Small City Branding Around the World

A Destination Brand is Still a Brand

This is the fourth in a series of posts in response to the predictions by some that branding, and specifically the branding of cities, is obsolete because of the disruptive qualities of digital media and that this also means there will be no future role for DMOs.

The fundamental principles of branding have not changed. Brands are still about making and delivering on a valued, differentiated promise. Smart organizations have always known that brands reside in consumer’s minds, not in their corporate headquarters or factory. They have never been simply what products and places say about themselves. Brands have always been based on perceptions and feelings irrespective of how they have been formed. The touchpoints where and how people form their perceptions have been amplified by the digital world and now sit outside of the total control of the brand owners. The most important component of successful brands has been the delivery of the experiences they promise. That hasn’t changed. 

The congestion, noise and abundance of choice in the marketplace means that brands must stand out and represent distinctive values and benefits. Even peer reviews are often totally contradictory and can be making it harder not easier. Building and maintaining trust has always been important and will continue to be the key force at work. Brand relevance and success still demands that destinations have meaningful differentiation, outstanding experiences and a robust brand platform to guide programs. The days of trying to be all things to all people are over. And there’s no room for generic and bland brands. There never was!

Digital innovations have expanded the methods that brands can communicate and engage people. I think Charlie Wrench, Chairman and President of Landor, was right on the money when he said, “The digital world has not changed the principles of branding but rather has magnified everything we know to be true about building a great brand.”

Marketers now must adjust to, and choose from, more media channels and more brands clamoring for attention. The new digital assets enable deeper consumer insights, narrower targeting, narrower messages, greater influence, and the ability to reach customers and make the sale at just the right time.  Therefore you must consistently deliver outstanding experiences at every critical touchpoint. This is where DMOs must play a more active role in designing, facilitating and monitoring experiences across partners and touchpoints.

Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

What Has Really Changed for Destinations in the Digital Age?

The Digital Age has created a hyper-connected world in which traditional and digital media converge and prospective customers are bombarded with a dizzying array of choices, media channels and information. They are always online, sometimes multi-screening with devices that interact with each other.  It’s a world where speed, choice and expectations have morphed and marketing is no longer a one-way dictate from organizations, but must fit within an environment that demands interaction, transparency, flexibility and relationships.  

An Expanded Toolkit

The fundamentals of branding haven’t changed, but marketing as we have known it is largely superseded. Savvy DMOs are tapping social and mobile networks, smart phones and tablets, GPS apps, e-commerce and booking engines, Google maps, user-generated-content, kiosks, crowdsourcing and the opportunity to economically reach consumers globally. Their websites can now deploy video, text, audio, photos and real time comments from customers. At the same time, their customers are being lured by a wide range of third party services and options that were once the domain of DMO’s. These provide bookings, navigation, maps, destination information, product reviews, trip planning advice, and a “showroom” for local tourism products – and these are available 24/7 and almost anywhere.

We are really only at the dawning of this amazing era, yet we find some DMOs are not adapting anywhere near fast enough. Waiting to further transform destination management are next generation mobile applications, cloud computing, gamificiation, augmented reality and game-changers that haven’t been discovered yet.

New Rules of Marketing

While there have been many technological innovations, the most profound changes have been to consumer behavior influencing how we communicate, buy, work, relax, learn, consume and react. All of these have a direct influence on destination brand image, preference and affinity. Whether DMOs choose to play in the digital realm is beyond their choice. User-generated content enables consumers to thoroughly compare options, rate experiences, post images, and make comments to assist others. All these actions are possible with or without the involvement of a DMO. This leaves no room for hype and boosterism. It means that the experiences and benefits delivered must always meet or exceed what has been promised.  

It’s easy to understand why some tourism offices around the world in the early days had the word “propaganda” in their names. However the days of a DMO simply pumping out advertising and PR releases to influence consumer preferences are over. The places that adapt to the new rules and continue to use their brand as their beacon and rallying point for partners will thrive and build meaningful brands.

The next post will take a look at how customer touchpoints have changed and offer destinations unprecedented opportunities to engage and delight their visitors.

Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

 

Is Destination Branding Obsolete in the Digital Age?

After a keynote presentation a few months ago, the CEO of a Chamber of Commerce approached me and said, “I enjoyed your presentation, but isn’t branding cities obsolete?” He went on to say that because of digital media, and particularly sites like TripAdvisor and the new digital power of consumers it make branding obsolete. I was reminded of this conversation while reading a blog, “A Cure for Digital Myopia” by David Cooperstein in Forbes magazine.

