A thought or two on tourism branding:

Several years ago I designed marketing materials for the convention and visitors bureau (CVB) of a smallish mid-west city. The CVB was well-managed and resources were strategically used in efficient ways. The design firm I worked for at the time did a fantastic job of equipping our CVB client with a plan and branded marketing materials to support the plan with the goal of “putting heads in beds” and otherwise bringing people to the city/area.

All of that was 6-7 years ago, but when I recently read an article in it’s newspaper which asked the question “Does [city] Need A Brand?” I was surprised that such a question was being asked given the state of the CVB’s branding efforts when I moved away.

The fact that this article has been written, and the question asked, speaks to the nagging suspicion I’ve had after working with several other CVBs that whatever marketing campaigns are executed, it seldom seems to reach the citizens of the city it is promoting. Unfortunately, it’s a common thread with every tourism campaign I have worked on, and everyone seems to know it, yet practical answers seem elusive.

Since my first tourism marketing experience, I’ve learned that a CVB is usually a business-to-business operation more often than not. This can be tough to swallow for some well-meaning tax payers of the promoted city/region because they do not see quick and tangible ROI.

When this really sinks in, when there appears to be tax dollars “only” being spent on getting outsiders to visit, the comments start piling up on any story that runs in the online version of the local newspaper. It can get very “us versus them” in tone, and not pleasant.

So what’s the answer? How does a dollar-sensitive CVB get its community to feel like they are part of the plan, part of making their hometown a destination?

I think the answer starts with a basic question: Does every city/region with a niche in American history need a “brand?” I would say yes. Something happened or is happening in your community/area that is important to the American story, and it’s a story worth telling with well-designed literature so as to keep the story interesting and informative.

I am of the opinion that if there is a story to tell, it should be told. The catch-22 most CVB directors face, however, is not committing too much to the past. If a city is entrenched in their past, there is the assumption that there is no relevant future, making it a counter-productive operation to the other branches of local government trying to woo new residents.

Perhaps this brings the topic full-circle because the challenges that are presented by small market tourism are that which good design and marketing professional can help solve. “Does [city] Need A Brand?,” the headline asked. In light of the subtle, or screaming, complexities in answering this question, I say Yes – so long as the commitment to creating and supporting the “brand” is fleshed out by branding professionals, and the local tax-payers sense that they are a very important aspect the big picture.

- dan