The Science Behind Economic Development Branding: going beyond logos and taglines; the value of an economic development brand; why economic development branding is important; how prospects, site selectors, and visitors experience brands; and how to leverage a brand for the largest impact.

1. The Science Behind
Economic Development Branding
Presented by:
Beyond Logos and Taglines

2. Your Host
Guillermo Mazier – Director, Strategic Accounts
– Former economic developer and tourism marketer for the Costa Rican
Investment and Trade Development Board
– Managed economic development and tourism campaign for
Tortugero, CR
– Industry speaker, brand strategy and digital marketing specialist
– Favorite Place Brand This Month: Cleveland OH
@AtlasAd @Guiller moMazier #AskAtlas

3. About Atlas
1. Led more economic development
marketing assignments than any other firm
in the country in the last 10 years.
2. The ONLY full service agency that
specializes in economic development
marketing, brands and websites.
3. Has developed High Performance
Economic Development Marketing,
national marketing metrics that can prove
ROI for marketing, branding and website
efforts within economic development space.

4. • Continue the Conversation:
– Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AtlasAd
– Tweet questions using hashtag #ASKATLAS
– Join High Performance Economic Development LinkedIn Group
• View and share the slides with your colleagues (available now):
www.slideshare.com/wright0405
View the slides, continue the dialogue

5. 1. Going Beyond Logos
2. The Value of an Economic Development Brand
- Why Economic Development Branding is Important
3. How Prospects, Site Selectors and Visitors Experience
Brands
4. How To Leverage a Brand For The Largest Impact
Table of Contents

6. Developing logos for places

7. A logo (also known as a mark, brand mark, trademark, wordmark, logotype,
symbol, or brand icon) is a graphic and/or typographic mark that identifies your
organization. It is only one element, albeit a very important element, of your
organization’s brand identity and helps with recognition, differentiation, and
recall. Logos are a tangible way to express some of the essence and
characteristics of your brand, but there’s no way a logo can represent or
illustrate everything about your brand.
What is a Logo?

8. A trade name: a name given to a product or service
A recognizable kind; "there's a new brand of hero in the movies now"; "what
make of car is that?”
An identification mark on skin, made by burning
The sum of all the characteristics, tangible and intangible, that make
something unique.
What is a brand?

9. The sum of all the characteristics, tangible and intangible, that make a
development, city, state, or region unique.
A place brand is an experience (online and offline) an individual has with your
organization or your community.
• Embodies a set of core values
• It has personality traits
• Reflects a unique story
• An emotional connection
• The foundation for all internal and external communication
What is a Economic
Development or place brand?
“I’m convinced that pretty much every place has a unique character. It might be hard to
articulate, but it’s there. In Midwestern places like Ohio, there’s always a struggle to articulate
identity. But visit Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, and it’s instantly apparent these are
three radically different cities. Places just need to do a little anthropological work to unearth
their distinctiveness, distill it down and then imbue that “mojo” into everything they do.”
Aaron Renn, Demographer, urban affairs analyst, entrepreneur

10. 1. Places leave the most lasting impressions, tangible or intangible, on
human beings. And, human beings still make the decision where a
company stays or relocates to.
2. As the world becomes more competitive at a faster and faster rate,
choices for companies get harder. As a result, for one site selector, a
brand, or reputation, has become one of “Four Pillars of Community
Competitiveness.
3. As companies work to locate where workforce is, how your brand attracts
and retains workforce is that brand challenge of the next 25 years.
4. Having a brand gives you the tools to have a real dialogue about your
place. You know you are and you know who you are.
Why is branding important for
economic development?

11. The vast majority of “place branding” campaigns focus on marketing a community
under one single banner. Political leaders and the private sector quickly embrace
the concept of an overarching brand and in theory it makes a lot of sense.
It doesn’t work for a simple reason: the needs of your different target audiences –
potential visitors, corporate executives with site location responsibilities, individuals
considering moving to your community – are completely different.
Thinking a brand is a…
• A logo or symbol
• A visual identity
• A product or a service
Challenges in creating a single ED
place brand

12. • Places leave the most lasting impressions, tangible or intangible, on human
beings. And, human beings still make the decision where a company stays or
relocates to.
• As the world becomes more competitive at a faster and faster rate, choices for
companies get harder. As a result, for one site selector, a brand, or reputation,
has become one of “Four Pillars of Community Competitiveness.
• As companies work to locate where workforce is, how your brand attracts and
retains workforce is that brand challenge of the next 25 years.
• Having a brand gives you the tools to have a real dialogue about your place.
You know you are and you know who you are.
Why is branding important for
economic development?

13. ü I don’t know who you are
ü I don’t know your community
ü I don’t know your community's product
ü I don’t know your EDO’s services
ü I don’t know what your community stands for
ü I don’t know the reputation of your organization
ü I don’t know your sites
ü I don’t know your buildings
ü I don’t know your incentives
ü I don’t know the total value you can
add for my company
Why use branding for consideration?

