Small City Branding Around the World

It’s Time to End Tourism’s Shock Doctrine

Over the past few years, the turmoil surrounding some tourism organizations such as convention & visitor bureaus, chamber of commerce and tourism offices has caused me to think of the term “shock doctrine” coined by Canadian author, Naomi Klein. Her thesis is that governments can make extremely unpopular changes during disasters, upheavals and crises that they would be unable to even consider in normal times.  Hardly a week passes when we don’t see another DMO under threat of severe budget cuts, diversion of lodging tax dollars to other organizations, elimination of the DMO or an attempt to fold DMO operations into city or county governments because of an extreme financial crisis facing the place.

On many occasions it is elected officials at the center of these storms. While some of the restructuring efforts are totally valid, on too many occasions they seem to be stimulated by long-standing turf battles over roles, budgets and personalities. It amazes me that so many of these elected officials are great advocates for branding and marketing when it comes to their individual election campaigns, but soon forget to apply the same principles to their community’s economic
development once they are elected. They seem inclined to be cavalier in regard to the negative impacts that may, and do, result from their actions.

The travel and tourism industry has been a particularly bright spot in our economic growth over the past few years. It is proving to be a vital employer and generator of income. While jobs in other industries may have been shipped overseas, tourism jobs cannot be easily outsourced. This is well stated in the study by McKinsey Global Institute in which they predict as many as one in seven new jobs in the USA over the next decade will come from travel and tourism.

With another election out of the way, let’s hope that the cycle of “purges” doesn’t start again.  There’s far too much at stake!

What Are the Seven Keys to Strong Community?

Kaid Benfield recently presented an interesting blog in Atlantic Cities in which he outlined the seven keys to strong community which were created by his colleague Scott Doyon at Place Makers. I agree with the article as far as it went, but would also include the economic dimensions because without them the livability aspects might not be viable.

Here are what he identifies as the seven keys to stronger community:

1. Good governance
2. Walkable, connected, mixed-use character
3. Parks and gardens
4. Partnerships
5. Programming
6. Neighborhood-responsive schools
7. Tree culture

While the list is focused on the sense of community rather than communities in general, I think that pro-active economic development is an essential ingredient. This should focus on the retention and generation of businesses and jobs that are conducive to sustaining community livability. 

Integral to economic development is place branding which directly contributes to increased effectiveness and efficiency in how cities compete and present themselves. Branding enables the place to focus on their differentiating strengths to establish their competitive identity and generate the economic activity to optimize the seven keys.

What Does an Age-Friendly City Look Like?

Every week I see articles about places of all sizes boasting that they are targeting creative people, gays, families or visitors. But an article in The Independent really caught my eye when it outlined the credentials that an age-friendly city should have.

Rachel Lee from Living Streets describes an age-friendly community as, “one that enables older people to remain active and engaged within their communities. Our streets should be welcoming places that are accessible for everyone. For older people that means well maintained pavements to avoid trip hazards, cleanliness, seating, clear signage, provision of public toilets, local access to a range of local services (health, shopping, banks) and more.”

Reading the article I saw that many of the requirements for older people in an age-friendly city are simply the basic community-focused elements on which all cities should be based. Maybe after decades of austerity and cost cutting in local government it’s time to reconsider the basics that will underpin the needs of residents and visitors whether they are creative, gay, families or aged.

What Can Disney Teach Us About Urban Planning and Managing Visitor Experiences?

Disney theme parks can be instructive for us when it comes to designing and managing city precincts for the enjoyment of visitors. Disney simultaneously offers both good and bad examples of what to do – and not do. An interview in Smart Planet with Jennifer Gray, an historian of modern art and architecture, provided many interesting perspectives, and provoked some heated reactions in the comments from readers.

Gray says, “In recent years Disney-urbanism has colonized authentic cities. Urban entertainment districts such as South Street Seaport in New York, Quincy Market in Baltimore, and Harbor Place in Baltimore are good examples. South Street Seaport conveys the impression of a once-active seafaring culture, but without the messiness of a functioning seaport – the smell of fish, working-class dockhands, clamoring fish mongers. Instead we find national retail and restaurant chains like The Gap and McDonald’s.” But having lived in New York, I know that South Street Seaport is for the tourists, because as locals we know that it has lost its authenticity and is a ‘Disneyfied’  experience.   

Whenever I visit a Disney theme park with my family, it doesn’t take long for me to be in trouble because I am slowing everyone down. I am easily distracted observing the streetscapes, public spaces, architecture, trash bins, garden maintenance, crowd calming techniques, and even the trash collectors on roller-blades (they add to the sense of fun and can cover more territory!).

There are many aspects of Ms. Gray’s interview that I disagree with, however I always value fresh perspectives on the work of Disney because no other individual has had a greater impact on managing visitor experiences - whether we like all of his work or not.

How to Create a Tourist Attraction Without Trying

Places around the world are investing millions of dollars to develop tourist attractions in their communities and to establish an identity that will help them stand out in a crowded market. Then there are others like the small Spanish city of Borja (pop. 5,000) that have been able to take a “shortcut” to instant notoriety. A few months ago Borja was the focus of worldwide humor and disbelief when an 80-year-old pensioner botched the restoration of the beloved fresco of Christ in the town’s church.

