Small City Branding Around the World

Why Quality of Place Matters to City Competitiveness and Sustainability

DMOs and other tourism organizations often become so consumed by their sales function that they don’t exert any influence on their community’s quality of place.  There are many places where the DMO and tourism folk don’t even have a seat at the table to discuss matters relating to the city’s quality of place and its impact on visitors – and dare I say its image and identity.

An Urban Times article by Saffron Woodcraft suggests that a city’s quality of place involves both the built and social environments.

Woodcraft argues, “Debates about urban sustainability tend to focus on improving the built environment - making it greener, more efficient, less energy intensive. However, as both urban populations and the challenges of making livable cities grow, a radical shift is needed.  Much more emphasis needs to be placed on understanding the social life of cities - how government, public agencies and urban planners can design spaces, but more importantly, services to help neighborhoods flourish socially.”

I would suggest that there is also another layer that involves visitors to the community and whether the attractors, amenities and services designed for them provide a net benefit to residents.

My friend Reyn Bowman touched on this in an interesting blog post last week where he traced the links between billboards, beautification movements and the emergence of tourism marketing organizations. Reyn said, “It is puzzling to me why so many community-destination marketing execs today seem so detached from their role as guardians and curators of sense of place.”

We hear a lot about the role of DMOs being redefined. I feel that when that clarity comes, many DMOs will have a more active role in the development and management of the city’s quality of place. After all, isn’t that an integral part of the essence of many places? It’s in the public domain, isn’t owned by any one company and it’s essential for competitiveness. When a city has a strong quality of place, it brings greater efficiencies to the DMO’s marketing functions and increased satisfaction for visitors – and residents. 

Night Economies: What’s The World’s #1 24-Hour City?

I always thought that because Frank Sinatra sang, “I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep”, it inferred that New York City was the #1 place for night owls. Well it seems that New York is well down the list in a study of the world’s 24-hour cities by Marion Roberts, a professor of urban design at London’s University of Westminster and author of Planning the Night-time City. 

The BBC reports that Cairo was ranked the “most 24-hour” city of all. Next came Montevideo, Beirut, six Spanish cities (Malaga, Zaragoza, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville) and Buenos Aires. London was ranked 17th, Paris 18th and New York 32nd.

Roberts identifies many of the benefits and challenges of managing the night economy of cities. She says, “In the UK, Europe and Australia, a lot of their ‘24-hourness’ has been about extending entertainment and this has disadvantages for city center dwellers unless carefully managed. However, it does generate more jobs, activities and social solidarities.” This is a subject that cities worldwide will increasingly have to address.

Cairo might be the #1 night-time city, and it’s a great place, but I can’t imagine Frank Sinatra belting out, “Cairo – the city that never sleeps!”

Repositioning of Britain’s Industrial Cities Pays Off

It wasn’t so long ago that many of Britain’s industrial cities initiated aggressive tourism strategies and commenced city-wide efforts to reposition themselves as cultural and sporting centers. It seems that these investments have been paying off with the largest of the industrial cities establishing themselves as the UK’s most popular tourist destinations in the 2011 international visitors survey by Visit Britain.

BTN reports that while London and Edinburgh continue to maintain their traditional supremacy as the two most popular urban destinations in the UK, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and now Bristol are emerging as rival attractions.

But Manchester, with its two competing global football teams, its ultra-modern new landmark buildings such as the Lowry Centre, a new state of the art BBC media center (open to tourists) and world-class shopping is firmly in third place with 936,000 visits (up 15 per cent on 2010). Birmingham sits neatly in the fourth spot with 732,000 visitors attracted by its outstanding arts, exhibitions and one of the largest shopping centers in the UK, the Bullring, host to the best designer labels as well as accommodating 25 restaurants.

This success did not happen overnight. It has taken unwavering commitment to their visions, strong strategic foundations, sustained investments by successive governments, partnerships with private investors, and a belief by everyone that they could successfully turn the page on their industrial past.

Walkability is Vital to Small City Tourism Success

In the tourism readiness reports for small cities we develop, one of the critical success factors that we look for is their walkability. I just came across an article by Dan Burdon, “The Roads Scholar” in which he provides an excellent checklist for cities.  In the AARP article, Dan provides his checklist of the five things that make small towns walkable.  

