Community brands must be experiential or activity-driven, not just things to look at. Geography is not a brand,* historic downtowns are not a brand, scenery is not a brand. These are all part of the ambiance. The stage. You can develop a stunningly beautiful theater but if nothing is happening on stage, how many people will go there? Static attractions that are simply things to to see quickly become "been there, done that" experiences, and thus not sustainable brands.
* There are a few exceptions: Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, Grand Canyon, Old Faithful.
1 comment:
Geography is not a brand.
However, if you have lakes, rivers, and things which can attract those tourists, geography plays a major role.
Like the mountains in Chattanooga, TN.
And like the riverfront in river towns.
People move to the shores because of the geography...oceans, etc.
Just like companies look for roads, many people look for places where the nearby natural resources appeal to them.
You cannot ignore the importance of geography when branding, in my opinion.
A Traditional American Town with the beauty of the river would then be A Traditional American Rivertown. Using that river in branding is using a natural resource in relation to geography. No different than including the shore in an oceanside town.
When you are a town of only 13,000 people and the resources to attract tourists are slim to none, ignoring the natural resources and the geography of proximity to nearby large cities filled with people who may like a quiet getaway, is simply ignoring the importance of geography when branding. Bigger is not always better.
Maybe being a sleepy river town is an attraction for rat race urban dwellers looking for a day or weekend trip. And you don't have to target a specific age niche. Seniors looking for day and weekend trips have money. People with yachts and looking for weekend getaways are a good market to target in rivertowns. For example, I know boaters in Cincinnati, Ohio who WISH they could always count on an open gasoline dock to visit Madison, Indiana and that they wouldn't be charged overpriced gas because there is no competition. Families will only come if there are family things to do. Taking advantage of camping facilities in a state park near a tiny town, which has little to offer families, is taking advantage of something families may enjoy and adding value to that resource could be addressed in branding.
The Ohio River Scenic Byway is a great attraction, but not promoted very much.
http://www.ohioriverscenicbyway.com/
If that ain't geography, I don't know what is.
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