Now that the jokes have subsided (well not totally), the image of the “restored” fresco now adorns all kinds of souvenirs being sold in the town and on the internet, and tourists are happily handing over one Euro to enter the church and marvel at the famous fresco. All of this leads me to wonder - what really makes a tourist attraction magnetic?  Prior to the restoration work few tourists came to Borja.  It seems that publicity and fame are the only factors that have changed. The instant fame and publicity that this accidental tourist attraction has received will, for a short time at least, draw visitors who want to see first-hand the worst art restoration of all time.

The big challenge for Borja is to harness their 15 minutes of fame in a way that can provide benefits for the town. I understand that the owners of other historic artworks around the town are carefully protecting them while the lady looks for her next fixer-up project.

Are Taxi Drivers the Ultimate Place Brand Killers?

My wife and I are frequent viewers of the television reality program, The Amazing Race. Last Sunday night once again, one team in the race quickly found themselves eliminated due to the ineptitude of a local taxi driver. It seems that every season at least one team is eliminated because a taxi driver was unable to find their requested destination. The problem in last year’s programs was highlighted by the Los Angeles Times. This even happened in the final episode a few years ago that featured Portland, where I live. We can only wonder how many travel plans of regular tourists are destroyed in this manner and what sub-par taxi drivers are doing to the reputation of cities all over the world when television cameras aren’t recording the problems.  And let’s not even bring other issues into our critique!

Which cities have successfully implemented training programs designed to address the quality of taxi driver service and knowledge of their city?

Why Brands Matters More Than Ever In the 21st Century

From time to time we hear some people say that in today’s Digital Age brands are now irrelevant. We usually find that their understanding of a brand extends little beyond a logo and an advertising campaign.  In a recent edition of Forbes, David Cooperstein debunked this notion and highlighted why brands matter. He said, “I think we are at the beginning of a new brand journey. This is one that reacquaints the brand with the business strategy, elevates the CMO and marketing team to the level of business strategist, and reconnects sight, sound and motion but in a digital context, and creates differentiation beyond the campaign. I feel good vibes from brand and creative folks that they get the need to reinforce their brand across all touchpoints, and that advertising is merely one part of the process.”

While place branding is being successfully adopted around the world, there are some who still mistakenly regard it as a fad. In examining their critique, I often find that they don’t really understand the concept. They particularly don’t consider its benefits in providing a strategic framework.

I really like the perspective that my friend Malcolm Allan at Colliers International in London gave in my book on this observation. “Place branding is a relatively new discipline and its small but growing band of adherents and practitioners have often been received with disdain and disbelief by people from established professions in town planning, economic development and tourism, numbers of whom regard it as a passing fad, just a new way of sexing-up traditional approaches to city planning, marketing and place making. As a qualified practicing town planner and economic development professional for over thirty years, I see it very differently. For me the key word is strategy as in place, city or development brand strategy. I have often been struck by the power of major lasting brands to meet the changing needs of their customers whilst remaining true to their purpose and values – they provide a much needed (and proven) strategic guidance system.”

I know that when cities and other places recognize the power of a brand strategy they are then able to be more competitive and enjoyable. Achieving this takes a strategic guidance system that reaches across the city and takes a holistic view of its relationship with customers.

Don’t Let a Bad Copywriter Ruin Your Brand

It is not uncommon for the power of words to be overlooked in favor of the colorful lure of the logo, collateral designs and advertising creatives, yet words are among the most potent and affordable tools at your disposal when it comes to projecting your brand identity.

By consistently using creatively and carefully chosen words, phrases and stories that best support the identity, you can cost-effectively build the brand.  My friend, Marcus Osborne at FusionBrand in Malaysia recently reminded me of the importance of words in branding and how skilled copywriters are often undervalued. 

In his blog post, Marcus eviscerated the copy in a print ad for a Mitsubishi ASX. The copy could well have been about a city or destination. The same mistake is frequently made:  failure to ask the simple question, “What’s in it for me?” from the customer’s perspective. The ad fails to resonate and the brand doesn’t gain traction.  

Brand Bermuda: There’s Gotta Be More!

 

I am becoming increasingly intrigued by tourism offices that announce with great fanfare that they are launching a new brand campaign as if they are releasing a new washing powder that will clean better and brighter than the old version. I noticed in Travel Weekly that Bermuda has launched a new “brand campaign” with a new logo featuring the "Bermuda: So Much More" tagline. The campaign is the result of months of research that is supposed to reflect the direction of the recently introduced National Tourism Master Plan. Looking at the print and television advertising I found that much of it not differentiating Bermuda and not giving meaning to, “so much more”.

I then saw the comments by Kirk Hardcastle, an advertising executive from Kansas writing in The Royal Gazette Online, where he was making the same observations as mine in regard to the advertising. Then Bermuda Sun guest columnist, Elaine Murray considered the advertising, and also gave a scathing critique of the shortfalls of the island’s visitor experiences.

Ms. Murray observes, “Bermuda can be so much more than the Bermuda of bygone days. Tweaking a beloved song or depicting tourists in print ads and commercials dancing in the streets of St. George’s isn’t going to miraculously ingest oxygen in a stale product unless the real stakeholders get off their collective you-know-what and get moving again.”