Dan says that his rationale for the focus on walking is because, “people worldwide want to live in a town or city that is walkable. Places that seek to become more walkable and livable - everyplace from Maui to Abu Dhabi, where the prince has declared that he wants his city to become one of the five most livable in the world - must invest in the features that make it happen.”

While his checklist is really designed for the comfort of residents, it is directly applicable to the needs of tourists as well.  

Why Venice is one of the World’s Most Fascinating Tourism Destinations

 

Give yourself a well-deserved three minute break to watch this great video of a Day in Venice. You will see why Venice is one of the most fascinating, romantic and spectacular cities in the world. Being in Venice is like being in a 360° theater production and this video catches much of that.

Take a break. You deserve it!

French Ad Campaign Caught Using Beaches of Hawaii and South Africa

Two of the essentials for successful destination branding is delivering what you promise and being true to who you are because brands are built on trust.  France is one of the most popular destinations in the world and has accumulated considerable brand equity and trust. Unfortunately, a recent print advertising campaign inviting Brits to visit French beaches has caused considerable embarrassment for French tourism officials and has possibly diminished trust in the nation’s brand and its marketing.

It seems that many of the images that are central to the advertising campaign are actually stock images shot at beaches near Cape Town, (South Africa) and in Hawaii, which were then edited to make them look as though they were shot in France.

The Daily Mail reports that in one shot a bikini-clad woman emerging from what looks like the Mediterranean and captioned as 'backflip in Corsica’ is actually a stock photo of a Hawaiian scene with the background altered to feature an image of the Corsican coastline.

What were they thinking! Brits may be excused for wondering if the French beaches are really so unattractive that they can’t be used in an advertising campaign.  It will be interesting to see their response. The immediate priority for the tourism office should be to re-establish trust with their British audience. Without trust, brands have nothing!

Homer Finally Comes Home to the Right Springfield

Many cities lean on some of their famous sons and daughters to influence their brand identity and tourism marketing. For some it is very straight forward, Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico IL, Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg and William Shakespeare was from Stratford-upon-Avon.  But the home of an arguably even greater celebrity, Homer Simpsons, has been a mystery until now. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons has finally confessed in an interview with Smithsonian Magazine what most of us in Oregon knew all along …… that Springfield, OR is the famous Springfield in the longest running series in U.S. television history.

There are 58 Springfields in the U.S.A. making it one of the most common city names in the country. Groening said he has long given fake answers when asked about the Simpsons' hometown, leaving open the possibility that his latest one is itself another fake.  

In 2010 we completed a Visitor Readiness Report for Springfield OR and one of the recommendations was to work with Groening on developing The Simpsons related experiences in the city. Dan Egan at the Springfield Chamber of Commerce tells me that since Groening’s announcement the phone calls and emails from around the world have been non-stop. Well Dan, you’d better get working on that new wing of the Springfield Museum to be dedicated to the city’s most famous “residents”.

In reaction to the announcement, Homer Simpson offered several Tweets, including, "Now that Bart knows we live in the Beaver State, all he says is dam dam dam!" and "Crap, we live in Oregon? I mean, Go Ducks!" (For non-Oregonians, the Ducks is a reference to the University of Oregon sports program.)

Do Places With Funny Names Play With a Handicap?

Glancing at a map of just about any country, it’s easy to find places that are playing with a handicap. Names like Mousehole (Cornwall, England), Lick Skillet (VA) and Hairy Hill (Alberta, Canada) may bring a smile to your face. But others, such as Looneyville (TX and VA), Satan’s Kingdom (Vermont), and Ugley (Essex, England) are names that could be a drawback for the town.

When it comes to destination and place branding, the name of the city, town or county is the most powerful part of its identity. It has often been said that being introduced to a brand is like meeting a person. Their name is important - it’s how we remember them, make associations, and refer to them. It’s as if there is a filing cabinet in our brains where we keep everything relevant to that name. When we hear London, Paris or Saigon, we recall the many pieces of information, thoughts and feelings, large and small, that we have assembled about each over the years, even if we have never been there.

USA Today considers ten other town names that “will make you snicker like a middle schooler”. While some have been able to trade of their unfortunate names, e.g. Hell (Grand Cayman), I guess for some of the others it acts like a mediaeval city wall to protect the place from outsiders.  

