When Is A Brand A Brand ? Translating “brand-speak” into something useful and affordable for any destination

1. When Is A Brand A Brand?Translating “brand-speak” into something useful and affordable for any destination Presented By Maura Allen Gast, FCDME Irving, Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau Pennsylvania Travel and Tourism Conference October 2, 2013, Bethlehem, PA

2. First, A Little Exercise: Name That Product. • It’s the real thing. • You are now free to fly about the country. • The most interesting man in the world. • Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike.

3. What is a brand? • In the consumer’s mind, there is no difference between a company or product name and a brand name. • In order to be a brand, a product or service must be characterized by a distinctive attribute in the consumer’s mind. • Internalized sum of impressions • Distinctive position in the mind’s eye • Perceived functional and emotional benefits Sources: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries and Laura Ries. 1998. The Brand Mindset, Duane Knapp, 2000.

4. What defines a successful brand? • If advertising is getting your name out, then branding is simply attaching something to your name. • A brand is the sum total of all the mental associations, good and bad, that are triggered by a name. • Successful branding depends upon your ability to speak to the customer in the language of the customer about what matters to the customer. • The goal of branding is simply to be the name the customer thinks of immediately whenever they, or anyone they know, needs what you sell. • BRANDING IS ABOUT THE MESSAGE. Source: Roy H. Williams, Wizard of Ads, in his Monday Morning Memo, 4-2-01.

5. What is “branding”? • A more efficient way to sell things. • Everything an organization does can contribute to the brand-building process • Today most products and services are BOUGHT, not sold. • Branding “pre-sells.” • The law of the supermarket shelves is now the law of the marketing landscape. • The internet is all about brand-centered buying. Source: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries and Laura Ries. 1998

6. The goal of branding • To be what the customer automatically thinks of whenever he/she, or anyone he/she knows, needs what you have to sell • Branding depends on our ability to speak to any customer in that customer’s language about what matters to that particular customer • A brand cannot succeed when it is nothing more than a logo or a tagline – it must tug at your emotions and your heart if it is a genuine brand • It has to answer the primary question on the consumer’s mind – “What’s In It For Me?” Source: The Brand Mindset, Duane Knapp, 2000.

7. What is not a brand? • A brand is not just about: • Launching an extensive or expensive ad campaign • Creating a glitzy new logo, design scheme, catchy slogan or tagline • Pretty pictures and matching stationery • Job or contract preservation Source: Destination BrandScience, Duane Knapp and Gary Sherwin, 2005.

8. Facial tissue Overnight delivery Soft drink French fries Smartphone Water Vodka Coffee What comes to mind when you think of: And what do those mean to you? How do the BRANDS make you feel?

9. Starbucks isn’t about coffee • Why Starbucks is a genuine brand and others aren’t • Starbucks evokes FEELINGS • Not about expensive coffee • Not about “burnt” coffee beans • Every order is a custom order, every barista your barista • Starbucks’ brand is about being your THIRD PLACE • McDonald’s, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts are hyping their coffee… • But it’s not about coffee.

10. The 7-11 Theory • Pop in a c-store for bread or milk? • Probably purchase a branded product – but not intentionally • Buying beer or cigarettes? • Intentionally purchased brand • Bread and milk are commodity purchases. • With commodities, no differences beyond price • Follow the laws of branding? • A commodity can become a brand. Source: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries and Laura Ries. 1998

11. A Commodity Becomes a Brand • Water - the ultimate commodity • Almost every person has access to good clean water out of the tap • There should be no need to have to buy it • Evian - the branded commodity • Sells for 20% more than Budweiser • 40% more than Borden’s Milk • 80% more than Coca-Cola Source: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries and Laura Ries. 1998

12. Brand Development • MUST begin with a comprehensive strategic plan • Until you know where you’re going and what you want to be when you grow up, it’s difficult to determine how that will affect/effect your customers • Requires discipline, objectivity • Ask tough questions • Listen to honest answers • Everyone has to be “in the tent” Source: Destination BrandScience, Duane Knapp and Gary Sherwin, 2005.

