1-888-227-8667   |   Members Login   |   Home
You need to upgrade your Flash Player
SEE & DO  /  EAT  /  STAY  /  SHOP  /  LIVE  /  EVENTS  /  GETTING HERE

    Industry News


  • SUCCESS BEGINS WITH A GOOD ARCHITECT Sep. 28, 09 - 4:44pm

    SUCCESS BEGINS WITH A GOOD ARCHITECT
    Roger Brooks #1 Rule of Planning

    The Roger Brook's, Beyond the City Lights Conference was hosted by our Association, just this past spring at Cranberry Resort. Everyone learned so much. Over the summer, our Association has been busy collecting research to help us move forward with our Regional Tourism Plan. Starting with our research, we will be able to work together with our area municipalities, and our members to grow tourism in our region.

    Less than a decade ago, cities and towns never considered tourism as an “economic development strategy.” Yet today, thousands are developing and promoting the industry and see it as a vital part of their economies. Tourism is the major economic driver in our region, driving growth in many other sectors. Jozo Weider understood this concept, well before his time. His vision for this region to be a four-season destination is our reality today.

    Can you imagine building a home without a set of plans? Roger explains in his book, that communities must approach tourism plans, as if we are designing a house. It should feature a welcoming entry way, all the necessary amenities such as bathrooms, a place to play, a place to relax and a special room for each of your guests. Roger also talks about the rules of branding. He explains we need to make it easy to tell Your cows from My Cows. Branding became the symbol of ownership in the ranching business, where ownership was everything.

    Branding your community is the process of setting yourself apart from everyone else. In tourism, communities want the visitor to subconsciously associate the brand with something they will easily recognize and remember. The association may involve any or all of the senses. I discovered this, this past week at an OTEC Disney Keys to Excellence workshop. When you hear the word “Disneyland” you may picture mouse ears and automatically associate it with fun, fantasy and families. Branding is much more than slogans and logos. It requires the varied disciplines of business (product development), marketing, communications and graphic design. Secondly, it requires complete buy-in from the community in order to send a consistent message in all marketing programs. Thirdly, it takes time. Budweiser did not become the “King of Beers” overnight.

    Building a brand requires a concerted public relations effort. The branding process includes repositioning (for communities turning themselves around) image (defining who you are) market definition (defining who you hope to attract) and finding your niche (defining the unique features that will attract visitors). Then you promote it like crazy. If we want visitors to choose our community when there are dozens of communities close to home, we need to let them know the difference between our cows and the cows next door! Please stay tuned as we communicate the findings from our South Georgian Bay Custom Image Branding Study. This research will provide the base for our Regional Tourism Plan.