DMAI Best in Class Presentation
BRANDING AND POSITIONING
FOR DMOs
(They’re Not the Same)
GOALS FOR THIS SESSION
• What branding is…and isn’t
• Visitor/tourism brand versus an overarching
destination brand
• Freshening the brand
• Positioning and segmentation
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
You don’t own your
brand
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
A brand is not
a logo
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
A brand is not a
tagline
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
The tagline and logo
are just triggers to
remind people of
your brand
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
These “reminders”
might change from
time to time but that
doesn’t change the
brand essence.
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
A brand is not an
advertising campaign
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
“Unless you spend enough to
get above the noise level,
money spent on advertising
can be extremely wasteful.”
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
“That’s why mass-media advertising
for a brand that isn’t well known or
doesn’t have enough money to spend
is ill advised. A brand like this is better
off doing PR, social media, and
anything else it can think of.”
Laura Reis
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
A brand is how you
communicate who
and what you are.
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Branding is a process
of learning,
unlearning, trying,
measuring and
recalibrating
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Even really good
taglines and logos
are pretty broad and
even generic
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Use all of the facets
of your brand
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Tourism/visitor brand
or overarching
brand?
DCVBS ORIGINAL BRAND
DURHAM BRAND PROMISE
DURHAM CORE STRENGTHS
TESTING
• Seven themes
• Four taglines
• Four logos/visual depictions (including the
current logo)
• National sample and state sample
DURHAM BRAND SIGNATURE
ADOPTIONS
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Locals had to buy it;
others had to try it.
TESTING THE BRAND PENETRATION
Durham Residents’
Familiarity with the Brand
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
How do you know if
your brand needs
freshening?
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
What is positioning?
IN SUMMARY
• Think beyond the logo and tagline
• Address every touchpoint
• Reassess…and test
– Is it a communication issue or a resonance issue?
• If you haven’t already, start to think about
positioning and segmentation and how that
relates to the brand.
QUESTIONS?
shelly@durham-cvb.com
CREATING AN OVERARCHING BRAND
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Brands aren’t
created; they’re
revealed
FRESHENING THE BRAND
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Values
Core Strengths
Personality
Emotional Benefits
Brand Promise
Reasons to Believe
Signature (Brand Essence)
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Put most of your
focus on the brand
essence
BRANDING - WHAT IT ISN’T
• It is a result of
integrated and
consistent marketing
and communication.
• It is a combination of
verbal and visual,
physical and
experiential elements.
BRANDING – WHAT IT IS
• Your personality
• The sum of who you are and what you stand
for; as well as what differentiates you from
others.
• It is not something to be “created.”
• It is something that is already there…you have
to mine it and figure out how to “reveal” it.
BRANDING - WHAT IT IS
DCVB BRANDING HISTORY
• DCVB was formed in 1989.
• We had a brand in the early days but it was
only for visitor promotion and not quite as
thoroughly developed as many later brands
were. It consisted of brand positioning, brand
values and a visual “look” and style.
DCVB BRANDING HISTORY
• 1990-2006 – “Genuine, Textured, Authentic”
DCVB BRANDING HISTORY
• 2005 – Community stakeholders were
interested in pursuing an overarching brand.
• DCVB hired an outside place-branding expert
to do a brand review & assessment (focus
groups, interviews.)
• A-H-B-L.
• DCVB proceeds with phase two, revealing and
articulating the Durham brand.
OVERARCHING BRAND
• Upsides –everyone sounds like they are talking
about the same place.
• Downsides – rare to get everyone using the
same signature or same look…we did not
make that a requirement.
• Tends to be broader – harder to truly
differentiate
ADOPTIONS
TESTING THE BRAND PENETRATION
• Triangle
• State of NC
WHY ONLY TESTING IT CLOSE TO HOME?
• Has to resonate with the people who will
deliver on the brand.
• DCVB couldn’t use the brand enough on its
own…had to rely on everyone using it.
BRANDING AND POSITIONING FOR DMOS
Even before your
DMO…you already had
a brand