Travel Bureau looks to brand each community with help of expert tourism guru

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

The Emery County Travel Bureau is involved in a new program to brand each of the communities in Emery County. They are working with Roger Brooks, noted planner who works with communities to develop and market their niche and what makes them unique. Commissioner Keith Brady welcomed everyone to the planning meeting. Representatives were there from each of the communities in Emery County.
The group watched a video from Roger Brooks and then discussed various points made in the presentation. Tina Carter is the director for the Emery County Travel Bureau. She said the state is sponsoring Emery County as one of four counties chosen for a focus study on rural tourism. Brooks has been hired by the state to help these four counties. In the branding and marketing process for Emery County they will use resources from the state to make positive changes and to get everyone on the same page as to what each community wants to focus on.
Brooks said, “You can’t be all things to all people.” He encouraged the participants to narrow their focus and pick one item your community is famous for and go with that. But, in doing that, you need to look at if this one item is only seasonal, do you have one festival, one weekend, that you’re known for, but then the other 363 days you have nothing, then some work needs to be done on developing a brand which can serve the community all year-round.
Commissioner Brady said Brooks has worked with cities worldwide and he has vast experience and knowledge on what works and what doesn’t in tourism. Brooks takes what he’s learned along the way and helps make you successful.
Brooks said the art of branding a community and having it an outstanding destination is you want to import more cash than you export. There are two types of branding, the economic development brand where you import new cash into your community. Many communities across the nation have had their heyday and maybe that industry has now declined or disappeared so you need to find your second act. What’s next for your community? The industrial revolution is over, we are now living in a time of a global economy, you’re competing with the world, it’s one big planet.
Every year, communities try to diversify their economy. The internet changed everything. Ninety percent of the general public has access to the internet. Ninety-four percent use the web to decide where to travel, where to work, where’s the best place to establish a business? People look at activities that cater to them and their likes and interests. “The days of being all things to all people are over,” said Brooks. “Narrow your focus, the big question is what do you have that the people want? what do you have that they can’t get closer to home? why should they invest, why should they move? why should they visit. Why are you different or clearly better than others,” said Brooks.
Third party endorsements are important these days, ratings on the internet, user comments, competition is fierce. Communities and businesses are forced to specialize. The group hug mentality doesn’t work anymore. You need to outwit, out play and out last, it’s a brand new ball game. Welcome to the art of setting yourself apart. Remember that a logo or a slogan is not a brand. A logo is a brand mark, only 2 percent of your plan, 98 percent is drawing attention. “Have you ever gone anywhere because you thought they had a great logo,” Have you bought Nike shoes because they had a great logo?” said Brooks. The logo doesn’t mean anything, it needs one simple graphic that’s unique to you.
It needs to convey a feeling, jettison the generic. Brand specific.
Brooks encouraged everyone to look at their tourist information; take out the name and read it, could it be talking about anywhere? you’re not doing anything wrong, just saying the same thing as everyone else. If it can fit anywhere, then throw it out, narrow your focus.
Brooks told of a grocery store that knew it couldn’t compete with the larger chains. So they narrowed their focus, they focused on farm fresh dairy and vegetables and bought from local producers, their product was fresher. They have a world class bakery, the chains couldn’t compete with that.
The store gave away free ice cream for a purchase of $100 or more. They have the highest retail sales of any grocery store on earth per square foot. They are Stew Leonard’s they narrowed their focus. They have won awards and accolades.
Something for everyone is a failure. Jettison the generic. Words to avoid in your advertising materials are those that fit anywhere. People ignore those kinds of messages.
Commissioner Brady said Brooks is a marketing guru and his services are quite expensive. The county has a real opportunity with his help to brand ourselves. He was brought in specifically for our use to help us determine who we are as communities and together. Finding our niche, Orangeville has the boulderers, what does everyone else have? figure out who we are going to be.
Margaret Fielding is with the Emery County economic development council as well as the Castle Dale City economic development board, she commented that ads should create emotion. Commissioner Brady said Roger Brooks can help with that.
Each community should do a survey to gather community input about what that city should focus on for their brand.
Brooks said the brand should be about things to do and not about things to see. If you only focus on things to see then people have a been there, done that attitude. If you focus on activities that people can participate in, they can come back time after time to engage in these activities.
Brooks said if you promise to deliver on something, then that’s what you must focus on, or you will get negative publicity, from social media, people and their attitudes, as well as word of mouth. Product development never ends.
Brooks encouraged the group to never do branding by public consent, this doesn’t work. Not everyone is going to agree on what you should do. Keep it simple, build on feasibility.
Commissioner Brady said each branding team will come up with a brand to back and to sell. With Brook’s help, the brands will be good. Your niche should be narrow, but not too narrow and it should have legs to extend. One community started out with being a baseball capital, then added soccer and hockey over time.
What is obvious and pervasive about each community? Don’t be too specific to season, you can have a split brand like ATV in the summer/snow in the winter. Or something all encompassing year-round.
Your team, must be champions of the brand. Not everyone will agree. Don’t let local politics kill a potential home run. You will need a brave leader to champion the brand, others will try to kill it, a lack of champions can kill an idea, lack of money both public and private can kill a plan.
Local champions will find a way to make it happen. Elected officials think a community can be all things to all people. It can’t. You need one, two or three people to push an idea forward. Like in Hershey, Penn. it’s all about the chocolate. It’s all centered around one theme. The power of branding is one loud voice and it works every time.
Brooks told of a town that marketed serenity, and all their posters, billboards and advertising centered around coming to their area for peace and a sanctuary in whatever capacity that entailed for the visitor. Everything revolved around that theme a sanctuary to visit the marina, health and fitness and spas, kayaking, sailing, shipwrecks the lighthouses, all evoked emotion and a sanctuary away from the cares of the world. Branding will set you apart. Get all the people on the same page, pulling in the same direction.
One community, Devon Alberta was an Imperial Oil planned community, they needed to diversify, was there life after oil? they centered their branding around bicycles and everything revolved around trails and activities for bikers. They are officially Bike Town Alberta. The youth of the area became involved and helped the community win a contest for $25,000 to build a bike park. Their theme was Grab life by the handlebars and it was on all the advertising.
A community finds activities they can tap into and the region will promote those activities specifically. Then individual communities find their own unique brand often tied to secondary or complimentary activities under that umbrella.
There are five elements; differentiate yourself; emotional response; tell them why they should visit you; make it memorable, experiences that deliver on your promises.
Commissioner Brady and Tina Carter gave instructions to each community as to what comes next. Each city will form their own Brand Development Committee with between seven to 13 stakeholders. These stakeholders can represent local government, tourism, downtown, economic development, local business group and interested parties.
The committees will pick dates for their first meeting and the travel bureau members will attend to help at each meeting. Each group will select a chairman who will help organize your group and keep it moving forward. Each group will receive a Branding Kit. Each group will create their survey and discuss their current brand if they have one. Each group will prepare questions for Roger Brooks and he will answer them in the monthly question and answer session. All groups will have access to Roger’s Video Library to utilize during their meetings. Brooks suggests each group meet monthly to watch a video and go through a step in the handbook.
If you’re interested in serving on a committee, contact Tina at the travel bureau office 435-381-2600 TinaC@emery.utah.gov