Place Branding for American Cities
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The document discusses place branding for American cities, emphasizing that branding is more than logos or taglines; it involves a community's promise to its target audience. It elaborates on the importance of understanding audience perceptions, objectives, key messages, and strategies to effectively influence desired actions. Additionally, it highlights common mistakes in place branding and outlines the benefits of effective branding, such as influencing choice and connecting price with quality service.
Place Branding for American Cities
- 1. Place Branding for American Cities Hamilton County Planning Partnership March 14, 2014
- 2. Place Branding … We all know what that is, right?
- 3. It’s a logo or a tagline
- 4. It’s an iconic structure
- 6. It’s not that easy
- 7. Branding, and especially place branding, is much, much more
- 8. Your Brand is a Promise A single, compelling value proposition
- 9. Your Brand is a Promise A single, compelling value proposition between you and the people that matter most to your community (your target audience … customer)
- 10. Your Brand is a Promise A single, compelling value proposition between you and the people that matter most to your community (your target audience … customer) to help you win (achieve your objective)
- 11. Branding is … The fulfillment of your “promise” with every interaction with your target audience:
- 12. Branding is … … how you bring your brand to life : – Research – Marketing – Advertising – Media Relations – Social Media – Community Relations – And much, much more
- 13. Some more Terminology • Image: how you are perceived today • Identity: how you want your community to be perceived (desired identity) • Themes: key differentiators • Target Audience(s): the people you must influence to take the desired action in order to achieve your objective • Objective(s): what action you desire of your target audience • Key messages/positioning: words/images that will inspire your audience to the desired action • Strategies: specific but broad plans to achieve your stated objectives • Tactics: actionable and measureable things to do to achieve the strategies
- 14. And, it’s hard to do.
- 15. You may think you know A B C EXPECTATION
- 16. But it’s never really what you think A B C EXPECTATION A B C D E F G REALITY
- 17. Converting “prospects” to “buyers” For every 1,000 “Qualified Prospects” you touch … 40% - 400 will not buy a thing 30% - 300 will buy from some vendor in < 6 months 20% - 200 will buy from some vendor in 6-12 months 10% - 100 will buy from some vendor in > 12 months
- 18. Place-branding has many choir leaders Mayor City Council City Manager Township Trustees Neighborhood Councils Business Associations Citizens Media “Experts”Governor In the public sector, everyone has an opinion
- 19. Singing off the same sheet isn’t easy Experts: Research, Marketing, Graphic Design, PR Process: Surveys, Community Engagement, Online Contests, Public Hearings …
- 20. Getting there …
- 21. Often feels like it takes a miracle
- 22. How to do all of this?
- 23. The concept is easy … You are trying to influence your target audience (TA) to take a desired action … A Where TA is today
- 24. The concept is easy … (cont.) You are trying to influence your target audience (TA) to take a desired action … … to move from point A to point B A B Where TA is today Where you want TA to be
- 25. Execution … not so much • PROMISE: What differentiates you … your compelling value proposition? • AUDIENCE: Who matters most to you? • OBJECTIVE: What action do I want them to take? • KEY MESSAGE/POSITIONING: What can I say or do to affect the desired action?
- 26. Execution … not so much (cont.) • STRATEGIES: How do I do it? • TACTICS: What specific things should I do? • EXECUTION: How and who will do it consistently and professionally? • MEASUREMENT: How do I know if it’s working? • ADJUST: How do I know if I should change it up?