13. Building Brand Equity • Brand Equity is a set of assets and liabilities linked to the brand, that add to or subtract from its value • Brand loyalty • Name awareness • Perceived quality • Brand associations • Other proprietary brand assets • The Power of Brand Equity • Gulf Coast has recovered because of it • BP (at least in the states) may never recover • Tylenol and Coca Cola were saved by it Source: Managing Brand Equity, David A. Aaker. 1991

14. The Law of Credentials • The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity. • Credentials are established through leadership. • When you don’t have the leading brand, your best strategy is to create a new category in which you can claim leadership. Source: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Al Ries and Laura Ries. 1998

15. “Cherchez le creneau” – Look for the Hole • To find a creneau, you must have the ability to think in reverse, to go against the grain. • If everyone else is going east, see if you can find your creneau by going west • The first car was a “horseless carriage” • Polaroid was an “instant camera” • The Ipad is a tablet • Twitter isn’t Facebook • Kimpton Hotel robes

16. What Great Brands Do • A great brand is in it for the long haul. • A great brand can be anything. • A great brand knows itself. • A great brand invents or reinvents an entire category. • A great brand taps into emotions. • A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. • A great brand has design consistency. • A great brand is relevant. Source: Scott Bedbury article, Fast Company, August 1997.

17. The Importance of Positioning • Forces choices about virtually every aspect of your strategy. • Creates a unique identity that helps consumers position themselves and select a brand • Develops a clear purchase rationale for the consumer and a reason to remain in the relationship after the purchase. • Focuses all marketing efforts and investment in the brand

18. Positioning an Island: Jamaica • A change in political leadership resulted in an open door for capital investment • The question for Jamaica was investment or tourism? • Both were needed. • Investments wouldn’t do much for tourism, but tourism could do something for investments. • If visitors came back from Jamaica with favorable impressions, they just might encourage their companies to invest in the island. Source: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, Al Ries and Jake Trout. 1981.

19. Positioning an Island: Jamaica • Jamaica’s competitive set was identified: the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Bermuda • Consider what postcard images come to mind with these destinations: beach, palm trees, sea, sand, surf. Little to distinguish them from each other. • An old ad said “Jamaica is the big green island in the Caribbean that has deserted beaches, cool mountains, country pastures, open plains, rivers, rapids, waterfalls, ponds, good drinking water, and a jungly interior.” • To Ries and Trout, that sounded a lot like a very popular tourist destination all right - but one in the Pacific. Hawaii. • Next move: Establish its credentials as the “Hawaii of the Caribbean.” Source: Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, Al Ries and Jake Trout. 1981.

20. Branding the Community: Renton WA • City leaders realized that they had to compete to ensure a vibrant community and economy and attract a healthy customer base • A collaborative approach was formed with stakeholders, including the city government, chamber, technical college, school district, hospital and hotel industry • Resources were pooled to develop a “Renton brand” - Renton. Ahead of the Curve. Source: “Think Like A Business,” by Betty Nokes. Council for Urban Economic Development newsletter - COMMENTARY, Spring 2001.

21. Renton. Ahead of the Curve. • A consistent identity that builds on the appeal of the community’s residential, educational, and business opportunities. • Creates confidence and preference in the consumer’s mind. • Allows them to communicate consistent messages, promote positive attributes and define competitive strategies. Source: “Think Like A Business,” by Betty Nokes. Council for Urban Economic Development newsletter - COMMENTARY, Spring 2001.

22. Renton. Ahead of the Curve. • Actionable, Sustainable marketing goals were established • Recruit quality companies in a very competitive regional marketplace • Diversify the city’s employment base • Ensure a healthy and vital local economy • Enhance the tourism segment of the city’s marketplace • Creatively leverage and market Renton’s assets and amenities • Improve the region of Renton in the community and the region. Source: “Think Like A Business,” by Betty Nokes. Council for Urban Economic Development newsletter - COMMENTARY, Spring 2001.