Do you know of a place with a funny name that has used it to its advantage?

Angels Camp CA Follows a Methodical Brand Development Path

I was recently drawn to an article in CalaverasEnterprise.com showing that the very small community of Angels Camp CA was methodically implementing its brand strategy. I spoke to my friend, Mary Klugherz from Great Destination Strategies who developed the brand concept for Angel’s Camp and was part of the Destination Development International team that developed the city’s brand strategy to gain a better understanding of their plans.

Mary said that the success at Angels Camp boils down to three things:

1.  A supportive city government/staff

2.  A few true brand champions

3.  Consistency and patience

She said, “Angels Camp started with a Brand Advisory Committee created during the brand development phase.  That morphed into a Brand Leadership Team, led by a local resident, who is a tireless champion.  This group has formalized into Destination Angels Camp and the organization was approved at the recent Council meeting.  They took the plan I wrote and have just followed each step slowly and methodically.  They have had the plan since late 2008, so it has been just over 3 years.  This is a great example of how a very small community (pop. 3,800) has taken a plan and followed it, even with limited resources.  They have maintained transparency in all they do and are slowly making progress.”

Mary said that she believes the six key lessons learned in Angels Camp are:

1.  It takes a supportive city government and brand champions

2.  It takes time

3.  It is important to stay the course and follow the plan

4.  It takes time

5.  Continue to follow the plan

6.  It takes time

I’m not sure whether Mary pointed out that you have to religiously follow the plan and that it won’t happen overnight! While Angels Camp has a very distinctive logo, this hasn’t become their fixation and sidetracked them from the critical brand development issues that have to be addressed.  It’s great to see a very small community tackle its brand development in such a comprehensive and methodical manner. There are some lessons here for much larger places.

Residents Call For Panama City Beach FL to Address It’s Conflicted Brand Image

Balancing the visitor mix can be a challenge for many destinations. What attracts one group may just as easily be negatively impacted by the actions of another group.  This particular challenge is being debated in Panama City Beach FL, the self-proclaimed "Spring Break Capital of the World", which is also a popular family destination.

Local residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the annual invasion of some 250,000 college students. Many regard them as being more trouble than they’re worth, despite the Spring Breakers typically leaving over $100 million in local businesses during the month of March.

"We are having a big problem with the culture of our guests,including vulgarity and a lack of respect," County Commissioner Mike Thomas told the Panama City News Herald. "Every town is having these problems, but you ought to be able to have community standards. Our main business is the family business.”

"It used to be school kids having a good time," Vice Mayor Ken Nelson said. "Now it's thugs coming here for the biggest party in Florida. We need drastic action. When you throw a party you are responsible for who shows up.  We have to change our marketing," added Nelson, noting that similar beach cities with fewer Spring Break problems tell him that "we don't invite the same people that you do."

As we have seen with some European fun and sun destinations, weaning local businesses off these lucrative markets can be very difficult. Eventually, the question will be asked, “Who’s city is it – the visitor’s or resident’s?”

Panama City Beach could learn a lot from the very popular restaurant and event venue, The Hangout on the beach in nearby Gulf Shoes AL, where the tagline is “Be Nice or Go Home”.

Xiamen Slogan Competition to Create a Brand Without Research or Strategy

Xiamen also known as Amoy is a major city on the south east coast of the People’s Republic of China and is known for its scenic beauty and tree lined beaches.  

The Xiamen Tourism Bureau is calling for public suggestions for a new tourism slogan, logo and souvenir to represent the city.  The Bureau has established a web site for the competition which closes on April 30. The winners will be announced after public online voting and expert review, seemingly in that order.  Winners will receive approximately $US 3,200 each.

Unfortunately this is another example of a DMO attempting to take a shortcut to acquire some of the key elements for shaping their city’s brand identity.  Not only is it a mistake to run a competition to obtain logo and slogan suggestions, but to then turn it over to residents to make the choice further compounds the problems of this strategy-less and research-less approach. The Xiamen Tourism Bureau will be left to then shape their brand strategy around their new logo and tagline, rather than have those elements emerge from a well-researched strategy that is based on their most competitive positioning, personality and benefits.

Xiamen could be well advised to take a page from the research and strategically focused branding approach of nearby Shaoxing which I blogged about several weeks ago.