- 27. It starts with a promise PROMISE OBJECTIVES THEMES KEY MESSAGES (story concepts/ideas) STRATEGIES TACTICS (content calendar, timetables, accountabilities) MEASURE & ADJUST
- 28. Message map … a tool PROMISE … Our community will help you to achieve your American dream
- 29. Message map … a tool (cont.) PROMISE … OBJECTIVES … Increase tax base by X% X% fewer Type 1 crimes Reduce citizen complaints by X% Our community will help you to achieve your American dream
- 30. Message map … a tool (cont.) PROMISE … OBJECTIVES … THEMES … Lower cost of doing business No individual income tax Achieve work/life balance Increase tax base by X% X% fewer Type 1 crimes Reduce citizen complaints by X% Our community will help you to achieve your American dream
- 31. Message map … a tool (cont.) PROMISE … OBJECTIVES … THEMES … KEY MESSAGES … No corporate inventory tax Shovel-ready development sites Plentiful, educated workforce Increase tax base by X% X% fewer Type 1 crimes Reduce citizen complaints by X% Lower cost of doing business No individual income tax Achieve work/life balance Our community will help you to achieve your American dream
- 32. Message map … a tool (cont.) PROMISE … OBJECTIVES … THEMES … KEY MESSAGES … STRATEGIES … Our community will help you to achieve your American dream No corporate inventory tax Shovel-ready development sites Plentiful, educated workforce Third party study of area taxes Company “X” case study Community CEO testimonials Increase tax base by X% X% fewer Type 1 crimes Reduce citizen complaints by X% Lower cost of doing business No individual income tax Achieve work/life balance
- 33. Message map … a tool (cont.) PROMISE … OBJECTIVES … THEMES … KEY MESSAGES … STRATEGIES … TACTICS … Our community will help you to achieve your American dream No corporate inventory tax Shovel-ready development sites Plentiful, educated workforce Third party study of area taxes Company “X” case study Community CEO testimonials Local business paper Letter from Mayor Call from another CEO Increase tax base by X% X% fewer Type 1 crimes Reduce citizen complaints by X% Lower cost of doing business No individual income tax Achieve work/life balance
- 34. Why it matters … Five benefits of place-branding
- 35. 1. It influences choice Your target audience (customer) will recognize you more quickly and choose you more often.
- 36. 2. It creates loyalists and advocates Creating an emotional connection strengthens a personal bond and sense of loyalty.
- 37. 3. It connects price with quality service Citizens are more willing to pay for quality services if they value the tangible and intangible benefits of living and working there.
- 38. 4. It empowers everyone … creates “we” From staff to elected officials to citizens, it empowers everyone to demand excellence, expect quality and professionalism. It creates “we” and breaks down “us” and “them.”
- 39. 5. It enables growth Growth requires investment. Investment requires trust. Trust generates resources.
- 40. Five Benefits of Place-Branding 1. It influences choice 2. It creates loyalists and advocates 3. It connects price with quality service 4. It empowers everyone … creates “we” 5. It enables growth
- 41. 15 most common mistakes in place-branding
- 42. 1. Over Promising. Under Delivering.
- 43. 2. Not promising anything 3. Making boring promises
- 44. 4. Ignoring your consumer 5. Ignoring your people
- 45. 6. Trying to please everyone chances of failure # of people you try to please 7. Fear of upsetting anyone
- 46. 8. Fear of standing out
- 47. 9. Letting opinions rule over expertise
- 48. 10. Outsourcing who you are and what you do
- 49. 11. Thinking of branding too late in the development process Hey, boss, the new project is finished and it looks beautiful. FANTASTIC! Now, let’s brand it as a recreation center. Check that. How about a health clinic. Never mind. Let’s call it the “People’s Park”. Huh … that sounds like Putin? Never mind. Can we sell naming rights?
- 50. 12. Thinking of branding only as marketing, logo, tagline, etc.
- 51. 13. No one owns the brand
- 52. 14. Changing your brand for no good reason
- 53. 15. Letting perfection be the barrier to great, or even really good
- 54. Fifteen Most Common Mistakes in Place Branding 1. Over promising. Under Delivering. 2. Not promising anything. 3. Making boring promises. 4. Ignoring your consumer. 5. Ignoring your people. 6. Trying to please everyone. 7. Fear of upsetting anyone. 8. Fear of being original. 9. Letting opinions rule over expertise. 10. Outsourcing who you are and what you do. 11. Thinking of branding too late in the process. 12. Thinking of branding only as marketing, logo, tagline, etc. 13. No one owns the brand. 14. Changing your brand for no good reason. 15. Letting perfection be the barrier to great, or even really good.
- 55. Some resources
- 56. Strengthening Brand America The Burghard Group (http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/) Strengthening Brand America (http://www.scoop.it/t/place-branding)
- 57. The American Dream Composite Index TM American Dream Composite Index Xavier University http://americandreamcompositeindex.com/
- 58. strategic communications www.vehrcommunications.com Nick Vehr 513.381.8347 Vehr Communications ▪ 700 walnut street ▪ Suite 450 ▪ Cincinnati, OH 45202