It would seem that Bermuda still has work to do in implementing its Tourism Master Plan and developing a brand strategy where the nation is truly differentiated from other options, and there is alignment between brand communications and the quality of experiences delivered to visitors to match the promise being made to them. And this takes much more than a tagline, “So much more”, which could also be used by each of their Caribbean competitors – and for that matter just about every destination in the world.

What’s The Best Way to Use Icons in Destination Advertising and Branding?

From the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall, Venice’s gondoliers, The Coliseum, Sydney Opera House to Amsterdam’s canals, icons have been fundamental to destination promotion.

The opportunities and pitfalls using icons in destination branding and advertising can be quite significant. While their use can help cut through marketplace noise and quickly build meaning and relevance for the brand, long-term success requires a much more holistic approach in managing their use.  I just came across an excellent blog post on destination icons by my former Australian Tourist Commission (Now Tourism Australia) colleague, Glenn Myatt at Brand Truth. 

Glenn suggests that destinations address strategies that retain the benefits and address the potential negatives of deploying icons. In simple terms this is about using images that show the icon in a way that departs from the manner by which it has traditionally been depicted. This may involve new perspectives, angles or lighting or presenting them in a different context. However, he stresses that the icon should be used as a ‘prop” to enable the place to pivot onto other attractors, strengths and benefits rather than remain the perennial centerpiece, and risk the perception of having narrow appeal.

Can Place Branding Save Our Struggling Downtowns?

I was interested to read the blog in DRUM by Scott McCubbin. Scott summarized the observations of several keynote speakers at the British Consortium of Shopping Centres Conference.

England was once known as a nation of shopkeepers. As Scott observes, this moniker has been replaced by the image of a nation of closed shutters, rusted padlocks and “To Let” signs.  So many of the speakers at the conference raised issues and solutions that mirror those we often find in small cities and downtowns in the USA and Canada.  These typically involve addressing the impact of big box stores on the outskirts of town, cross-community consultation, developing an attractive destination appeal for visitors and residents and creating a distinctive brand identity. 

“The question isn’t how can high streets be saved, but which ones should we save?” was the grim conclusion by Justin Taylor of property consultants, Cushman & Wakefield.

New Zealand’s 100% Pure Brand to Become 100% Middle Earth

 

One of the most successful nation branding efforts over the past decade has been by New Zealand in developing its 100% Pure brand.  A critical component in this success was the masterful way that the New Zealand Government and Tourism New Zealand leveraged the Lord of the Rings trilogy, much of which was filmed on location in New Zealand.  Tourism New Zealand has now unveiled a new campaign to capitalize on the release later this year of the first of three The Hobbit films
directed by Peter Jackson. 

"One of our most exciting milestones will be reached in late August when the new 100% Pure New Zealand campaign will get its first public airing, drawing together the themes '100% Pure' and '100% Middle Earth'" says Chief Executive Kevin Bowler.

“The aim is to take advantage of that global profile by showing how easily the fantasy of The Hobbit movies can become reality in the form of a New Zealand holiday.  Many movie goers would probably consider the landscapes of 'Middle-earth' to be a fantasy, only made possible thanks to the talents of film makers. Not so,” Bowler added.

It will be very interesting to see how they develop synergy this time between the film and the marketing of the country. I have no doubt that we will see many new initiatives that will once again rewrite the book on how destinations can capitalize on major motion pictures.

What is the Difference Between an Advertising Agency and a Brand Consultancy?

I have recently seen a flurry of RFPs for “Branding and Web Design”, “Branding and Public Relations” and “Branding and Advertising”. These RFPs came quickly to mind when I read this week’s blog from my friend, Marcus Osborne at FusionBrand in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Marcus says, “As the consumer landscape changes and consumer habits and the purchase decision-making process evolves, it is imperative that brand owners understand where, when and how to spend their valuable and increasingly limited resources. Historically advertising agencies defined and controlled a brand’s message and through which channels it was broadcast. They would then blitz consumers with intrusive advertising and messages. In the past, branding and advertising used to be elements of marketing. Today, marketing and advertising are now part of branding and it is the brand consultant you should look to if you want to build a brand.”

Marcus then provides nine excellent points outlining the difference between an advertising agency and a brand consultancy to assist brand owners in making informed decisions on who should build their brand.

The first important consideration is to recognize that the brand strategy and implementation are not the same thing. The project should be divided into two stages: (1) the formulation of the brand strategy, requiring strong research, analytical and strategic skills, and in the case of city and downtown branding, a detailed knowledge of tourism, economic development, product development and placemaking, and (2) the strategy implementation, possibly requiring advertising, web design, public relations, and publishing expertise. While some firms will claim to do both, it pays to gain a clear understanding of the depth of their experience. Recruit specialists appropriate to each phase.

We are starting to see an emerging awareness among many cities and destinations, and even their communications agencies, of an increasing appreciation for the specialist expertise needed to address the complexities and demands of brand strategy development. We have experienced this when some advertising agencies have wisely recognized that they were not place brand strategists and hired us to develop the brand strategy component for their clients.

Marcus Osborne makes some excellent points here.

What if Nike Took Over the Selling of Your Town?

