Five Truths About Place Branding
In towns and regions throughout Northern California, The Idea Cooperative has pioneered a fresh approach to destination marketing. By telling the stories that reveal something deeper, more authentic and interesting about a place, we help communities rally around an inspiring vision that not only promotes tourism, but helps spur local entrepreneurial energy and economic vitality.
Everywhere is not
for everybody.
Don’t be afraid to appeal
to a certain kind of person.
Nobody wants to
be a tourist.
Show people the real place,
not the tour guide version.
Engage the natives.
Tell stories of, by and for
the locals to show
a sense of community.
Heads in beds
isn’t everything.
A well-branded place
creates its own
economic momentum.
Become the place
you would visit.
Brand your place
honestly,
but stay true to it.
Post Pandemic Branding
Before Covid-19 turned our whole world outside-in, The Idea Cooperative was pioneering a fresh approach to destination marketing. But then, instantly, the challenge changed from “How do we get people to visit?” to “How do we maintain something worth visiting?” Today, as people get ready to travel again, some of the lessons learned during the pandemic can still apply. Here are a few place branding ideals that should live on.
Become a
local marketplace.
Create the go-to
resource for supporting
local arts & businesses.
Build on
the brand.
Stay with the big idea
that your community has
rallied around.
Encourage
Community Commerce.
Be a constant
reminder of the value
of buying local.
Keep it
personal.
Tell the stories of
the people behind
the storefronts.
Think long
term utility.
Create something
useful that people will
always want to use.
