|
Subscribe!
770-267-8371
|
|
Thursday
September 2, 2010
|
|
|
|
Marketplace
|
|
Sections
|
|
Service Center
|
|
 |
|
Branding a best-kept secret
Published December 16, 2009
How many of you have been to Shawnee, Kan.?
Not many members of the Rotary Club in Monroe had, either, but a project that increased awareness of that town could have a big impact on Walton County.
Shawnee was a prime example of what North Star Destination Strategies has done in the past and is proposing to do for Walton County.
Don McEachern, chief executive of the Nashville-based company, is in town this week with a couple of coworkers to work on the One Walton initiative.
One Walton is a project by the Walton County Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with local governments and businesses, to develop a common identity for the county.
The process of developing a brand isn’t one that happens overnight. In fact, the brand of Walton County has developed since its beginnings in the 1800s, and is being developed every day.
I’ll bet if you asked 50 people in downtown Social Circle to describe Walton County, you’d get 50 different answers. Take it on up to Jersey or Loganville and the same thing would happen.
That’s what is so exciting about the work being done through One Walton. Through numerous interviews this week, the North Star folks will combine the image local people have of Walton County and package it in a way that puts all those opinions into one cohesive image.
That image — which has been promoted via a logo, print advertising, merchandising and more in other communities — will be a marketing tool that unites the county.
I dare say Walton County is a well-kept secret. Those of us who live here, even if it’s just been for a short time, have seen its charms and know why this is the place to be.
One Walton is about promoting that, both to us and to the world.
After seeing McEachern’s presentation at Rotary, I took a few minutes to browse North Star case studies and saw eye-catching logos and ad campaigns for cities I didn’t know well, like Shawnee, and regional destinations like Rome and Augusta.
Their campaigns make me want to visit places I might not have otherwise, or at least to learn more.
I’m eager to see what can be done for Walton County.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