I live a few miles from Nike World Headquarters just outside of Portland, Oregon. So Nike is a frequent subject of conversation around here and sometimes we take for granted the brilliance of what they do on the global stage. Recently, there was no stage more imposing than the London
Olympics where Nike was not an Olympic sponsor but had to rely on ambush marketing to gain visibility and project its brand. If you saw any of the Olympics, then you will agree that it was near impossible to miss the neon shoes worn by 400 of the world’s best track and field athletes. That was the brilliant work of Martin Lotti and his team at Nike.

Lotti, Nike's global creative director for the Olympics, told Creativity that his role was to focus on the Nike products that 3,000 Olympic athletes wear on and off the field, from design to deployment.  Painting Nike's Flyknit shoe Volt, as that vivid neon-green-meets-highlighter-yellow color is called, was Mr. Lotti's way to create a kind of "Team Nike." Before London 2012, the company matched the color of the shoe to the color of the individual athlete's uniforms. It looked pretty, but it blended in. This year, hundreds of athletes across different national federations wore the same color, what Mr. Lotti called "the easiest way" to make a splash. This approach further underscored for me the power of simplicity and how it can cut through to make brands memorable and effective.

In the same article Mr. Lotti said he believes good Nike products have four elements: (i) performance, (ii) emotion (a Team USA insignia over the heart, for example), (iii) environment, and (iv) aesthetics. It really struck me that these are among the key elements that we always encourage our clients to address through their own brand management.  This led me to consider, “What if Nike took over the branding and marketing of a city like yours”? What do you think would happen?

Can Austin TX Really Provide the Brand Answers for Orlando FL?

The Orlando Business Journal highlights the branding challenges of Orlando FL which is known worldwide for its strong image shaped by outstanding theme parks like Disney World, Universal Studios, Wet ‘n Wild, and SeaWorld. However, for decades city leaders have grappled with the dilemma of how to work with such a strong tourism image when it comes to being taken seriously as a place for business. 

The Journal reports that the city is looking toward Austin TX for inspiration because Austin has done a great job of balancing the many facets of its identity to attract leading corporations and skilled workers.

In most cases, tourism is the most visible marketing effort on behalf of a city or region. The quality and scope of this effort usually has a strong influence in shaping the city’s image. They reason being that once someone has a positive experience in the community as a visitor, they are much more open to the idea of relocating their business or family to the area.

Orlando is fortunate to have such a powerful tourism brand. It has an amazing foundation on which to work because it is one of the most desirable destinations in the country and is seen as an attractive place to live. I am puzzled as to why they have found it so difficult to brand themselves as a business destination as well. Orlando has experienced a boom since the opening of Disney World in what was swamp land in the 1970’s. This is an amazing achievement. In regard to their business brand, it may be they should have asked themselves the question a long time ago, “What would Walt (Disney) do?” I think that they might find that Austin possibly asked this same question a long time ago – and then actually did something about it! Afterall, Austin had the “handicap” to overcome of being tagged with “Keep Austin Weird.”

Is Prince Harry the Perfect Brand Ambassador for Las Vegas?

Prince Harry’s vacation snaps in Las Vegas have now gone viral causing me to ask, “What were his minders doing?” But I digress. Fortunately the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority was on the job and took a full-page ad in USA Today on Friday, standing by Prince Harry - sort of. The ad reminded us of the Vegas "code" (a.k.a., brand message), "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." It asks Vegas visitors to shun those who exploited the Prince by depriving them of the legendary delights of Vegas.

The LA Times reports that Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, came in on cue and said, "Las Vegas is a place to celebrate adult freedom, freedom that even celebrities and royals can enjoy."

Don’t you wish your city or downtown had a customer who could generate millions of dollars of worldwide publicity for you – and importantly, be bang on the brand message as well?

Destination Branding is Difficult and Calls for a Different Approach (Part Two)

This is the second part of the blog I posted Monday. When discussing the differences in branding places and consumer products with friends in advertising agencies, they frequently maintain that there is no difference between the two. To some extent they are correct. However there are differences that have a profound influence on the process. These relate to the complexities of ownership, consultation, decision-making, and product development.

A city has many faces and identities. For instance, it may be known as a destination for medical services, culture, education or shopping as well as being home for residents, each with different levels of political, financial and community support.

While a corporate brand may need approval by a marketing team or Board, a city or downtown brand usually requires endorsement by several public organizations in which the players may never see completely eye-to-eye. Another problem for many city brands is that important leaders frequently do not have strong marketing or branding credentials, nor do they have a customer-focused perspective. Yet they can exert considerable influence over the process and end result. A place brand must overcome enmity and rise above politics. Support from political leaders is vital and their understanding must be nurtured because they may not readily recognize the direct relationship between decisions they make on a daily basis and the reputation and attractiveness of the city.

These community-based brands must withstand a level of public debate that consumer brands rarely endure. A city brand must stand the test of time, public debate, political scrutiny, media
questions, and the analysis of marketing partners and residents. The best way to insulate the brand from this scrutiny is to generate buy-in and involvement through an open consultative process.

Place branding usually requires an approach that is more conciliatory and inclusive than that found with most consumer products. For instance, being very specific with the positioning may unintentionally alienate some locals and cause controversy. Conversely, diluting the brand to the point where it pleases everyone results in losing its strongest competitive edge and ends up being seen as weak and irrelevant.

