Branding a Destination – BrandingWire 2

The July BrandingWire challenge is a destination - Estes Park, Colorado.

The BrandingWire bloggers are recommending ways to optimize this town’s brand based on a thorough project brief prepared by Martin Jelsema.

How do you brand a town? My hometown went through a similar exercise (unveiled in 2005) and, whether it’s a dot on the map or a product on the shelf, differentiation and relevance are important.

Standing Out From Ski Resorts & Sundance
Estes Park is a resort town nestled in a high-mountain valley with spectacular mountain vistas, the area teems with wildlife and is a summer destination for tourists. It’s cheaper than ski resorts and close to some of Colorado’s fastest-growing areas in the front range (cities where the bulk of Colorado’s residents live). How will it compete with higher end ski resorts and iconic events like Sundance? Estes will compete by being the alternative.

Be Proud
Estes Park’s rich history shows it is the prime location for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, sightseeing and family-oriented activities. It should always keep this in the foreground.

Go Green
At the same time, Estes needs to consider the future. Iconoculture feels the trend of sustainable leisure travel will be part of it.

Practical, budget-minded consumers care about the environment (and its effect on their bodies), too. They're looking for sustainable services and products at thrifty price points. America's Best Inns and Suites and Country Hearth Inns and Suites will begin offering EcoRooms that are more energy- and water-efficient. The rooms come with natural and hypo-allergenic toiletries, fragrance-free and nontoxic cleaning products, recycling receptacles.

This is just one way Estes Park could go green.

Get Real
Estes Park needs to position itself as the antidote to expensive ski resorts and Sundance. Estes offers an authentic adventure, Colorado for the rest of us.

As a result, the new tagline for Estes Park should be Real Colorado.

With its limited funds, the town should initially focus efforts on consumers within diving distance for vacations, day-trips and business events. With half of the population over 50 years of age, the town should also promote itself with residents as being the perfect place for remote reunions. Iconoculture sees multiple generations reconnecting on the road. Why not have the family come to Estes Park?

Get more high-voltage ideas at.BrandingWire. And be sure to check out the BrandingWire team’s individual blogs: Olivier Blanchard, Becky Carroll, Derrick Daye, Lewis Green, Ann Handley, Gavin Heaton, Martin Jelsema, Valeria Maltoni, Drew McLellan, Patrick Schaber, and Steve Woodruff.

tags | marketing | BrandingWire | branding | brand

Comments

[Valeria Maltoni]

Be proud. Go green. Get real. I love the retro look as in going back to basics, which is probably the unifying message of your proposal. These are all messages that would attract the demographics the town is trying to reach. They would also make the basis for a very nice series of stories and articles on helping preserve our natural resources as we enjoy them.

[Lewis Green]

Kevin,

I think you identified a number of unique message points the will help Estes Park identify both its messaging and its audiences. Good work!

[Patrick Schaber]

Kevin,
You nailed one aspect that stuck out to me through this exercise. Estes needs to stand up and "BE" that Colorado destination. They have all the amenities - they just need to show more pride in their imaging and messaging.

[Martin Jelsema]

Kevin:
I think you've nailed it, as have the other bloggers participating in the BrandingWire. They're too low key, not prideful about what Estes Park itself has to offer. They can easily differentiate themselves as a destination. They'll need to review and align their messages and delivery systems.

Martin

[Lujo]

As a travel editor, I have to say this is one of the better branding exercises I've seen because it "keeps it real" on so many levels. A lot of destinations try to manufacture attractions--either literally or figuratively--in an attempt to create a new buzz about a place. So they're pitching a brand that's not very authentic and the word of mouth is bad because the flavor was synthetic with the visitors who came and went. Remember too that travel writers/editors are always looking for a good angle that sets a place apart and "back to the real Colorado" is quite appropriate in these Sprawlsville, McMansion times.

[Kevin Dugan]

Lujo and Brandingwire crew - Thanks for stopping by and adding your perspectives.

[costa rica wedding]

amazing work guys:) keep it up....