The issue of relevance in regard to tourism organizations, Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies and yes, destination and city branding, is increasingly being discussed. Do I think DMOs* will become irrelevant or obsolete? In quite a number of cases the answer is probably yes, many are going to become obsolete. Actually, many of them have been irrelevant and obsolete for decades because they have done little to move the favorability or preference for their cities or generate sustainable ROIs. To be among the “survivors” DMOs will certainly have to adjust to many new realities. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will become obsolete.

I’m not going to bang the drum too much here about how DMOs need to change or they will go the way of the dodo bird. This subject has been covered at length by DMAI and others who have been advocating that DMOs dramatically change their business models. However, I do think it’s important to stress that destination branding is not obsolete or irrelevant for destinations. I might reconsider when I see Coca Cola, Toyota, or Starbucks shutting down their brand departments. Destination branding isn’t easy. Many efforts have not been done well and more focus is definitely needed on using it as the destination’s strategic guidance system. Quite simply, it’s not just an add-on.

The first challenge in adopting this approach is to understand what branding really is, what it isn’t, how it works and how to use it most effectively. Unfortunately, some still can’t get past thinking of a brand as little more than a logo, tagline and or an advertising campaign.  They don’t consider its role as the guidance system for communications, unifying stakeholders, product development and where possible orchestrating the experiences that make the place distinctive.

While the Digital Age has bought many new tools and opportunities, the fundamentals and principles of branding haven’t changed. And it certainly hasn’t become obsolete. But how you go about brand management has changed. Branding has become a whole lot more exciting because thinking in terms of a “digital platform” and not simply in the terms of media or digital media, opens a new world for your destination.

Destination managers now have the opportunity to connect with customers at many more communications and experience touchpoints than ever before to influence visitor satisfaction, loyalty and word of mouth (social media). In this environment, the relevance of DMOs should center on their role as “destination management organizations” influencing all aspects of the relationship with visitors, not simply focusing on sales and communications.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be exploring the benefits, role and challenges of destination branding in the Digital Age in an ongoing series of posts and articles. I’m also looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

*Destination Marketing Organization or in some countries, Destination Management Organization

Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

 

Is Color Too Often an After-Thought in Destination Branding?

On two occasions I was recently reminded of the often overlooked power that color can have in destination branding. My friend, Todd Mayfield at Axia, reminded me that when we look at logos, websites, advertising, and other marketing materials the first things that catch our eyes are the colors. He added, “Whether we realize it or not, it happens in a millisecond. Within that millisecond, color is followed by shape and then the content of images. When developing their brand identity, many cities and destinations don’t approach color from the scientific perspective that it deserves.”

Colors have a pivotal role in branding because our brains, and behaviour, are hard-wired to them. They have the power to change our moods and even our brain chemistry. They can instantly trigger myriad thoughts, memories and associations for people, places and events. Colors can cause us to reject products and experiences before we even know what’s on offer. On the other hand, a carefully crafted color pallet can draw us in and create a mood conducive to new messages – and buying.

Supporting this view, Thomson Dawson at Brand Strategy Insider wrote a terrific piece on the importance of color in branding. He wrote, “Effective and comprehensive brand strategy must consider the critical importance of color. It is far more than a simple aesthetic consideration in the tool kit of components that make up brand identity and experience. Color is the very first perception customers will have with your brand, and along with perception comes a whole host of emotional associations.”

He went on to add, “The color of your brand is an essential character in your brand’s story. When choosing a color to represent your brand, you must think far beyond your own personal, subjective preferences.”

My view is that destinations usually don’t take the selection of colors to represent them seriously enough. Too often the personal preferences, whims and dislikes of committee members and executives come into play, rather than what will best define the brand’s personality, emotional benefits, support the positioning, and contribute to increased awareness and customer recall. The importance of selecting the right color pallet should never be underestimated. And it shouldn’t be changed with the publication of each new brochure and website. Nor should it be changed shade by shade by a designer after the initial color pallet has been created and approved. However, it may need to be tweaked over time to keep it fresh.

One city that got its distinctive color pallet right is San Antonio TX. I love the richness of the colors used by the city in support of its “Deep in the Heart” brand. It fits on a strategic level, is distinctive and really connects emotionally.

 Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

Confront Reality if You Want a Better City Image

I recently spoke with the CEO of a small chamber of commerce on the East Coast. She said they wanted to “create a new city brand and change their city image in the next six to twelve months.” Rather than outline how we may be able to help them achieve their goals, I instead focused on managing their expectations and what a brand can and cannot do for them.

I explained that branding can, and does, bring short-term benefits but the true value and rewards of branding are long-term and cumulative. After all, it probably took decades to shape the current image and identity of her city. Successful place branding is achieved from many small victories, again and again. A city’s image is the result of thousands of influences and influencers over an extended period. On the other hand, a Grand Slam approach to branding a city on the basis of one big ad campaign is a sure fire way to blow the budget with little long-term impact. True success will only come from the consistency of messages and the delivery of outstanding experiences from many sources hitting their mark again, and again, and again.

Big budgets and better communications alone will not turn around the city’s image if its reality is standing in the way. It could be unattractive public spaces, crime, outdated infrastructure or lack of cooperation between businesses and among government officials that is holding the place back. Today, city branding can engage urban planners, architects, elected officials and placemaking specialists as readily as businesses, tourism and economic development marketers.

The benefits of city branding are considerable, however they will not materialize overnight because it will take time for the brand to gain traction within the community, among key partners and with key markets. From the outset, you must be sure that the objectives are clear and realistic, programs are well funded and that there is an understanding of what branding is and isn’t. This includes ensuring that no one expects a magic wand. And when the brand strategy is finally revealed, that’s when the hard work really begins – and it will take much more than a great ad campaign!

Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

Successful Place Branding: Don’t Forget Honesty and Accountability

During recent months I have conducted brand coaching seminars for small cities in USA, Canada and Australia. These sessions usually attract a wide range of interesting and challenging questions from participants. Interestingly, at the end of my presentations in all of these countries I been approached with a surprising number of questions or comments relating to intrusions and interference that had over-ruled or heavily influenced the defining of their city’s branding and tourism marketing. These seminar attendees lamented that they were compelled by city officials to introduce strategies that were deeply flawed and frequently failed once launched.

Place branding and marketing demand honesty and objectivity. Success calls for the city to be customer-focused, strategic, open-minded, and imaginative in order to reveal its brand in ways that will generate positive feelings, respect, and loyalty among target audiences.  It must be crystal clear about what it is, what it does, why it is interesting, and why it should matter to its key audiences.  In other words, success takes brutal honesty and reality-based decisions!

To the annoyance of many city leaders, the commonly held view of their city may be out of sync with what they personally see as its strengths. Successful place branding demands a consultative and community effort which ensures that the reality experienced by its customers must match the brand promise being conveyed by the city and its partners. When a brand strategy is shaped by the whim of an official it’s not likely to generate local support and enthusiasm – and quite possibly miss its target by a mile!

An added problem with city officials heavily influencing the nature of the brand is that in four years a new mayor, city manager or councilor might continue the cycle by changing the brand strategy to mirror their personal view. When we think of accountability in the branding and marketing of cities, we frequently think of the staff directly responsible for marketing. This accountability should also extend to mayors, councilors and city managers because when it comes to the city identity and image, they are playing with public funds, not to mention the city’s economic well-being in the form of income, jobs and new businesses.

Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

Brand Planning Should be the CEO’s Baby

At the conclusion of a recent presentation on place branding, I was approached by the CEO of a mid-west Chamber of Commerce who lamented that their brand planning had resulted in a bland and uncompetitive outcome. To my surprise, the CEO went on to take the blame himself by saying, “I made the mistake of delegating the project to our marketing manager and not taking responsibility to drive the process myself.” I’m sure that he hasn’t made the admission within his community or to his Board, but it’s commendable that he recognized this as being a major factor in the brand's mediocre result.

The president, executive director, or CEO of the organization leading the effort on behalf of the community must be actively engaged in every aspect of the brand planning and development, and breathe vitality into the assignment. We have found that the only way for the brand to take off is having a leader who “gets it” and has the passion, authority, skills and vision to make it work. If he or she takes a passive role, the brand will almost certainly fail.

Understandably, there may be many legitimate distractions that consume the CEO’s time. However, the brand is at the heart of every activity directed toward the way the place will present itself for years to come, so it is worth every minute that he or she can devote to it. While the CEO may want to delegate aspects of the day-to-day management of the process to others, he must remain intimately involved in crafting and managing the strategy. 

 Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

 

Developing a Place Brand Calls for a Different Approach

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 brand planning, brand implementation and brand management. These relate to the complexities of ownership, consultation, decision-making, product development, and experience delivery.

The path to revealing a city or place brand can be a tricky one that usually involves a multitude of stakeholders and departs somewhat 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. 

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

Here is an extract from my book, Destination Branding for Small Cities which provides more insights into the differences between branding places and physical consumer products and services.

 Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

Change Management is at the Heart of Successful City Branding

After decades of developing brand strategies for places of all sizes, I recognize that to be successful they are fundamentally an exercise in change management. Success invariably involves shifts, changes and new focus that can leave some feeling disempowered or losing. For others, they simply don’t like anything outside of the usual routine. I have found that when leaders are prepared for resistance they are in a better position to unify stakeholders and nurture the support and actions that are needed.

A successful place brand often requires changes to regulations, laws, systems, budgets, processes, resources, and recruitment. Above all, it may call for a change of attitudes and relationships. The first casualty may be the old “that’s the way we’ve always done it” attitude. For many people, the prospect of innovation, along with new focus, concepts, priorities, and partnerships causes extreme resistance. It removes them from their comfort zone and challenges entrenched attitudes. In these situations you need to expose key partners and stakeholders to the benefits that can come from alternative approaches so they can gain the confidence and trust in the project and its outcomes.

Here is an extract from my book, Destination Branding for Small Cities which provides more insights into the need to prepare to engage the principles of change management when branding destinations and cities.

 Produced by: Total Destination Marketing

Best Selling Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities

 

End the Guessing Games! We Need Budget Disclosure in RFPs.

Last week, I had a rather unusual phone call from a CVB executive. She was enquiring as to whether her CVB should include the budget in the Request For Proposal (RFP) for destination branding they were preparing to send out. The person went on to enquire as to whether including the budget might actually deter “the big companies from bidding”.   My reaction was instantaneous. Firstly, you might not want “the big companies” bidding.  But by telling them the budget they would then know whether they should even bother bidding.

Secondly, I told her that I thought knowing the budget or budget range for the project is extremely important to prospective bidders and that I guessed that most of our competitors would think so as well. I asked the CVB exec, “Would you walk into a car dealership and not tell the salesperson approximately how much you are looking to spend? How is the salesperson to know if you want a luxury or standard model?”

The equivalent of this happens every day when cities do not disclose their budget and this leaves the consultancy to play a guessing game in trying to estimate the budget and scope of services that they should include in their response.  A better approach is to disclose the budget and then evaluate the proposed deliverables according to their appropriateness, quality and value.

The RFP process is frustrating enough. At least disclosing the budget will save many of us the frustration of “guessing how many jelly beans are in the jar.”

Disney “Commandments” = Great Learning for Cities and Downtowns

I recently came across the informal guidelines that have inspired and guided generations of Disney Imagineers as they design and manage the Disney theme parks and guest experiences. These guidelines are based on the original insights that Walt Disney used when he built Disneyland in 1955.  But it was Marty Sklar who documented these principles and called them “Mickey’s Ten Commandments: Ten Things You Can’t Forget When You Design a Theme Park”. Sklar was one of the unsung heroes of Disney. He joined Disney one month before Disneyland opened, and until his retirement in 2009 directed the Imagineers using these Commandments.

The Commandments are very simple and the principles can be applied to many situations related to tourism development, branding and marketing, urban planning and visitor experience management.

1. Know your audience - Don't bore people, talk down to them, or lose them by assuming that they know what you know.

2. Wear your guest's shoes - Insist that designers, staff, and your board members experience your facility as visitors as often as possible.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas – Use good storytelling techniques, tell good stories not lectures, lay out your exhibit with a clear logic.

4. Create a ‘weenie’ – Lead visitors from one area to another by creating visual magnets and giving visitors rewards for making the journey.

5. Communicate with visual literacy – Make good use of all the non-verbal ways of communication – color, shape, form, texture.

6. Avoid overload – Resist the temptation to tell too much, to have too many objects, don’t force people to swallow more than they can digest, try to stimulate and provide guidance to those who want more.

7. Tell one story at a time – If you have a lot of information divide it into distinct, logical, organized stories. People can absorb and retain information more clearly if the path to the next concept is clear and logical.

8. Avoid contradiction – Clear institutional identity helps give you the competitive edge. The public needs to know who you are and what differentiates you from other institutions they may have seen. (Yes, Walt Disney was advocating the principles of branding long before they were applied to places.)