Additionally, unlike a consumer product such as a soft drink, cities are not discrete or independent entities. A city is much more complex and cannot be reformulated or terminated if it is not popular or is under-performing. Even the prospect of changing the name of the city can prove difficult.

Project leaders who are aware of the differences between the branding of places and consumer goods are in a much better position to adapt to these challenges when they become evident. Their
presence should not represent a barrier, but a need for further fine-tuning – and a lot of patience!

This is an extract from Destination Branding for Small Cities – Second Edition.

Destination Branding is Difficult and Calls for a Different Approach (Part One)

I really agree with the comments by Jonathan Bernstein, executive director for brand strategy for Interbrand Singapore in the Cebu Sun Star, who said “Out of all the brands that need to be developed, destination branding is the most challenging.” He added, “Many people confuse a brand for a logo, a tagline or an advertising campaign. With products, companies only need to show the economic value for the consumer. But with places are much more complex.”

He explained so many things influence a destination, such as heritage, history, food and the people while there are many things beyond the control of the destination’s brand developers.

For Bernstein, a brand is a reputation. “Everything you do will build or take away from your reputation.” Bernstein said a brand helps to hold everything together and will serve as a guide for the long-term, medium-term and short-term direction a place wants to take.

I have advocated in my book, Destination Branding for Small Cities – Second Edition that place branding is about establishing a framework for prioritization and should contribute directly to increased effectiveness and efficiency in how cities and downtowns compete and present themselves. It enables places to focus on their differentiating strengths and leverage the combined power of stakeholder resources to establish their competitive identity. However, it is not easy getting to this point. Despite the many successes there are some failures that could have been avoided had participants recognized that branding places is very different to branding consumer products.

The path to revealing a place brand usually involves a multitude of stakeholders and departs from that generally followed for branding corporate products and services.  One reason for the variation is the composite nature of places which are a compilation of many independent and competing businesses, products, and experiences that are owned and managed by many different organizations with no single management team or custodian.

Part Two will be posted Wednesday.

Changing the Name of Cities and Towns Calls for Extreme Caution

I recently posted about town with unfortunate names and how some of those places are trying to capitalize on their name. Those towns have chosen to make the best of their name, but other cities often wish to change theirs.

The names of places can change to recognize local or national shifts such as newly won independence, nationalism, new political orientations or to highlight cultural influences. On the other hand, the change might occur to enable the city to compete more effectively. Over recent decades we’ve seen the Indian cities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras become Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.  Since 1994, a number of changes have been made to place names in South Africa, like Pietersburg, Louis Trichard, and Potgietersrust which became Polokwane, Makhoda, and Mokopane.  Many of these changes progressed reasonably smoothly.

Changing a city name can be a minefield and should be approached with great caution and transparency. There’s no assurance that residents will readily endorse or approve a city name change, no matter the logic of your argument.  While it’s possible there will be economic development benefits, there is always the need to consider the costs for every organization in the city. What are the added marketing costs for local businesses, i.e. new advertising, collateral
materials and websites?  How long will it take for the new name to appear on official maps and signs? Is there likely to be a loss of brand equity in changing the current name? How long will it take before the new name gains traction?

There are many examples of places that have failed in attempting to change their official names. Residents often look at their city name differently than place marketers. First and foremost, every community is a place where residents may have lived all of their lives, where they went to school, married, had children, built their careers and operated businesses. The place and its name may have deep meaning and invoke strong passions because it is also a personal reflection of themselves, their social status, and their life choices. Their parents and grandparents may also share those same passions and the thought of changing the city name is hard for many to contemplate.

The lesson is that changing the official name of a place can be very contentious and controversial. It also highlights that while a name change might make sense from a brand image perspective, there is certainly no guarantee that residents are prepared to sever their emotional links with the current name. So tread with caution! Name changes demand thorough research, careful consideration and full support of residents – and even then the change is rarely a straightforward solution.

This is an extract from Destination Branding for Small Cities – Second Edition.

Which Towns Have The Most Unfortunate Names? And Does it Matter?

The name of a place 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.

CRB News advises that Toad Suck, Arkansas, has been voted America’s “most embarrassing
or unfortunate” town-name, in a global poll. It beat Climax in Georgia, Boring in Oregon (and its namesake in Maryland) and Hooker in Oklahoma in a poll of almost 2,000 people conducted by the family history website, findmypast.com.

The web site and  its global network of partner sites asked users in seven English-speaking countries (U.S., UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) to pick from its own shortlist of 11 unfortunate or embarrassing American town- and place-names. True, it’s not the worst thing you might unearth when tracing your ancestry. “Nonetheless”, says Taylor, “some
people are disconcerted to learn that their forebears came from somewhere called, for example, Toad Suck, Roachtown or Monkey’s Eyebrow.”

However, rather than feel embarrassed, residents of many towns with unfortunate names embrace their odd names with pride and use them as a feature to promote their towns. Of course, Intercourse PA has done that for decades. But now Boring OR and Dull Scotland have proclaimed "Boring and Dull Day in Perpetuity" in honor of the two communities. Earlier this year the two formed an unofficial "sister city" relationship, or "twinning" as the Scots call it. In today’s stressed and over-worked society the prospect of visiting places that embrace boring and dull might actually have some appeal to it. It might create some interesting economic development opportunities for visionary leaders. Make no mistake though - capitalizing on their unusual names will take more than providing a photo-op with local town signs.

