Community Brand Strategy Vision – Values – Personality
Vermont Community Development Association
What Makes A Town Unique
Process, barriers, results
brand
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Community Brand Strategy
Vision – Values – Personality
Vermont Community Development Association
What Makes A Town Unique
Process, barriers, results
brand
Agenda
•
What is Branding?
•
Process of
branding
•
Place Branding
•
Examples of Place
Branding
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What is Branding?
• A brand is a set of strong associations people have with a product, place of
service
• These associations are really expectations people have for that product, place
or service. As long as the brand satisfies those expectations, the purchaser
need not bother examining other options.
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Imagine someone you like.
You think and feel they have special qualities. You are drawn to get to know
them better. Over time, your trust in the relationship grows. You form a real
emotional bond.
Good brands – the very best brands – are like that. We trust them, we grow to
love them and we understand what makes them special to us.
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What is Branding?
Branding is your essence
•
Qualities that never change
•
Your ideal
•
Less is more powerful
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New field of place branding
• Many government and business leaders are learning to apply
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marketing principles to their respective locations in an attempt to
remain competitive as a turnaround strategy in response to
economic and/or social decline or changes
Qualities of successful place brand strategy :
well resourced, particularly in terms of leadership and funding
acceptance and commitment on the part of key stakeholders.
Cities have always been brands, in the truest sense of the word.
That brand can have a major impact on one’s decision to visit
the city, to buy its products, to do business there or even to
relocate there.
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Reason for Town Branding?
• develop and implement a strategy to assist with improving the
image of "your town" and provide economic benefits.
• it is not enough to be a good neighbor: one must also be a good
ancestor.
• A town’s reputation formerly was forged over decades — if not
centuries.
• Today, a multitude of communication options has given towns
the ability to get their name out almost instantly
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Factors Creating Interest in Place branding
• Increasing competitiveness between geographic
locations,
• greater mobility of industries and residents
• positive and negative impacts of improved
communications
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Factors Creating Interest in Place branding
• the tourism industry will be fought not over price
but over the hearts and minds
• in essence, branding . .. will be the key to
success’.
• ‘Marketing agencies at all levels, thus, have a
vested interest in building strong and positive
images for their destinations. However, the
extent to which image building benefits their
targets can be greater if it takes place in the
context of branding.’
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Goals of Place Branding
• — provide a positive image
• — provide year-long economic benefits
• — provide long-term economic benefits
• — be viable
• — be marketable
• — be unique
• — be adaptable
• — be achievable
• — be complementary to the desired quality of
life of local residents.
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Sample management expectations
• — a sustainable natural and built environment
• — a balanced rural lifestyle
• — a vibrant and diverse local economy
• — a community together
• — a range of lifestyle opportunities
• — an open and accessible council
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Criteria of Strong Branding
• close to reality
• believable
• simple
• appealing and distinctive (there are already too
many friendly places out there)
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Qualities of a Successfully Branded Town
• a quality environment for the community in which
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land use and development is planned and
integrated with open space and township
preservation
partnership with business and the community to
promote economic growth and employment
opportunities
accessible and appropriate services and
programs
range of recreation and cultural opportunities
community involved in decision making.
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The Alternative
• the alternative to ‘doing’ town or regional
branding is not doing it: the alternative is
allowing others to do the branding for you.
• locations which do not seek to brand themselves
run the risk of being positioned by competitors,
• other interest groups and people. Will someone
in power position say “Oh, …… is a 2 out of a
10”?
• Negative Perceptions can motivate a Chamber
of Commerce to be proactive and seek to
develop a strategy to rejuvenate the town.
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Many places have a brand.
Some, like these, by design.
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Cities are Brands
Many places have a brand.
Some, like these, organically grown
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• Importance of web for exposure promotion and new business opportunities
• A good brand does not have to be “high end”. A place can be known for its
trout fishing or for its pubs.
• “Distinctive” plus “Appealing” does not equal “high end”.
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The Research Process
• determine current perceptions of the location
• preliminary investigations and an elementary
questionnaire.
• history of the town to provide a background as to the
existence and development of the town.
• a ‘situation audit’ to identify the town’s present-day
characteristics
• analysis of local council documentation to identify any
relevant existing planning or management policies
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Qualitative research
• no effective branding decision can be made without
research.
• ‘‘utility’’ issues to get insights about the functional,
emotional and social benefits of the brand and its
competition
• ‘‘identity’’ issues that derive from heritage, symbols,
culture and personality.