14. Why use branding for consideration?

15. Why the debate is irrelevant
Educated workforce =
Boston / San Francisco

16. Why the debate is irrelevant
Who owns
“Competitive business costs?”

17. Why the debate is irrelevant
Competitive business costs =
Alabama / Tennessee
Carolinas / Mumbai

18. Why the debate is irrelevant
Who owns
“Business friendly city?”

19. Why the debate is irrelevant
Educated workforce =
Charlotte / Nashville

20. 1. Familiarization tours
2. Websites
3. Direct relationships with ED Professionals
4. Word of Mouth
5. All supported with coordinated communications
How site selectors say they like to
experience brands

21. A National Perspective on place marketing
Tourism and Economic Development are inextricably linked
The Role of Tourism in Economic Development
A Visitor
Repeat tourist
Potential workforce
Move or start a business

22. 1. Input from local stakeholders
2. Interviews with national site selectors
3. Positioning your community
4. Creative concepting
5. Execution
6. Leveraging the brand
How to structure a successful
branding effort

23. • What challenges is your business facing?
• What are the key determinants your company used to locate here?
• How well does our city meet those criteria today?
• If I said that our city was [Insert message] how believable would that be?
How appealing?
• When you describe the city to other businesses, what do you say?
• How well is our organization doing its job?
Input from stakeholders

24. • What are the key attributes your clients are using to select a location?
• What cities do you think of when I mention a certain attribute?
• When you think of [insert city name] what comes to mind?
• If I said that our city was [Insert message] how believable would that be?
How appealing?
• Have you ever considered [insert city name] as a location for any of your
clients?
• When you have had a project that has considered [insert city name], what
other cities did you also consider?
• How well is our organization doing its job?
Test findings with site selectors

25. • What attributes matter today?
• What cities/regions are my competition for owning that attribute nationally or
globally?
• What are the perceptions of my city/region and my competition today?
• If I used certain messages, would it be appealing? Would it be believable?
• Is my city/region even on the list for consideration?
• What experience does the national market have with my organization?
Key things you will learn

26. For (target customers)
Who need (primary need)
Your city is a (known product category)
That provides (key product attributes)
Unlike (the alternative)
Your city provides (key differentiators)
Writing a positioning statement for ED

27. Three keys to outstanding
positioning

28. STRATEGY BRIEF
Defined objectives:
• Execute a brand campaign for the region that attracts visitors to the Cumberland Valley.
• Build brand awareness and engagement; driving consumer planning activity and purchase.
Target audiences
• 90% Passion driven travelers, with an interest in history, outdoor activities and scenic beauty.
• 10% Business visitation in the area.
• Geography: Drive markets (Philadelphia, N.Y.C, Pittsburgh, D.C., Baltimore,.)
• Demographics: Multi-generational families, Couples from 45-65 who have the flexibility to travel without
children,
LGBT community, Families with college-age kids that are visiting the area to look at Universities.
Brand Positioning Statement:
For enthusiastic explorers and history buffs of all ages, The Cumberland Valley — at the mid-point of the Appalachian
Trail in south central Pennsylvania — is where natural beauty meets history, arts and culture.
Campaign
There is currently a website and “brand” already in place, and it is very strong. The print and digital can use “Found It.”
to highlight the storytelling aspect of a trip to the Cumberland Valley
Tourism: “Found It — the place where my kids were device free.” “Found it —where I discovered Grandpa and I both
love fishing…” Use the concept of “Found it” to appeal to the emotional side of the travel experience.
Business: “Found It.” Highlight local entrepreneurs that tourist might find interesting to visit.

29. STRATEGY BRIEF
Frame of Reference:
The Cumberland Valley, at the mid-point of the Appalachian Trail, is in south central Pennsylvania
Benefit/Point of Difference
Where natural beauty meets history, arts and culture.
Brand Positioning Statement:
Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, is a beautiful destination of rolling hills, valley vistas, serene farmlands, dense
woodlands and quaint villages. Situated in south central Pennsylvania in the heart of the Appalachian Valley, the
Cumberland Valley has a rich and unique history that encompasses the Revolutionary War, French & Indian War, the
Civil War, U.S. / Native American relations, the U.S. Army, agriculture, arts, education, crafts and commerce.
There are copious activities and assets within the Cumberland Valley. Trail-goers and cyclists can explore the trails at
King‘s Gap, Pine Grove Furnace, or Colonel Denning State Park. Fishing enthusiasts can catch a prized fish at Yellow
Breeches. Foodies can explore their culinary appetites at the many ethnic and fusion restaurants. Arts enthusiasts can
support their love of the theater by attending a performance at the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center or the
Allenberry Inn and Playhouse. Military historians can explore their passion for Army strategy and lore at the Army
Heritage and Education Center. And for anyone into cars, they can attend the Fall and Spring Carlisle Events Car
Shows, which draw tourists from all over the nation.

37. • Recruit for and conduct familiarization tours in a highly branded environment,
from the invitation to the locations you select. Immerse site selectors in your
positioning.
• Use a website to prove your positioning, with data, testimonials, sites and
buildings, and video.
• Change the way you answer inquiries – Promise a response in a certain
amount of time, personalize your responses, and use a consistent look, voice,
and message in all of your communications.
• Create positive, consistent word of mouth by rolling out your message to your
large business stakeholders. They will be your best salespeople.
How to best leverage a brand for
your EDO or DMO

38. Thank you!
Contact information:
929 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
Contact: Guillermo Mazier
t: 303.292.3300 x 232
Guillermom@Atlas-Advertising.com
www.Atlas-Advertising.com
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