Yakima Valley (WA) Wine Country Brand Has Gone to The Dogs

Several years ago we developed the brand strategy for the Yakima Valley WA. The brand was centered on the region being one the largest producers of agricultural and wine products in the Pacific Northwest. I recently checked in with our client, John Cooper, President & CEO of the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau for an update on their progress. I was pleasantly surprised when he outlined how they had refined their target audience to include dog owners. John said, “One day while visiting our wineries I was struck by the number of dogs living at the wineries and how comfortable they were with visitors, and the dogs that sometimes accompanied them. The idea struck me that our brand personality and that of dog owners was probably a very good fit. After conducting some research we developed strategies specifically targeting dog owners who are wine and food
lovers.”

The Yakima Valley has launched a new website, winedoggies.com for visitors traveling with their dogs. It features the many dog friendly attractions and services available in the Yakima Valley, including a ‘doggie bloggie’ hosted by a local canine, an interactive map of dog-friendly businesses with open pet policies, plus a section where guests can add pictures and stories of their dogs enjoying Washington wine country.

Cooper said, “Although the site is called Wine Doggies, it’s much more than simply stories about winery dogs. The site is designed to assist travelers and their dogs with their visit to wine country, giving them a tour guide for pet friendly shops and must-see stops in the Yakima Valley.” Cooper added, “As pet ownership grows, so does the trend of traveling with man’s best friend. Large cities such as Seattle and San Francisco have more dogs per capita than children,[i] and more than 49 percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers consider their pet to be part of the family.[ii] And in a survey of more than 6,000 pet owners, most reported traveling at least once a year with their pets. [iii]”

A good sign is that many wineries are reporting an increasing number of visitors arriving with their dogs. This is a great example of the benefits that come from closely monitoring your brand experiences and matching them with the needs and preferences of your target audiences.  

Image Credit: Apex Cellars

Sources:

i “Amazing Dog Facts and Trivia,” by Ryan O’Meara (Chartwell Books, Inc.)

ii US Travel Association, 2009

iii PetRelocation.com

Why is Iten Kenya The World Leader in Long Distance Running?

 

Some cities and towns may stake their competitive identity on their historic past, cultural community or industry, but for Iten, Kenya it is elite long distance running. This tiny town is the home for all six marathoners named to Kenya’s Olympic squad. In this town of 4,000 people, roughly a quarter of them are athletes.

The town is perched on an escarpment high above Kenya's Rift Valley and is consumed by long distance running. The BBC reports that when locals introduce themselves, many of the runners don't just tell you their names, they also state their personal best times. In a town where an estimated quarter of the population runs seriously, your time is your calling card.

The New York Times reports, “Iten does not have the premium facilities common throughout the United States and Europe. Athletes train on a gravel track a few miles outside of town that floods quickly when heavy rain sets in, preventing training. Despite the disadvantages, Kenyans are routinely recording faster marathon times than ever. Kenyans registered 29 of the 30 fastest official times in the marathon last year.”

Analysts attribute Kenya’s long distance running success to the physical attributes of this region as being highly conducive for the sport. But running is also ingrained in the local culture and it is the very essence of the place and its people.

Is Hosting the Summer Olympics a Loser's Game?

Andrew Zimbalist in Atlantic Cities and Matthew Stevenson in New Geography have thought-provoking articles where they question whether hosting the Summer Games is a losing proposition. Zimbalist
states, “Of all the hype surrounding the Olympics, some of the biggest tends to be economic. The event is often billed as a boon to business for its host city - a two-week burst of tourism and valuable television time, as well as a spur for much needed infrastructure investment.” Zimbalist questions whether this is true and asks, “Do countries really gain from organizing the Olympic Games? The answer is: It depends, but don't count on it. There may be a few former hosts that experienced a long-term economic benefit, such as Barcelona, but scholarly research has found that any gains are difficult to identify.”

Stevenson says, “Everyone wins at the Olympics: stadium contractors, strutting central governments, and athletes who place high enough to be crowned with the laurels of corporate sponsorship. Well, everyone except the bondholders, who are left with little more than folded tents when the circus leaves town after three weeks of breathless commentary.”

Zimbalist cites three reasons why hosting the Olympics is a loser’s game:

1. The bidding process is hijacked by private interests
2. It creates massive over-building
3. There's little evidence that it meaningfully increases tourism

While there is a general belief that tourism increases during the Games, it has proven to not be the case. The Olympic tourists usually replace normal tourists who choose to stay away to avoid the congestion and higher prices during the Games. And as has been demonstrated in past Games, the Olympic tourists are consumed by Olympic events and activities and have very little free time to spend at tourist attractions and local restaurants. Additionally, during the weeks before the Games, many of the city’s convention and meetings facilities, as well as major hotels are not available for normal tourists. These factors were recognized in advance by recent host cities and they managed the expectations of their tourism and hospitality industries accordingly. The real tourism benefit from the Olympics comes from the way in which the host city and country are able to capitalize on the intense media spotlight. Although, it seems that London may be attracting more non-Olympic tourists than many past host cities.