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• The research provides a background, and serves to
confirm or contradict the negative images
• Even with limited funding and time, steps to ensure
that views from businesses, residents and tourists
are obtained is a worthwhile process and provides
responses of not just one interest group.
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Tactics
• An open-ended questionnaire within a qualitative
framework to identify some of the opinions of a
random sample of residents about their town.
• obtain a sample of ideas and concepts rather than
require responses to predetermined alternatives.
• how younger residents see their town rather than
entirely focusing on business people and tourists.
• sample of local business people from a number of
businesses questioned about the town
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• interview visitors to the town
• fulfilling family commitments - ranging from
celebrations to funerals?
• introduce people who have not been
previously to the town. Invited to make
comments while being driven and walking
around the retail and residential areas. Key
comments noted.
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Evaluate and Present Findings
• town assets
• passive recreational facilities
• infrastructure (roadways etc.)
• state recreation areas
• sanctuaries?
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Place Branding: A Case Study
• English Countryside -- English campaign to increase
domestic and international tourism.
• They did extensive research on why people travel there,
who travels, for how long do they stay, what is the
purpose of the trip…
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Tactics & Organization
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Example of a page geared toward nonresidents
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Other Aspects to Emphasize
• Natural Beauty
• History
• Restaurants
• Arts
• Beautiful Neighborhoods and Architecture
• Interesting Businesses/Employment
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It was found
that for rural
areas,
stressing food
(locally
grown, etc)
was
successful.
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Study of Vermont
• Respondents were shown illustrated statements and
asked to:
• Pick the statements they personally associated with
Vermont.
• Rank the selected statements in order of importance to
them.
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Branding "your town"
• How Does "your town" distinguish itself from other parts of Vermont?
• "your town" is already doing a lot of things right.
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• Some states have strong enough identities to be brands.
Vermont is one of those states.
• Vermont’s image for visitors “Beautiful” and “peaceful”
remain the dominant attributes, while “respectful of the
environment,” “authentic” and “friendly” are seen as the
dominant personality traits.
• “Surprisingly sophisticated” is barely recognized and
“skilled professionals” and “high tech” are nonexistent.
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• a personal business style that is the antithesis of anonymity;
and the creation of clustered business that offers the consumer
choices while retaining convenience.
• The importance of mail order and internet sales will likely only
increase in years to come. Businesses that have strong “back
room” operations will be able to present their friendly face to the
visiting public while moving goods and services- at a lower
overhead- out the back door.
• “Designated Downtown,” which qualifies downtowns for priority
consideration for certain grant programs, and makes a range of
tax benefits and regulatory benefits available for developments
in Vermont downtowns. Vermont downtowns typically serve
both the convenience needs of local residents, and as specialty
markets, with tourists as important customers.
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• Restructuring the Downtown Economy
• All of "your town"’s businesses, but especially the downtown businesses,
recognize the importance of downtown as a diverse place where it is the
level of general activity- and not just business activity- that gives the
downtown its vibrancy. With that said, however, retail is recognized as
most important activity to have downtown.
• With the aging of business owners, and the continuing trends towards
larger stores for discount items, it appears likely that the downtown retail
sector will restructure, whether intentionally or not. Some of that
restructuring will be happenstance, and some of it could be led.
• First the question should be asked, “Who will the downtown serve?” For
most of the day-to-day shopping of local residents, the shopping need is
served by the North End. Assuming that a discount department store
replacement for Ames will be found (or even if not), most of the discount
needs will be served in the North End. What is not will likely be served by
Brooks, which should continue to play an important anchoring role
downtown.
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Tactics
• An open-ended questionnaire within a qualitative
framework to identify some of the opinions of a random
sample of residents about their town.
• obtain a sample of ideas and concepts rather than
require responses to predetermined alternatives.
• how younger residents see their town rather than
entirely focusing on business people and tourists.
More branding Info
Methodology
Before&After Brands
Tactics
• sample of local business people from a number of
businesses questioned about the town
• interview visitors to the town
• fulfilling family commitments - ranging from
celebrations to funerals?
• introduce people who have not been previously to the
town. Invited to make comments while being driven
and walking around the retail and residential areas.
Key comments noted.
More branding Info
Methodology
Before&After Brands
• The research aimed at providing a background,
and serves to confirm or contradict the negative
images
• Even with limited funding and time, steps to ensure
that views from businesses, residents and tourists
are obtained is a worthwhile process and provides
responses of not just one interest group.
More branding Info
Methodology
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FINDINGS
• town assets
• passive recreational facilities
• infrastructure (roadways etc.)
• state recreation areas
• sanctuaries?
