What is Destination Branding?A brand is a promise you make to the visitor of what kind of experience you will consistently deliver. So the products and services you offer are what determine your brand.
A brand is also what others think of you, not what you say about yourself. So brand's are less about marketing and more about third party testimony - like what someone says about you on Yelp or TripAdvisor. • Branding is the art of setting yourself apart from everyone else. Being a place that has “something for everyone” can be anywhere and says nothing about you. • A brand is a perception – what people think when they hear Sitka, Alaska mentioned. It’s also a promise that you will deliver on that perception (good or bad.) • Logos and slogans are not brands. They are just marketing messages and graphic images used to support and reinforce your ownership position. After all, brands are about owning your niche in the marketplace. • A great brand evokes emotion. It’s a feeling someone has about you. This is why you focus on activities more than physical attributes such as historic buildings/downtown or public facilities. • All successful brands are built on product, not marketing. You can develop new advertising, graphics, websites, mobile apps, signs, and posters, but if the product doesn’t change or improve what have you accomplished? The increase in sales will be temporary. • You never “roll out” a brand. It’s earned – good or bad. • You should ask local and regional residents to weigh in on the brand direction, but in the end, the idea that is most feasible is the one that will be most successful. Typically, the most feasible brand direction is built on a foundation already in the community. |
Why Brand Sitka?
Why Wayfinding?
The Wayfinding Process1. Conceptual Wayfinding Development
a. Sign Locations b. Sign Types c. Sign Content d. Sign Design Concepts e. Sign Design Decision f. Wayfinding Plan Documentation i. Location Map ii. Sign Types, Designs/Materials iii. Sign Contents iv. Fabrication Specifications |
The Branding Process1. Establish the Brand Development Committee Done
2. Public Involvement Ongoing a. Present the Branding & Wayfinding Process Done b. Go public with the Project Website Done c. Stakeholder Interviews Done d. Brand Vision Online Poll Done 3. Research a. Review Marketing Materials Done b. Sitka Site Reconnaissance Done d. Review Past Research Done f. Customer profiling Done g. External Influencer Interviews Done h. Competitive Destination Done Assessment (3) Done 4. Conceptual Brand Development a. Brand Concepts Developing Done b. Brand Decision Done c. Brand Platform Document d. Verbal Identity e. Visual Identity f. Applications g. Style Guide 5. Brand Integration and Communication a. Delivering the Brand Experience b. Service Gaps c. Sitka Brand Documentation d. Brand Coaching Workshop The Branding and wayfinding process will include several announced public meetings during which the Brand Committee and consultant's progress will be presented and discussed. |