While the Olympics offer a fabulous experience for those attending the events or watching at home on television, they’re even better if you know that your city and country won’t be left with a fiscal headache paying for the party.        

Does Marketing Just Involve Yelling Louder?

One of the frequent challenges that I share with my colleagues in making communities more competitive is ensuring that everyone understands the words that are being using. When clients and prospective clients don’t understand what various concepts mean, then it can be difficult for them to select and manage consultants, and to manage the project because of differing meanings and expectations. For instance, if they consider that a brand = a logo + tagline, then their brand strategy will fall way short of its optimal structure. Another, more simple word that is  misunderstood is “marketing”.

Seth Godwin, in his blog yesterday, hit this one out of the park. He concisely demonstrates the scope of marketing with his ‘circles of marketing’ diagram.   Godwin says, “Most amateurs and citizens believe that marketing is the outer circle. Marketing = advertising, it seems. The job of marketing in this circle is to take what the factory/system/boss gives you and hype it, promote it and yell about it. This is what so many charities, politicians, insurance companies, financial advisors, computer makers and well, just about everyone does.” Personally, I would add downtowns, cities, regions, states and nations to that list!

He advocates that the innermost circle is the product or service where you should have engineered the communications, satisfaction and advocacy into the design of the product, saving the expense and trouble of yelling about it. Godwin adds, “when in doubt, when your marketing isn't working, the answer is easy: go one circle in.”

The message is clear for places. Before you get into a shouting match with your competitors, actively work on getting your product and its surround fixed first, then think about telling the world about it.

Is it Time to Re-brand Africa and Many of It's Nations?

The next few weeks as we watch Olympic events, we will be provided with a rare opportunity to see and hear positive stories about African nations and the continent of Africa through the achievements of athletes.  It’s a pity that when we hear these positive stories every four years, they are usually confined to sport and do not reflect the wider achievements across the continent in fashion, film, literature, arts, culture or as places for investment.

The New York Times recently raised interesting questions regarding the need for re-branding Africa and many of its nations. An opinion article in The New Times (Africa) also highlighted the need for the West to overcome stereotyping Africa as one homogeneous community because this doesn't do justice to the reputations of the many countries that are doing well.

Over the last decade, the continent's economic output has tripled, making it second only to emerging Asia as the fastest-growing region in the world. Highlighting the various factors behind Africa's phenomenal growth, Brand South Africa CEO Miller Matola said these included greater democratization and stability, economic reform, urbanization, improved financial services, a younger, growing and more affluent population, and the ongoing resources boom.

While South Africa has successfully developed and followed a brand strategy, is it time for other African nations to also adopt brand strategies to more proactively shape and manage their reputations?  If they take this approach they must be combined with continued efforts to address the negative perceptions, many of which are going to remain for decades to come. Whatever they set out to achieve will take time and will not come with a magic wand.

What are your thoughts on the notion of re-branding African nations?

Branding, Re-branding and Un-branding the City

This Big City looks at the brand of some of the world’s most iconic cities and asks whether emerging cities “like Beijing or Rio de Janeiro are gaining grounds on their Western counterparts and whether people are beginning to consider these ‘exotic’ metropolis as alternate places to live, invest and study.

Cities in the emerging economies are ramping up their efforts to enhance their images across the world and are experiencing unprecedented investment in infrastructure, as seen in cities like Sao Paulo, Guangzhou and Bangalore. Not only that, but these cities are also making their presence in the collective imaginaries around the world.”

The article advocates that new world cities will enter the consciousness of prospective visitors, new residents and investors worldwide challenging the positions of those that have previously been top of mind. This dynamic will cause all cities to more vigilant in regard to their relevance and competitiveness. As new generations of consumers emerge, city leaders will have a tricky job to carefully balance the needs and values of residents, with the needs and image of the place held by outsiders. The game of relevance is about to get a whole lot tougher on a world scale.

Are Shrinking Cities Necessarily a Bad Thing?

The Guardian reports that “councils across Britain are taking steps to make sure that their local economies grow. But what happens if you are in an area that is shrinking, losing jobs and population, as well as local taxes? Local economic development strategies in shrinking towns and cities all seek a return to growth. They have come to rely on an increasingly common formula: tourism, creative industries and the knowledge economy.”

This is a also picture in many places across the USA , and no doubt other parts of the world. Many have introduced marketing and branding strategies. Some have been successful, while others have failed to ignite local enthusiasm and have not achieved their goals. The Guardian highlights the small German city of Altena. The goal of this former industrial city is to now reinvent itself as a smaller city and not pursue growth strategies which in recent years have failed.

Do you know of other small cities that are looking to reinvent themselves as smaller cities?

Does Every City Need a Brand?

Will Doig writing in the Dream City column for Salon magazine makes the point that every city needs a brand and that it takes much more than a catchy nickname or tagline. He correctly points out that when developing a brand strategy cities have to be careful of losing what they’ve got and don’t try to be something that they’re not. He uses Chicago and Indianapolis as examples of places that have taken different approaches with very different results.