9. For every ounce of treatment, provide a ton of fun – How do you woo people from all other temptations? Give people plenty of opportunity to enjoy themselves by emphasizing ways that let them participate in the experience and by making your environment rich and appealing to all of the senses.

10. Keep it up – Never underestimate the importance of cleanliness and routine maintenance,
people expect to get a good show every time, people will comment more on a broken and dirty environment.

In suggesting Disney principles and techniques I am not advocating the “Disneyfication” of cities and downtowns. Make no mistake, Disney properties are theme parks. They are not city or community downtowns where residents live, work, study and play. However, Disney locations have raised best practice standards in visitor experience design and consequently provide excellent learning opportunities for ambitious communities.   The genius of Walt Disney never ceases to amaze me, along with lessons from his systems that we can apply to communities everywhere.  

How Should You Assess a Destination Tagline?

Rarely a week goes by when we don’t see another round of city and destination slogans and taglines announced. Some are pretty good, many are plain lame, insipid and self-congratulatory, and some are just downright infuriating.

A tagline is a word or short phrase that captures the spirit of the brand promise and its essence. It can be a tease, a short descriptor, a call to action or an explanation, and succinctly stated in no more than five words.  Too many destination taglines are simply examples of marketing speak or clichés that do nothing to advance the identity of the place. Many end up with a tagline that is so
esoteric that it needs extensive (and expensive) marketing communications to convey its meaning. Few small cities have the marketing budgets to communicate the meaning and relevance of their taglines through advertising.

All tagline options should be tested before they are approved by gauging the reactions of target audiences through research. However, prior to undertaking that research the following filters may be helpful as you initially assess the various options:

• It captures and dramatizes the brand promise
• It’s ownable and not the same or similar to other places
• It hints at a reward, benefit or experience that customers value and can expect
• It’s short, usually less than five words
• It works with, and enhances, the logo
• It’s credible, sustainable and matches the reality of the place
• It’s easy to remember
• It does not have negative connotations

In a nutshell, a tagline (and logo) should act as a trigger or cue to aid recall of the positive associations that the place is known for. Too frequently, the power and role of a tagline is
over-emphasized, i.e. no one will respond positively to a tagline and then decide to visit a place if they haven’t also been exposed to other compelling stimuli about the place. Let’s hope that in 2013 we see a lot less of the insipid and self-congratulatory efforts and more well-researched and meaningful taglines.

22 Immutable Laws of Place Branding (And a Few More)

I really admire the work that Ed Burghard of The Burghard Group is doing at Strengthening Brand America to advance the thinking in applying private sector branding principles to the field of place branding. His latest contribution is to take on the challenge of translating the landmark 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al and Laura Ries into a place branding context.  

I agree with Ed’s 22 Immutable Laws of Place Branding, but because it’s the season for giving, I would like to add two more Laws of Place Branding. These concern circumstances that are possibly more related to place branding than private sector branding and may have been missed from the original treatise.

23. The law of consultation. A place brand should not be defined behind closed doors by a select few. It must be defined and built through collaboration and consultation with multiple, diverse (and sometimes non-traditional) stakeholders to engage, inspire and generate future support and on-brand actions.

24. The law of future generations. The long-term vitality and success of a place brand requires that there be continuity in understanding, knowledge and energy in regard to the brand strategy.  The concept of “passing the baton” to the next generation of elected officials, brand managers and partners must be integral to the original brand strategy.  Without this attention we have seen the brand investments made by some cities become diluted and gradually fade away.  Usually, all that remains is a lonely logo searching for meaning.

Given the nuance and challenges of branding places there are probably other laws we can add to the list. But for the moment, if we pay attention to these we will be strengthening the way in which these brands are defined and managed. Would you like to add more?

Are Emotional Benefits Always in Your Destination and Place Branding?

One of the most overlooked, yet most powerful component in the branding of places is the role of emotional benefits. This was recently the subject of considerable discussion at Strengthening Brand America between Glenn Myatt – Brand Truth, Tom Buncle - The Yellow Railroad, and myself.

Emotional benefits are the positive feelings that people receive from a place. While the tangible benefits may be enticing and important and help validate a logical decision, they can’t create a deep relationship. Emotional benefits have the ability to connect with people and influence the way they feel and bond with their deepest needs and desires. They should fulfill the state of mind that visitors or customers are seeking, such as enrichment, romance, escape or adventure, etc.