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• negative opinions of many stakeholders, means that
extensive work is required to overcome the existing
perceptions.
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• Vision
• Brand qualities
• Identity (personality/style)
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Increased Awareness
• Increasing competitiveness between geographic
locations,
• greater mobility of industries and residents
• positive and negative impacts of improved
communications
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Brand management strategy for a small city
• many government and business leaders are learning to
apply marketing principles to their respective locations in
an attempt to remain competitive
• as a turnaround strategy in response to economic and/or
social decline
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The Alternative
• the alternative to ‘doing’ city branding is not doing city
branding: the alternative is allowing others to do the
branding for you.
• Cities run the risk of being saddled with a brand which
does not suit their aims or interests at all, and which is
very likely based on ignorance, hearsay, confusion or
long-past events.
• As long as public opinion matters — and it matters
because the public is the market — then it is vital for
cities to ensure that public opinion is as accurate and as
positive as it possibly can be.
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• Addition of “Creative”
• Arguably, people already see Vermonters as “creative.” When
presented with statements about Vermonters being “resourceful” or
“original,” respondents frequently translated those attributes into
“creative.” In fact, if “Vermonters are creative” had been one of the
statements tested, we feel it would have ranked much higher than
either “resourceful” or “original.” “Creative” also relates to the arts and
entertainment part of “surprisingly sophisticated.”
• Addition of “Skilled Professionals & “Great Place to Raise
Family”
• These two attributes are not part of the current shared image of
Vermont, so it will take a conscious effort to plant these associations
in people’s minds.
• However, the effort should be worth it. These two associations in no
way undermine the current collective Vermont brand image. They
take nothing away. In fact, they simply “add back” two aspects of the
Vermont reality—aspects that are important to retaining and attracting
jobs for the people of Vermont.
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• Using the word “sophisticated” is a mistake; but the
state must still stand for more than maple sugar,
mountains and cows.
• Vermont marketers need to take the concept of
“creative” and give it a full, robust meaning that
incorporates both the intellectual and artistic richness
of Vermont.
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Example
• beautiful, peaceful and natural are not synonymous with
rural and backward. Vermont should be seen as a great
place to visit, live and have a business—not as a
backwater place lacking in economic opportunity.
• Images of scenic beauty are not the only imagery that
should be evoked. -It is people who give Vermont its
brand personality and character. -Images of the
landscape need to be peopled with Vermonters—hard
at work, having fun, enjoying their families, etc.
• Show more of the diversity that is part of today’s
Vermont.
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• Conversation. To practice clarity or understand context, you need information about
all your stakeholders. But before rushing to design surveys and questionnaires, ,
"How am I doing?" That's a great way to begin a conversation.
• Consider the kinds of conversations we engage in. Conversations for relationship are
about introductions. Conversations for friendship are about trust. Conversations for
partnership are about need. Conversations for leadership are about service.
• Yours will probably fall into the third category. You are developing partnerships with
various audiences (whether they be patrons, board members, or subscribers), and
you are investigating what they need and want from your town.
• The better you know your intended audiences, the better you'll be able to speak to
them in their own languages and the more effectively you can communicate your
message.
• What is important to them? What do they think about? Care about? What holds
meaning for them? What do they think–and feel—about your work? What are their
favorite leisure activities? Why? What does your image currently represent to them?
• Most importantly: after you ask the questions, be sure to listen actively.
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•
Finalizing the Statement
• At its most fundamental, a positioning statement tells the world: who you are, what you
are/do, the benefits provided, and to whom.
• Insert "your town" examples.
•
Example: The Ann Daly Dance Company is a site-specific dance theatre that collaborates
with rural towns to inspire community renewal. Combining storytelling and mime, ADDC
provides its partners with a creative experience in which to reexamine the past and reinvent
the future.
•
Example: The Ann Daly Dance Company is a freewheeling ballet ensemble that fuses ballet
with cutting edge dance forms for young, urban audiences. By commissioning new works by
emerging choreographers outside of ballet, ADDC delivers to the MTV generation a fresh
experience in the live theatre.
• As you compose your statement, consider how accurate it is. How complete, how engaging.
Is it aimed directly at your audiences? Does it read as distinctive, or sound familiar? Consult
your short list of adjectives to add punch and specificity to the statement.
•
Example: The Ann Daly Dance Company presents explosive, athletic movement that
stretches the boundaries of dance.
• Too vague. What kind of dance is this? It could be anything from ballet to breakdancing. The
choreographer may care about stretching the boundaries of dance, but most spectators don't.
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