In working with cities of all sizes, I have found that many leaders don’t recognize the value of something as simple as the thoughts and associations that come to mind when outsiders are exposed to their city’s name. They often don’t draw the line between the city’s reputation (or brand) and how it can have huge financial, political, and social value. Too few of them think about the number of jobs, businesses, and other organizations that directly benefit from their city’s image and reputation. The level of esteem that a city’s name evokes has a direct impact on the health of its
tourism, economic development, prestige, and respect.

Unfortunately, the image and reputation of most cities often goes unrecognized, unappreciated and unmanaged. They rarely get measured and never appear on a balance sheet or the job evaluation of a Mayor, City Manager or elected official. With so much riding on its image and reputation, it makes sense to have a strategy to nurture, manage, and protect these most valuable of city assets. But when it is developed it has to be realistic, sustainable and capable of resonating with target audiences. Unfortunately, too many fail to do this.

What are the Benefits of Place Branding?

Downtown, cities, regions and places of all sizes often labor over the decision to develop a brand strategy. For all of these places it is increasingly becoming a matter of whether they can afford not to embrace the concept if they want to be better organized and be more distinctive and competitive.

If the city is allocating funds to marketing programs without consistently clarifying what the city stands for, what it does best, and why it matters to customers, then it is risking (and possibly wasting) public funds. No matter a city’s size, a formalized brand strategy can define and manage its competitive identity and channel the energies and resources of partners to orchestrate the best results from their combined investments, however limited.

A place that has a healthy and respected reputation makes it easier to be selected in any competitive setting because the place is seen in a positive light and having qualities and benefits that are good to be associated with. It can be a catalyst for leaders, businesses, and citizens opening doors, being welcomed in the “right circles,” gaining seats on the “right” committees, attracting awards and grants, winning bids to host events, and attracting conferences and major events.

Fortunately, many places communities are becoming increasingly conscious of the need to proactively shape and influence what the world thinks of them and to position and market themselves with strategic intent, not simply by what seems like a good idea at the time. In the case of cities, it is an important starting point for leaders to recognize that there is a direct link between the city’s image and reputation and its attractiveness as a place to visit, live, invest, and study. An even greater realization for some is that inaction is not a viable option if they genuinely want to improve local prosperity.

There are even more Place Branding benefits here.

This is an excerpt from Destination Branding for Small Cities - Second Edition.

Tourism Australia Uses Celebrity, Status and Romance to Tap into Chinese Markets

In recent years we have heard a lot about how the boom in Chinese tourism around the world will require destinations in order to make adjustments to cater to them. We haven’t heard as much about the nuance required for marketing communications in China to reach and influence target audiences.

Jerry Clode in Advertising Age outlines the highly innovative campaign by Tourism Australia (my former Alma Mater) in China which carries lessons for destination marketers everywhere. Clode correctly observes, “International tourism remains highly romanticized in China due to a long period of restrictions on travel for economic and political reasons. Growing up in a Chinese education system that emphasizes the history of civilizations, Chinese tourists are still obsessed with European cultural centers such as Rome, Paris, London and Athens. For less historically endowed locations like North America and Australia, Chinese tourists need a clear set of recognizable and iconic locations in order for their trips to make sense back home.”

After extensice research, Tourism Australia’s advertising agency, DDB China launched an online romance serial to bring the Aussie experience to target audiences. It is a five-part series broadcast on a dedicated channel of the local video platform Tudou. The series follows the characters in three popular Australian destinations: Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania. posting two questions after each episode, and gives respondents a chance to win round-trip tickets to Australia. The campaign encourages viewers to share e-postcards featuring iconic locations featured in the drama, such as the Sydney Opera House, thereby increasing their odds of winning.

It’s an interesting article that highlights how the content, message, medium, tone and psychology behind traditional destination marketing communications are receiving a major shakeup. Australia's online series has already attracted 25 million fans.

How Can Mural Cities Like Chemainus BC Continue to Refresh Their Brand Identity?

During the past thirty years a number of cities and towns around the world have turned to public art in the form of murals to reinvigorate their local economies. One of the most successful of these has been the small coastal town of Chemainus on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. When the Chemainus sawmill announced its closure in 1983, after 120 years of operation, about 700 in the town of 4,000 people lost their jobs. This small community has transformed itself
from a struggling single-industry town into a fascinating tourist destination with dozens of outdoor murals and sculptures showing the history of the North Cowichan Valley.

A particular challenge for mural towns like Chemanus is maintaining this outdoor art which is exposed to the elements and stimulating visitor interest with new additions.  Chemanus has 40 murals adorning buildings throughout downtown, five of which were painted thirty years ago and still remain crisp and bright thanks largely to the dedicated efforts of artist and photographer Cim MacDonald, curator of the collection. To remain relevant and fresh involves constant investment.

The Chamber of Commerce has announced that Village Square, a $10 million retail and office project is set to commence construction and will provide up to 250 jobs.  

This September, Chemainus will host the 8th World Mural Conference bringing visitors from other outdoor art gallery cities around the world to review the latest mural techniques and the best ways to promote economic development through historic, arts, cultural, heritage and sports tourism.

I will be speaking at the conference. What has been your experience in using murals and public art to build a distinctive identity for a tourism destination? What advice do you have for mural towns?