Here is a summary of the comments on Strengthening Brand America:

Bill Baker: “From time to time place marketers tend to overlook the valuable role that emotion plays in the decision making of their prospective customers. This makes no sense and is like the buyers of new cars relying on a vehicle's Specifications Manual to base their purchase decision. If emotion plays no role, almost all brochures, advertising, photo images and videos could be removed from marketing budgets because all that will be needed are lists of specifications. Emotion is front and center in all of our brand strategies irrespective of the size of the community. Among its many roles is to provide filters for the selection of appropriate images that reflect the brand and better connect with prospective customers.”

Glen Myatt: “Bill's car analogy is spot on. Deciding on a car or a destination are both high involvement decisions. Typically people use extensive information searching to make their decisions. They will claim they make measured, rational choices because of this. But for cars econometric research has shown that advertising has a far greater impact on actual choice than buyers consciously believe. This lines up with some of the more recent findings in consumer psychology which see that in many situations people will develop an emotional attachment to a choice based on a simple, often irrational factor.”

Tom Buncle: “The only thing I'd add is that, like cars where most people have a limited understanding beyond basic functionality, so too do they when choosing a destination, even if they've been before. This is because each holiday is different and the visitors' experience depends on their relationship with the destination. After a highly rational information search has narrowed the candidate destination set, an unknowable set of expectations is generated about a holiday, thereby creating a gap. Emotion and imagination tend to be quicker to fill this gap than rational analysis - hence the larger role that emotion plays in holiday decision-making compared to most physical products.”

 In all of our brand building work we always advocate that the most powerful, meaningful and appropriate benefits - the emotional rewards - should always be at the forefront. Avoid talking about the city, region or downtown as a series or list of locations, attractions, and things to see and do. Instead, bring it to life as an experience and make customers feel as though they are already there sensing and feeling it whenever they read, see, or hear your communications. Make it easy for people to see themselves in the picture.

You can contribute to discussions like this at Strengthening Brand America.

What is Brand Equity and Its Relevance to Destinations?

We receive many emails from city leaders, practitioners and students around the world. I’ve decided to share some of the responses with readers of this blog.

This email is from Akshar at a regional tourism office in India, “I have seen the term ‘brand equity’ used in regard to consumer brands, but can this term also relate to destinations and other places?”

Akshar, just as brand equity has relevance to consumer products, it’s also important to destinations and places. Another term for ‘brand equity’ is ‘brand value’. Over time, successful places add to their value by generating positive awareness, respect and loyalty through the ways they present themselves. It’s not hard to find places that are much better known and have more positive reputations than others. These could be considered to be places that have strong brand equity.

I like to think of brand equity as like owning a bank account in the minds of target audiences. We could refer to good news, enticing images, and positive experiences as deposits in the bank. But bad news, poor marketing, and sub-standard experiences are like withdrawals from the account. To be strong and resilient, a brand must have sufficient equity on deposit to counter negative occurrences.  And bad weather, a natural disaster, scandals or bad experiences do happen, even to good places.

The bottom line is that the real power of a place brand is in the thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and memories that exist in the minds of its consumers. While building brand equity takes time, it is fundamental to destination branding.

What Are Twenty-Five Essentials for Downtown Tourism Success?

In recent years the travel and tourism industry has proven to be one of America’s most productive engines for economic growth and job creation. At a time when leaders at all levels are searching for solutions to sluggish growth, unemployment, increased competition, and continued economic challenges, tourism is proving to be a valuable investment.

But its benefits are bypassing many communities because they are unable to present themselves as a viable destination.

When it comes to generating or consolidating community employment, it’s important for leaders to note that most tourism jobs cannot easily be outsourced. While jobs in other industries may have been shipped overseas, the tourism jobs tied to downtowns, Main Streets, historic and cultural precincts and natural areas can no more be outsourced than the attractions themselves. A study by McKinsey Global Institute casts tourism in a positive light and predicts as many as one in seven new jobs over the next decade will come from travel and tourism.

There is a great opportunity for convention & visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, tourism offices and local government to capitalize on this important trend if they adopt the right community-wide approaches for tourism management in downtowns and small cities. Importantly, success in tourism takes more than an ad hoc approach. Decades of developing Tourism Readiness Reports has shown us that highly successful downtowns and small cities are organized and consistently display the twenty-five characteristics outlined in this article.

 

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 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.

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.

 

TDM can help: Place Branding

 

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.

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?

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.

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!”