23. Meanwhile… Back home in Irving, Texas

24. Where/Why/How We Started • Physical transformations underway throughout the city • Critical to successful positioning is understanding how Irving is seen TODAY by multiple audiences • Corporate CEOs/Site Selection professionals • Business and travel media • Consumers (general) • Meeting professionals • Local community and business leaders • Residents • Employees • Understand attributes already ascribed to Irving • Compare to perceptions expressed by residents and city employees • Define resonant concepts across all categories • Create brand positioning • Develop framework for taglines and per-market messaging

25. What We Learned - Local Attitudes • Location, location, location • Sophisticated • Good place to do business • Small town feel/big city access • Opportunity • DFW International Airport • Locals think non-residents think: • “Home of the Dallas Cowboys” • Confusion with Irvine, CA • Locals would like non-residents to think: • Progressive city • Strong economy • Creative • Premier destination city

26. What We Learned – PositivesCorporate Decision-Makers • STRENGTHS • National CEOs • Nice, new, upscale • DFW Airport proximity • Corporate Presence • DFW CEOs • Central location • Airport proximity • Good highways • Las Colinas • Quality of life • Workforce • Irving CEOs • Location, convenience • Airport proximity • Las Colinas • Highway System • National • First associations with Irving: • Dallas suburb • Cowboys/Texas Stadium • New/Upscale • Limited awareness for national audience • DFW • Dallas Cowboys/Texas Stadium • Las Colinas • DFW Airport • Convenient/Accessible • Business-friendly government • Favorable state & local tax policies • High Quality Workforce • Irving • Location • DFW Airport • Las Colinas • Competitive lease rates

27. What We Learned – WeaknessesCorporate Decision Makers IRVING CEOs • Need more hotels, restaurants, entertainment • LCA restrictions, regulations • No public transportation • Traffic • MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE TO POSITIVELY IMPACT BUSINESS CLIMATE? • Upgrade perception from blue collar to professional • Improve transportation systems • More business-friendly local government DFW CEOs • Traffic, highway congestion • Reputation/lack of marketing • Expensive • MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE TO POSITIVELY IMPACT BUSINESS CLIMATE? • More publicity for business relocation considerations • Feature Las Colinas more • Need hotel/s with good convention facilities • Traffic control

28. What We Learned - Clients • DFW area gets high marks for: • Location • Air accessibility • Competing cities for Irving • Dallas • San Antonio • Austin • Houston • Fort Worth

29. What We Learned - Residents • Strengths – 83% • Location • Convenience • Access • Points of differentiation • Location • Airport • How residents think non-residents see Irving: • Dallas Cowboys (29%) • Suburb of Dallas (17%) • Airport (6%)

30. Key Findings • Limited national awareness a prime opportunity • Corporate CEOs and meeting planners that know us, like us • Reasons are the same positives residents, business leaders and city employees cite as Irving assets • Concepts that resonated to all perspectives: • Location • Connection • Access • Linkage • Network • Intersection • Seamless • Urban/Suburban Mix • Edge City • City Center • Boom Town • Heart & Soul • “Easy Button” • Quality of Life

31. Recommended Positioning • Location • Business • Solidly-growing business community • Fortune 500 and Small Business alike • Backdrop of success • Airport, time zone, waterfront • Business-friendly • Entrepreneurial hub • Rich in diversity

32. Irving, Texas is…

33. Positioning, Primary Taglines and Secondary Taglines Can immediately begin being fused into existing messaging, particularly with ED initiatives and collateral Logo Considerations Preliminary designs for consideration presented later in the program Not recommended at this time; within 18-24 months more strategic Tactical, Aggressive Public Relations Initiatives Two PR agencies: National and Local Position Irving contacts as subject matter experts. “Own” Las Colinas, Valley Ranch, University of Dallas and Texas Stadium/Crossroads Project Naming Considerations (i.e., DART stations, interchanges) Reflect the city’s priorities. Strategic and place-making. Key Recommendations

34. Abatement/TIF/COI Participation Beneficiaries Interactive Initiatives Lead Development Through DCI Memberships: CEOs for Cities City Cluster Awards Host City Target Development City Executive Marketing Position Collateral Key Tactics

35. Extended Messaging:Targeted Secondary Taglines

36. But sometimes the best efforts… and the best intentions don’t get implemented… because all parties ultimately don’t want a “brand” and all that comes with that… they wanted City Hall to get a new logo…

37. Building Your Destination Brand • Think of cattle on the range • What is your means of marking, of differentiating your cow from the others, even if they are all Holsteins? • Branding only works when you can own the category, singularly • And a brand won’t appeal to everybody. • Destination brands may not be universal in their strength - they simply have to be logical. • “Cherchez le creneau”

38. Applying the Theory • How are we seen today? • By visitors, by residents, by corporations that call us home? • How do we think we’re seen? • What do our hotels, attractions, industry partners see as our attributes? • Is the core audience that we appeal to sustainable? • If we change to distinguish ourselves from the competition, will we lose our core? • Can we survive that loss in our core customer base? • Can we survive that loss in our community base? • Will those who like us differently be enough to carry us forward?

