Branding - What NOT to Do

I learned today that a community pulled together a group of leaders and decided to come up with a brand. For decades, people outside of the town had recognized it for the major attraction there - one with international fame which continues to bring new and repeat visitors to the area. Many spend the night, pumping more money into the local economy.

But, town leaders didn't want the town to be branded by the attraction. Instead, they wanted to name it themselves. They had an opportunity to hire a company known from the Atlantic to the Pacific - and Canada to Mexico - to develop an identity - but the town opted not to. Money wasn't the object. Ego was.

Will the town do anything else than develop a tag line? That's not branding. The process of branding a town creates a look and a feel to everything the public sees and hears. A brand appeals to all the senses. It's not just a tag line. Good examples of branding are found in Fayetteville, N.C. and Hershey, P.A.

MARKETING TIP: If you want to brand a product, festival or community, do it the right way. Hire a firm who knows how to do it. Branding isn't an internal process. You have to find out the perception of your customers first. They will tell you your brand.