroit in years to come will form an amazing case study for place branders and urban planners and will show how the synergistic actions of an ailing auto company and a down-and-out city reinvented themselves – and the nation’s industrial capacity. Beyond that it will highlight how corporations and places should build together, rather than always have a short term bottom line view of what’s best for just them.

Image Credit: Walter P. Chrysler Museum

 

Tampa Bay Considers Increased Brand Focus

Tampa Bay FL seems to be finding its way onto the national stage more and more in recent years. In 2009 it hosted the Super Bowl (it has hosted the event four times), and later this year it will be front and center for the Republican National Convention.

The area’s rapid growth and publicity is causing some to consider the need to develop a brand strategy and clear brand promise. Tampa Bay Online observes, “(What’s) tougher to figure out is the Bay area's brand promise - a clear message about what the area offers”. Kelly Miller, the new chief of Tampa Bay & Co, the local DMO, says "Tampa doesn't have one".

Miller adds, “New Orleans and Las Vegas make sure everyone involved in local tourism knows what the city stands for, down to cab drivers who recommend attractions.”

If Miller can recreate the brand awareness and focus for Tampa Bay that Asheville NC has been able to achieve, then it might help lift Tampa Bay to the next tier of American cities.

IMage: Ybor City, Tampa Bay

The Science and Benefits of Urban Wayfinding

Wayfinding systems serve vital roles for cities and can be an important element in developing a place brand. They inform, guide, and motivate visitors and residents. They are also important in shaping the identity of a place through their style, design, colors, lettering, content and placement. Good signage can contribute significantly toward the satisfaction of visitors and community pride among residents.

Emily Badger has an interesting article in Atlantic Cities about the importance and challenges of introducing wayfinding systems for cities of all sizes.

In her article, urban wayfinding expert Sue Labouvie, explains the science of helping us find our way in a city. She says, “Architectural signage and wayfinding isn’t about building a nicely designed sign. It’s about the information content and the analysis of the space or place that you’re trying to move people through, and coming up with a strategy of how you make this big complex thing simple and understandable to the user.”

When conducting Visitor Readiness Reports and brand strategies for communities we find that inadequate signage to be one of the main causes of visitor dollars leaking from places. This article provides some interesting perspective on wayfinding and its benefits. The wayfinding system in Forest Grove, Oregon (pictured) was installed in recent months and is already contributing to increased visitor satisfaction and the community's sense of identity.

With Vanishing Storytellers Morocco Loses Part of Its National Identity

There are two elements of a place brand that can add greatly to its competitive edge and distinctiveness. These are authenticity and storytelling. Marrakech, Morocco is a place that instantly evokes exotic images for many people.

Morocco is one of the last places in the world where storytelling still exists as a public entertainment and adds to its exotic authenticity. But it is quickly dying out. Richard Hamilton is the author of The Last Storytellers: Tales from the Heart of Morocco and has an fascinating article in “New Africa Analysis” about the vanishing storytellers of Marrakech.

The storytellers have been part of an informal education system in the country where the illiteracy rate is forty percent. Oral tales were therefore the best way for people to understand the world. In the 1970s there were eighteen storytellers in Marrakech, now there are less than half a dozen and they are all old men, with no apprentices. The country’s young population is turning instead to television and the internet.

UNESCO did have plans to record the stories on its website. It was ironic that technology which had been the storytellers’ killer, could turn out to be their savior, but sadly this project has lost momentum. If these storytellers disappear Morocco will lose part of its national identity and Marrakech part of its authenticity. And since the stories have universal themes, they are the world’s inheritance and we will all be poorer with their passing.