Newcastle, Australia Rebrands With Comprehensive Brand Strategy

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with Simon McArthur, the Tourism and Economic Development Manager for Newcastle City Council, Australia. I wanted to gain some insights into how their work for the Brand Newcastle project is coming along.

An aspect that caught my attention was their product development focus to ensure that the city delivers on its brand promise. Central to this is attracting and reinvigorating events (many associated with the beach and sports), the opening of the Newcastle Museum, the development of innovative harbor tours, and City Evolutions which will feature digital projections on buildings and lit moving sculptures that interpret some of the key stories that formed and rebuilt the city. The next phase is likely to feature a function center overlooking the beach, a coastal spa, regional convention and exhibition center, new hotels and expansions to Newcastle Airport. Another interesting feature is the plan to rebrand several of the city's key suburbs and visitor precincts such as Hamilton and Downtown Newcastle.

“This rebranding will enable us to consistently promote a more contemporary view of the city - a genuine, ever-changing, vibrant and energetic place that is home to hardworking people and world-class industries,” Simon McArthur said.

Newcastle is attempting to shed its long established ‘Steel City’ image with a comprehensive rebranding program.  This includes a new logo and tagline (See Change) as well as increased promotions through tourism websites, brochures and signage. The city has also installed sixteen visitor information kiosks throughout the city, in lieu of operating a traditional tourist information center.

Urban Branding: The Evolution of Kansas City’s Graphic Identity

We have all heard the line that we “stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.” Sharon Gochenour writing in ThisBigCity offers the perspective that the generations of graphic designs and signage on the streets and buildings of Kansas City combine to capture the authenticity and ethos of the place. They also have a strong influence on the city’s contemporary look.

She sees Kansas City as not only a modern, high tech city, but being the product of an industrial boom in manufacturing, warehousing, rail traffic, and stockyards in the early part of the 20th century. Accompanying these activities was the accumulation of generations of signage, billboard ads and graphic designs, many of which are still evident.  Gochenour explains that by walking through many of Kansas City’s streets and districts you can discover what the city has been and how the layers of graphic imagery accumulated over the past century differ from the modern marketing of the city seen in websites and brochures, but are evidence of what makes Kansas City, Kansas City.

Gochenour advocates, “A city’s image is not only formed by what it is but all the things it has been. Perhaps the next step in city branding is to generate virtual spaces through the accumulation of images from various sources on all levels of city development - planners, artists, officials, individual city dwellers. These images could be presented on a platform that allows visitors to arrange each of these layers of meaning, generating new designs and new understandings.” 

What’s The Difference Between Brand Image and Brand Identity?

We receive many questions and requests for advice from city leaders, practitioners and students around the world. I have decided to start sharing some of these requests and our responses with readers of this blog.  Here is an email from Marc a tourism marketing student in South Africa, “I see materials that use the terms ‘brand image’ and ‘brand identity’ as if they are the same thing. Can you please clarify their meanings, and if they are the same thing. Additionally, how does this relate to cities and tourism destinations?”

 Marc, the terms ‘image’ and ‘identity’ are often confused. Brand image relates to how the brand is perceived from the customer’s point of view, while brand identity is the unique set of visual, auditory and other stimuli that express the brand and shapes its image.  Each must be deeply rooted in the foundations of the brand.  Think of brand identity as being like the identity of a friend, comprised of his or her name, appearance, personality, speech, ethnicity, and personal style among many other elements.  Image, on the other hand, comes from the external view and in this context relates to what people may think of your friend. It is their perceptions and therefore their reality of who that person is and what they represent.

Strong brands are built on trust. There must be alignment between what the brand promises and the reality of the actual experience. If the two are out of sync the brand will not be sustainable unless there are plans - and resources - to bridge the gap. In the case of a city, if its performance is of a high standard and its image is bad or non-existent, then it has a deficient brand strategy and may need increased or more accurate communications.

A city has a real image challenge when people outside of it do not accurately know the reality of the place. The imbalance between the internal identity and the external image of many places limits their development. This often happens when the city is projecting itself as one thing, but the reality is much different. For example, the city promotes itself as a place for romantic beach getaways, but visitors find that restaurant service is a nightmare, hotels are substandard, and that after-hour beach walkways are hard to find or poorly lit. Strong, successful brands don’t display this kind of dissonance. Destination managers must constantly monitor customer satisfaction and “test drive” the services and experiences in their own city to ensure that they the images matches the reality and is aligned with the promises that they are making.

