Great Destinotions | Our Process

Our Process

Experience the brand. Then brand the experience.

A brand is the sum total of perceptions, impressions, and feelings about your destination. It is not a thing, but a relationship; not a constant, but a continuum. It is a shared affinity between your place and the person who experiences it.

To thrive in a fiercely competitive marketplace, you must treat your destination’s brand identity as a strategic asset that transcends mere attractions and attributes. Working on an emotional and experiential level, a brand is the most powerful weapon available to you today.

When conceived and executed correctly, a brand can not only capture the essence of a destination but serve as a valuable ambassador for increasing tourism, spurring economic development, and generating tremendous unity and goodwill.

With strategic guidance and creative support from Great Destinotions, you’ll be ready to take ownership of your brand identity. We’re here to help you package, position, promote, and protect your brand, and deliver a memorable brand experience that will clearly distinguish your town or region from competing destinations.

Research & Discovery

Branding is urban renewal without having to pass a bond measure.
We kick-off the branding process by assessing and benchmarking the prevailing perceptions, opinions, and impressions of your destination’s brand image and identity. That can include some, if not all, of the following activities:

Interview key stakeholders, such as the Convention & Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Business Council/Downtown Development, city officials, meeting planners, and community influencers
Review your advertising, collateral, and marketing communications
Analyze your demographics and lodging data
Compare and analyze competitive destinations
Survey targeted residents of your community

After collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative information about your community, we produce a thorough Brand Audit & Assessment Report that outlines our research findings. It assesses the current status of your brand, lays out a brand strategy for meeting your goals, and articulates a rebuilt and renovated brand vision, position, message, and promise.

Creative Development

A brand should tell a story. Your story.
We continue the branding process by developing the creative concepts, ideas, and campaigns that will bring your new brand identity to life – from logo and tagline development to advertising, collateral, and the Web. From posters, promotional items, and contests to billboards, banners, and business forms. We’ll work closely with you to ensure that the program we develop will work within your budget and timeline, achieve your stated objectives, and exceed your every expectation.

Culturalization

A brand is more than a calling card. It’s a special invitation.
To make sure the branding put in place remains strong, vibrant, and intact, we produce a Brand Initiative Guide (BIG) which is designed to help you support, grow, and manage your brand throughout the initial campaign and beyond. We’ll help you identify the resources and controls you’ll need to engage community stakeholders and residents, keep your brand communications on track, and evaluate your brand’s long-term effectiveness.