Branding Cities: Atlanta and
Omaha as Case Studies
Dr. Andrew Gustafson
Creighton University, Omaha NE
Goal of Presentation
To analyze brand building in two cities:
1) Atlanta GA-- Brand Atlanta
2) Omaha NE-- the O! campaign
In surveying these two campaigns, I hope to
provide some clear understanding of the
essential components of a successful brand
campaign for a city.
Overview
1) Explain and contrast the branding strategy of the Brand
Atlanta and O! Campaigns, each designed to give brand
identity and market these cities
2) Explain the role of the Brand Atlanta and O! campaign in
market development
3) Provide an overview of the dual use of marketing
communication as well as advertising on brand building
in both situations
4) Provide some data showing the value of these
campaigns and what they have accomplished
5) Provide some analysis of the structure and data of both
branding campaigns
Importance of City Branding
A relatively recent practice, city branding
has become more and more widely
developed by cities trying to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Attract young professionals.
Generate enthusiasm among citizens
Promote tourism
Encourage economic development
Send a cohesive message about the city
Atlanta
Example 1: Brand Atlanta
Mission
To positively contribute to our region’s
economy by promoting Atlanta’s attributes
and benefits via a unified and consistent
brand identity. We will achieve this in
partnership with those who hold a shared
passion and interest in Atlanta’s vitality
and success.
Goals
1. Develop a single voice and an integrated
marketing campaign that establishes a strong,
compelling emotional bond between Atlanta
and our target audiences.
2. Enhance destination appeal for the city with
captivating, motivating brand messages,
promotions and events for visitors, residents
and businesses, and facilitate a positive
tourism experience.
Brand Atlanta Inc.
• An independent, 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit
organization
• Begun in coordination with the Atlanta
Convention and Visitors Bureau and as an
initiative of the Atlanta Committee for
Progress on behalf of Atlanta Mayor
Shirley Franklin
Purpose of Brand Atlanta
To develop and execute a unified brand
identity and overarching marketing
message for promoting Atlanta as a
preferred destination to:
– increase the number of visitors to Atlanta
– lengthen visits
– increase individual spending
– drive higher employment and economic
growth for hospitality and tourism industry.
The Brand Atlanta Campaign “By the Numbers” Fact Sheet
As of November 2006
1 commercial aired during Super Bowl XL
6 Branded MARTA buses on the streets
50 Campaign signs at the airport to greet residents and visitors
100+ Key stakeholders that have integrated the brand and messaging
into their marketing
117 Outdoor advertising boards around the Atlanta metro area
446 Cable TV ads aired
500+ Street-pole banners decorating Atlanta’s major city streets
905 Broadcast TV ads aired
3,820 Radio ads aired
10,000 Residents and visitors who have joined Team ATL on-line
25,000 Delta domestic flights on which the Brand Atlanta video was
1,400,000 Campaign collateral and premium items distributed
2,300,000 Resident and visitor touched by Team ATL across 10 counties
three nearby drive-in markets via 400 events
3,300,000 Dollars in in-kind media donations
4,500,000 Dollars in pro-bono contributions
6,900,000 Dollars raised in funding
153,000,000 Advertising impressions made in three nearby drive-in markets
228,000,000 PR impressions through fourth quarter 2006
266,000,000 Advertising impressions in Atlanta in persons 12+ years
Merchandising Brand Atlanta
Organization
Brand Atlanta Conclusions
• Government support helps tremendously
• Essential to have private-public
partnership
• Unified brand vision with coherent
component parts provides a clear
message
Omaha’s “O!” Campaign
Example 2: Omaha’s “O!”
Omaha is a smaller city
which put together a
branding campaign
around an “O!” symbol
Mission
• The mission of the O! symbol is to inspire
and encourage residents and visitors to be
vocal advocates for Omaha while
promoting the city’s attributes and features
via a unified and consistent brand identity.
History Of O! Campaign
•
•
Developed in the fall of 2003, the O!
campaign was specifically launched as
the official brand of Omaha.
Initially funded by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
City of Omaha
Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Peter Kiewit Foundation
Marketing the “O!”
The campaign's grass-roots strategy of
reaching out directly to the public has
been an instrumental factor in the success
of the campaign. Visibility has soared over
the past 4 years.