Atlantic City NJ Masterplan to Reinvent the Tourism District

Few destinations have attempted to reinvent themselves on the scale that is being undertaken in Atlantic City NJ. This internationally renowned for gambling, conventions and leisurely strolls on its boardwalk.  But the destination has languished for decades.

Atlantic City’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority recently released a 300-page masterplan that spells out redevelopment options for the city’s Tourism District - a 1,700-acre area encompassing the casinos, the boardwalk, and shopping and dining districts. State Governor Christie is giving the district five years to gain traction before reconsidering whether to expand casino gambling to the Meadowlands and other parts of New Jersey.

The plan contains short, medium, and long-term goals. Among the short-term is to introduce new attractions along the 2 ½ mile Boardwalk. The designers envision up to 10 "innovation pavilions”, sponsored by private companies, having entertainment and educational components.

The city has had five or six master plans since gambling was legalized in 1976, and most of those recommendations were never implemented. Some people are concerned that this plan may suffer a similar fate if there isn’t sufficient investment in the area’s basic infrastructure, let alone the multi-billion dollar casino and resort investments.

“If you make Atlantic City attractive, people will definitely come”, said Jack Plackter, a real estate lawyer with Fox Rothschild in Atlantic City.  “Atlantic City is only 48 blocks long. You can fix this place one block at a time," Plackter said. "The issue is can it be done quickly enough. We don't have a huge window. We don't have 20 years."

This will be a fascinating case study over the coming years.

Can Mexico Re-brand itself?

While many regions in Mexico are important international visitor destinations, the nation has been the focus of intense global media coverage of the drug cartels, violence, murder and kidnappings. These are hardly the most attractive tourism messages for the country. An added problem is that these negative images are rubbing off on areas that are unaffected by this type of criminal activity. This is a case of some areas being guilty by association and thus suffering negative impacts.

I read with interest a BBC article that Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has called in Simon Anholt, a British expert on country branding, for advice. Anholt produced a detailed report on Mexico's image for the President which concluded that Mexico had "an already weak and in some cases badly flawed reputation" which was "undergoing a further downward correction" (because of the crime wave).

My suggestion for Mexico is to rebuild its international reputation with “sub-brand” strategies focused on its priority regions and cities, rather than on the overall Mexican nation brand. For example Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula do not seem to have the same image and crime problems as say, some of the nation’s border states. Maybe it needs a multi-speed approach to addressing the country’s brand image by building on its strengths and where the product does deliver excellent customer experiences.

Why Every Destination Needs a Crisis Communications Plan

The tornados that ripped through several American states and devastating several communities is another warning that really bad things can happen unexpectedly to good places. The lesson is that all places need to have a crisis communications plan that is tightly integrated into the city’s crisis management plan. How well this is done can influence how quickly the place can recover from the crisis and reinstate the economic momentum of the city.

A case in point is Branson MO which was struck by a tornado last week that damaged about four dozen commercial structures including six of the town's 50 theaters and 22 of the 200 hotels and motels. This happened right at the start of Branson’s busy tourist season. Fortunately, Branson CVB and the local tourism industry seem to be responding fast in an effort to minimize the tourism impacts of the tornado.

My colleague Peggy Bendel, author of the forthcoming book “It's a Crisis! NOW What?" observes, “At a time like this, having a crisis communications plan in place helps destination marketers move swiftly to gather accurate information, and get the word out to their various publics: visitors, staff, marketing partners and the media. Branson's doing a great job: their home page at ExploreBranson.com retains its brand imagery, and highlights special events, while featuring a half-page with links to current details about the February 29^th storm. Many destinations might be tempted to ignore the "bad news" and keep their site as is, but with a national story such as a damaging tornado, that simply makes you appear clueless and guarantees people will go elsewhere for credible information.”

 

Simply because you have completed a brand strategy and marketing plan does not mean that you have secured the best possible future for your destination. You also need a constantly updated crisis communications strategy, because bad things do happen to good places!