39. Destination Brand Inventory • What does your destination offer? • Who will come to your destination? • How do you communicate the benefits of your destination? • How do you appeal to the emotional and rational side of the guest? • What is your brand world? Your brand promise?

40. Branding’s Place in Marketing • Branding comes FIRST. To do it right takes TIME. • Research-based, honest assessments • Where you are today – in your mind and in your customer’s • Where you want to go • What your customer wants from you • What your true point/s of distinction can be (and if they matter to your customer) • Relationship-based, not transaction-based • People part of the equation is critical • Can’t just give everyone a shirt with the new logo and answer the phone differently • Not only should everyone “drink the KoolAid,” everyone is making a pitcher and sharing the recipe • Beliefs, values, organizational standards must support the brand • Logos, slogans, etc. come after • Should support the brand, but they are independent processes • It doesn’t matter what you call yourself if your customer doesn’t believe it or has no use for it

41. Some Exercises In becoming the brand YOU want to be… Or you want your destination to be

42. What is the brand that defines who you are today? • Vodka • Car • Soft Drink • Candy Bar • Celebrity • Retailer • TV Show • Chain Restaurant Now – write down the attributes of each – What do they mean? How do they make you feel? How do they make other people feel? Why did you choose those attributes you chose?

43. What is the brand that defines who you want to be? Now – go back and look at those attributes: What are the key distinctions between who your brand is today – and who you want it to be? Is it realistically fixable? If so, what’s it going to take? Will a little nip & tuck get it done? Or will it require a major literal or figurative facelift? • Vodka • Car • Soft Drink • Candy Bar • Celebrity • Retailer • TV Show • Chain Restaurant

44. My Car Brand today is: Ford To me, Ford stands for traditional, reliable I can afford to replace it every 4-6 years The Car Brand I want to be is: BMW To me, BMW is hip, on the edge, but solid to the core and it says “I’ve arrived” I can’t afford to replace it, but I don’t have to because any BMW is still a BMW My Retailer Brand today is: Macy’s Traditional, reliable, can be found everywhere My Retailer Brand I want to be is: Nordstrom Traditional in merchandise, selective in location, reliable on quality, trendsetter status Killer sales mean I can afford to be “tragically hip” while still financiallypractical from time to time Example: Attribute Comparisons

45. Which then tells me… • It’s important that my customers rely on me and can trust me to deliver – both today and tomorrow. • My customer base is relatively stable, but probably also a bit staid, and may only see me as one type of resource. • I want my customers to see me as reliable but aggressive, and someone they want to be associated with. • I want them to think of me every time they have an interesting challenge to resolve, not just a meeting to run. • What do I have to do so they will see me this way?

46. Or, just try the Brand Version of “Ginger or Mary Ann…” • The Today Show or Good Morning America • The Voice or America’s Got Talent • Duck Dynasty or NOVA • Dave or Jay • DiNozzo or McGee • Sheldon or Leonard

47. What Great Brands Do • A great brand is in it for the long haul. • A great brand can be anything. • A great brand knows itself. • A great brand invents or reinvents an entire category. • A great brand taps into emotions. • A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. • A great brand has design consistency. • A great brand is relevant. Source: Scott Bedbury article, Fast Company, August 1997.

48. Recommended Reading • Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. Al Ries and Jack Trout, 1981. • FOCUS: The Future of Your Company Depends On It. Al Ries, 1996. • The 22 Immutable Laws of BRANDING. Al Ries and Laura Ries, 1998. • The Brand Mindset. Duane Knapp, 1999. • Destination Brand Science. Duane Knapp and Gary Sherwin, 2005. • Love Is The Killer App. Tim Sanders, 2002. • The Wizard of Ads. Roy H. Williams, 1998. • Ice To The Eskimos. Jon Spoelstra, 1997. • Purple Cow. Seth Godin, 2002. • Bottom-Up Marketing. Al Ries and Jack Trout, 1989. • Selling The Invisible. Harry Beckwith, 1997. • Brand Lands, Hot Spots and Cool Places. Christian Mikunda, 2002.