CREATING A VISION NORTH YORKSHIRE TOWNS ALIVE SEMINAR

1. CREATING A VISION NORTH YORKSHIRE TOWNS ALIVE SEMINAR Presented by: Rob Edwards - Director e:rob@bluerepublic.co.uk w:www.bluerepublic.co.uk t: 0845 3295974 m: 07981 052217

2. Creating A Vision – Introduction Vision, goal, statement of intent, brand, personality, voice, USPs etc. This presentation will include some marketing jargon and some concepts which need to be understood. However, what I am hoping to show you, is how to create an identity for your towns which is: - Clear - Defined - Defendable

3. Creating A Vision – Introduction Through our recommended processes, you will be able to develop: - Cohesive thinking - Bring various stakeholders together to develop a shared vision - Create a set of agreed USPs • Create a tourism action plan which shows how to deliver your vision through tangible projects and results • Your identity is already there; the task is to get everyone to agree it and promote it.

4. Creating A Vision – USPs • Unique Selling Points • Use physical assets and non-physical selling points • You are only allowed up to ten! – Marketing is differentiationand focus • One USP might be enough: • Ludlow – Food • Hay on Wye - Literature • Newquay - Surfing • However, it is more likely that your town will have a collection of attributes which may individually be quite common, but collectively can create a unique package.

5. Creating A Vision – A model for engagement

6. Creating A Vision – A model for engagement A checklist of tasks: • Desk research: Accommodation stock, occupancy levels, the number of built and natural attractions, location of tourism assets, competitors, visitor numbers, review of strategic priorities • Primary research: Visitor surveys, satisfaction levels, perceptions of your town, strengths and weaknesses, visitor types, demographics • Consultation: Local business workshops, strengths and weaknesses, project ideas, perceptions of the town • Going through these tasks, will ensure your USPs are accurate and defendable.

7. Creating A Vision – Delivering a brand

8. Creating A Vision – Delivering a brand Your aims are to identify: • The SWOT of your town • The perception of your town • The attributes which make your town special (USP) • The underlying ‘feel’ and ‘ambition’ of your town • This is a staged process to ensure that all results and created visions can be defended.

9. Creating A Vision – A model for engagement Visitor Survey Data Focus Groups Workshops Business consultation Strategic Fit

10. Creating A Vision – Case Study 1 • Blue Republic were commissioned by the Waveney Valley Local Action Group • to: • Identify a core set of underlying principles and characteristics (USPs) to define the ‘personality’ of the Waveney Valley, its products, its people and its heritage • Create a pathway to enhance and develop existing USPs • Identify potential and new USPs • Provide framework guidance for the development of a graphic identity.

11. Creating A Vision – Case Study 1 • Using our model we carried out:  • 5 workshops with businesses and organisation representatives in five market towns; Diss, Harleston, Bungay, Beccles, Halesworth • 4 consumer focus groups; Norwich (X2), Bungay, Beccles • Desk research completed inc. Resident profiling and business mapping, recent visitor survey data, footfall etc. • Consultation with stakeholders (January) • Following our processes, we were able to develop a vision for • development which we knew was deliverable and defendable.

12. Creating A Vision – Case Study 1 • “ By 2013, The Waveney Valley will be recognised as an area of thriving market towns, populated by independent shops and embedded in its heritage landscape. Sustainable communities advertise their health through flourishing rural businesses. The message of the valley will travel; the meandering River Waveney, unspoilt beauty, expansive skies and a place where you can still see the stars. " • Waveney Valley Personality Traits • Friendly; where communities matter • Traditional; strong values, committed to the area and its heritage • Independent • In tune with the land • Everything in the vision, can be linked to a specific area of investigation and • result.

13. Creating A Vision – Case Study 2 As part of the Better Welcome programme, we were asked to create an Action Plan Template to put all of the process results in one document and show a logical pathway to the vision. The Better Welcome programme also went a step further and through it we identified actual, specific projects which would deliver the vision in a practical way. Action Plan Template Key Action plan data includes: Vision, identified and agreed USPs, SWOT, visitor profiles, visitor behaviour data, visitor spend patterns, satisfaction and importance ratings, local business consultation results, strategic fit, defined projects with associated costs, a timescale for delivery.

14. Creating A Vision • Summary: • Use survey data to inform your vision; concentrate on perception of the town, likes and dislikes and where you score highly with visitors • Engage local businesses early on in the process; these are the advocates and the people who ultimately deliver your vision. Balance their desires and perceptions with the visitor data. • Investigate how your town’s products and future vision can plug into wider, regional marketing effort. • Develop programmes and projects which deliver your decided vision. • Concentrate on your three guidelines: • - Clear • - Defined • - Defendable

15. CREATING A VISION NORTH YORKSHIRE TOWNS ALIVE SEMINAR Presented by: Rob Edwards - Director e:rob@bluerepublic.co.uk w:www.bluerepublic.co.uk t: 0845 3295974 m: 07981 052217