An Irish Boost for a Visitor Information Center

At a time when destination management organizations (DMO) worldwide are evaluating the role of their visitor information centers (VIC), I was surprised to see in the Irish Examiner that a VIC in Ireland is looking to double its visitation. 

It seems that the The Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre in Tullamore is to be redeveloped with the aim of doubling its annual visitor numbers to 40,000. I then discovered that it was to be developed in a once bonded warehouse for Tullamore Dew whiskey. Tullamore Dew is currently the second largest Irish whiskey brand in the world, selling more than 8.5m bottles annually.

Visitor information centers work best when they are located in precincts that directly link them to the community’s key experiences. Could it be that their strategy to double visitor numbers is linked to free samples of Tullamore Dew?

New Destination Video Sings the Praises of Brand Vancouver

Tourism Vancouver’s new destination film takes an innovative approach in projecting the city’s brand messages using multiple platforms. Central to the film is the original music of local band Watasun and their song, “It’s You… Vancouver”.

Watasun is a Vancouver-based duo that fuses urban beats with traditional folk sounds. One-time buskers on Vancouver’s Granville Street, singer/songwriter Adam Bailie and percussionist Reid Hendry now record, produce and sell their own albums, taking inspiration from everyday experiences in the city.

Throughout the three-minute video, the duo perform their catchy tune while making appearances in, near or atop iconic Vancouver attractions. It’s nice to see a destination really trying to make all of its brand communications distinctive and authentic – and hopefully exposing a few locals to a larger audience.

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.

Shaoxing, China’s Place Branding Pioneer

One of the great bonuses I am receiving while updating my book, Destination Branding for Small Cities, is seeing some of the fascinating brand strategies being developed for cities around the world. One that particularly caught my eye was the pioneering work by Alastair Morrison, CEO at Belle International Consulting in Beijing. Place branding is a relatively new practice for China and Alastair’s brand strategy was developed for the city of Shaoxing.

Shaoxing is an ancient water city with a rich 6,000 year history. Its brand positioning is based on it being a one-of-a-kind place because of its associations with the nation’s ancient and historical times, and its contributions toward various forms of artistic expression, including calligraphy, novels, and Yue opera. It is also famous for its distinctive yellow rice wine. The positioning is captured in the tagline, 'Vintage China'

What particularly attracted my attention was the range of fascinating brand experiences designed especially for the Shanghai expat market. Belle Tourism International Consulting designed and implemented an event titled, 25@100% Vintage Shaoxing Experiences. The experiences inside of this event were designed to immerse participants in the Shaoxing culture and the daily lifestyles of local people. The encounters included the opportunity to be an opera apprentice, cook at a popular restaurant, dream in an imaginary world at the former home of great writer Lu Xun, discover the secrets of tea therapy and glide along the centuries-old canals on a Chinese gondola.

The city has an amazing 6,000 year old cultural tapestry to work with and it will be fascinating to watch how the Shaoxing brand develops in coming years.

All That Glitters Isn’t Always Olympic Gold

One of the first things that I learned in researching tourism strategies in conjunction with the Sydney 2000 Olympics is that the world’s biggest sporting event is not necessarily a boon for all tourism operators or nearby destinations. In fact, it can be an extremely quiet period for them.

Firstly, the “Olympic family” fills many hotels before and during the Games, thus dislocating the normal flow of visitors to the host city, sometimes for months in advance. This includes both leisure and business travelers who will find rooms hard to come by. In turn this can mean that local attractions, restaurants and nearby destinations experience a downturn in visitation. Then during the Games, most of the accommodation is taken by people involved with the event as officials, athlete families, sponsors, media and event attendees. Again, their attention is on the Olympic events, possibly from early morning to late at night. And residents may be inclined to watch the event on television or in public venues rather than visit domestic destinations and local attractions.

In the meantime, many tour operators and domestic tourism destinations find that there’s no gold in it for them. The Daily Telegraph reports that a survey by the European Tour Operators Association of 38 different travel companies - responsible for bringing a total of two million overseas tourists to London each year - revealed that bookings for travel during the 2012 Olympics were down 95 per cent year-on-year, while bookings for travel during the rest of the 2012 have fallen by a fifth. The Olympics do however provide an outstanding opportunity for countries and host cities to take advantage of the unprecedented media coverage to add new dimensions to its brand identity. Something that Visit Britain is working hard to achieve.