The O! has been introduced to the
general public through:
• Festivals and area events
• Sales of O! merchandise, apparel and gift items
• An interactive ososurprising.com Web site featuring area events,
links and a comprehensive O! store
• Creative print and media advertising primarily from local businesses
and organizations
• Radio talk show appearances
• Local Newspaper Coverage
• Usage by area organizations such as Douglas County Election
Office, Omaha Public Library and University Of Nebraska-Omaha
• Usage by the economic development division of the Chamber in
creating an Omaha DVD - with countless usage of the city's symbol
- takes the O! throughout the country and worldwide through U-tube
Grassroots Support
• The reason the O! works is because
Omahans have embraced and gravitated
towards this symbol and accepted and
incorporated it into their homes,
businesses and civic functions. It does
exactly what it was intended to do - help
Omahans feel pride in their city.
Organization
• Greater Omaha Board of Directors
• David Brown (President & CEO Chamber)
• Karla Ewert (V.P. Communications) Chamber Board
Communications
Council
• Molly Skold (Campaign Director)
Brand Merchandise
Merchandising the O! Campaign
Encouraging Diverse Use of
the O! Logo
• While the “O!” is copyrighted, rather than
maintain a tight control over the use of the O!,
the campaign has encouraged creative use of
the O! stating specifically in their information:
• “Creative use of the O! is encouraged.”
• “Please refrain from having people, places or
things emerging from the hole in the center of
the O. For questions or concerns, please contact
O! Campaign Director.”
O! Integration
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Community Events
Focus towards Children
Institutions (Libraries, etc)
Local businesses (Upstream, Borsheims)
Sports
Arts
City/Civic Projects
O! as Cultural Identity
Brand Community
• The O! Campaign has successfully
created a brand community, where the
people who identify with the brand have
strong loyalty and a strong sense of
community and mutual interest, much like
Harley Davidson and other similar brands.
O! as source of pride
Marketing Towards Children
Children’s Museum Campaign
O! Tatoos
• The O! campaign provided temporary
tatoos to young and old people, and they
became quite popular!
Even in the Newspaper!
Civic Institutions and the O!
• Libraries and schools began to utilize the
O! brand as an integral part of their own
identity– identifying themselves with the
city of Omaha
Our Libraries
incorporated
the O! into
their Banners
• Our schools
embraced
the O!
The State University
O! and Civic Service
With the O! Voting stickers, the O! became
associated with voting in the elections.
Integration with Commercial
Business
• The O! has become an icon even in
private business. Much of the O!
promotion has been done as products
have associated themselves with the O!
campaign.
Benefits of Using the O!
• Identifies the Company with Omaha
• Shows commitment to the city
• Company joins the O!-brand community
Examples of Commercial Use
One of the examples of this commercial
identification with the O! campaign is a
new line of beer made by a local brewer
which carries the O! brand.
Associating Brands Together
• Borsheims, a subsidiary of Berkshire
Hathaway, produced an O! pendant and
the resulting ad associated the well known
brand Berkshire Hathaway with the O!,
infusing the O! brand with a sense of
financial stability and dependability.
O! and the Olympics
• Omaha is hosting the 2008 U.S. Olympic
team trials in swimming
• O! was used in an newspaper campaign to
publicize the event
O! and Professional Sports
• O! has become affiliated with the Omaha
Royals minor league baseball team as well
Integration into Sports Events
O! and the Arts
• The O! campaign has associated itself
with the arts in Omaha. Its presence in
Omaha Playhouse advertisements and
also the recent O! public Art campaign are
evidence of this.
O! at the Community Playhouse
Theater Promotion Ad
This project unites art, health and community spirit to beautify
and celebrate the Omaha community with 22 threedimensional, six-foot O! sculptures artistically designed by
commissioned area artists. Bemis Center for Contemporary
Arts is also a significant partner.
Even Local Farmers Got Excited
about the O!
Conclusions about the O!
Campaign
• Extremely successful at gaining grass
roots support
• Limited public-private support. Most
promotion happened by individual
organizations/companies using the O.
• Benefited from allowing wide use of O!
• Allowed itself to be associated with a wide
variety of mainstream brands, institutions
and events
Presentation Conclusions
• City Branding requires creativity
• City Branding is best done by associating your
city brand with other well established brands
• Widespread grass roots support will help provide
momentum for the campaign
• Openness to widespread use of brand works
best
• Private partnerships help the above goals and
ensure longevity of the campaign