© 2010 by Jack D. Wilson
One of the issues that Prescott as a tourist destination needs to address is its identity. Our problem lies in the multiple identities we have which defuses the power of our “destination brand” (more on the term “destination brand” later). In some ways, our plethora of slogans and logos is akin to the city having multiple personality disorder (dissociative identity disorder).
Prescott slogans and logos – not a Destination Brand
Prescott lacks a true Destination Brand, what it has are multiple slogans and logos that many people think are brands, but are not. To list just a sampling (this is not a comprehensive list):
- Everybody’s Hometown
- World’s Oldest Rodeo*
- Arizona’s Christmas City**
- The Cowboy Capital of the World
- Prescott, Arizona ~ Cowboy Capital of the American West***
- Mile Hi City (also used by Denver Colorado where it is better known)
- Where History Lives On! (generated by Prescott Area Coalition for Tourism)
- Downtown Prescott ~ It feels right. (Prescott Downtown Partnership)
- Prescott Rocks! Concept by Jane Bristol, blog Prescott Rocks! by Jack Wilson
- Prescott: Where It All Began used by the Prescott Centennial Committee
- Your Stay…Your Way (believe that PACT was the origin for this)
*”World’s Oldest Rodeo” is a registered trade name of Prescott Frontier Days, Inc.
**”Arizona’s Christmas City” is a registered trade name of the City of Prescott, Arizona
*** Registered trade name of the George Phippen Memorial Foundation (Phippen Museum)
Destination branding
It sounds so easy when you first hear the concept – come up with a brand that represents the true essence of your destination that you will use in all marketing efforts to represent the destination. Get yourself in a creative mood, maybe have a few beers, and come up with your magic “brand.”
As you begin to understand what a “brand” is it dawns on you that what has been passing for branding are mostly slogans. Place or destination branding is a major undertaking, requiring a very high degree of community involvement and consensus, which is never easy. It can easily take a year to successfully complete a branding study. After you complete the branding study, your brand is only as good as how everyone represents it. Think about that for a few moments – when was the last time we got all Prescottonians to agree on anything and then continue that agreement over a sustained period of time? That is what we are up against and that is why I recommend bringing in an expert like Bill Baker (more on Bill below) to help us succeed.
What the experts recommend
It is worthwhile to educate yourself on a subject before diving in too deeply. One of the best way to educate yourself on destination branding is to read what the experts have to say. The Internet has made this extremely easy and I have listed a few resources below to help anyone with a little time learn about the process of destination branding.
Manolis Psarros – abouTourism (a specialized blog for destination development & marketing professionals)
Manolis Psarros of Athens Greece in his abouTourism blog is doing a three part series on Destination Branding. Here is a link to part one of that series Destination Branding Workshop: PART ONE.
Bill Geist – President, Zeitgeist Consulting
The City of Prescott brought Bill Geist, President of Zeitgeist Consulting in to review our tourism strategy. Here are a few of his blog postings on branding:
Being True to the Brand
Staying on Brand in Nashville
Restoring the “Primacy” of a Brand
A Song About Branding
A Brand Without a Strategy
Destination Brands Already Exist
Brand Wisconsin: Originality Rules
Today’s Destination “Branding” Isn’t
Brands Gone Wild
The Re-Branding of Australia
Bill Baker – Destination branding guru
Bill Geist told me about his friend Bill Baker, author of Destination Branding for Small Cities. That book is required reading for anyone interested in place or destination branding. Bill has a new blog: Small City Branding Around the World. Bill Geist told me he recommends using Bill Baker if you want to do a place or destination branding study as he is the expert in the field. Bill Baker lives in Portland, Oregon and is a city branding consultant and speaker. In addition to his blog, he has a website: Total Destination Management.
Our competition
The Internet savvy traveler has many choices and ways to spend their tourism dollar. When a tourist zeroes in on Arizona, then on Northern Arizona, they have many choices of destination trying to convince them to visit. Who are our main competitors in this marketplace? They are Sedona and Flagstaff.
| Destination | Brand | Website |
| Flagstaff | The destination for all seasons | http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/ |
| Sedona* | Renew Your Spirit Let Us Inspire You The Spirit of Adventure |
http://www.visitsedona.com/ |
| Prescott | No brand | http://www.visit-prescott.com/ |
* See Tourism Bureau Marketing & Public Relations Plan, Executive Summary, 2010
Photo credits
All photographs by Jack D. Wilson. Unauthorized use prohibited without prior permission.
Feedback
If you found this article helpful, please leave a comment or forward to a friend. If I missed something that you found along the way, leave a comment and I will try to update the information.
Jack D. Wilson first visited Prescott in 1995 and has been a resident since 2000. He took a sojourn into politics and was the mayor of Prescott Arizona from Nov. 2007 – Nov. 2009. He now writes a couple of blogs and is President of the Prescott Frontier Days Community Service Foundation.
I feel a prescott brand and logo should be “PRESCOTTS IS BULLISH’ ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, RODEO, HICKING, CYCLING, FEDERAL NATIONAL PARKS, LAKES, DOWN TOWN COURT HOUSE GROUNDS SEASONAL ACTIVITIES: SUCH AS FINE ART EXHIBITS, DOG SHOWS, COUNTLESS PARADES, CAR SHOWS CONCERTS, DANCING, ANTIQUES, RALLIES, EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS ON NUMERIOUS SUBJECT,THREE OUTSTANDING COLLEGES,MUSEUMES, I would local artist Natile Kole!s stainless steel sculpture wich I understand was gifted to the City, both as a BRAND & logo, which is presently hidden ihe weeds on the north side of wipple street just of the pareking area of the Yavapai Conty Regional Center where we both resided for a short visit. This sculture could be moved to a location to a more prominate location location such entrane to rodeo grouinds at rodeo road & iron springs road or entrance to city in grass area between sheldon and gurley just east oi your office building. Ed Birtic
Jack your information was incredible and well worth reading. The links provided were very valuable. Prescott has so much to offer for all ages. I know the branding efforts will pay off in the long run. Prescott is truly Arizona Mile Hi gem! Thank you for your updates.
Cecelia,
Thanks for your input. Destination Branding is incredibly difficult although conceptually it sounds so easy. The city needs everyone involved in this process because you are not just development a brand, you are also developing a promise that must be met at every visitor contact point. That latter point is missed by most going into the branding process, but it is crucial that everyone understand it.
Hi Jack! Thanks for the information. I read Bill’s book about 2 years ago and actually called Bill and talked to him. It was a great book, very concise and easy reading for a rather complicated subject. I have the book in my office if anyone wants to borrow it. Thanks for reminding me of that! Margo
I have been trading emails with Bill Baker. He has a friend who owns a house in Prescott and who keeps threatening to fly Bill here. I offered him the nickle tour if he actually comes.
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I added a couple more logos/slogans to the article:
o Downtown Prescott ~ It feels right. (Prescott Downtown Partnership)
o Prescott Rocks! Concept by Jane Bristol, blog Prescott Rocks! by Jack Wilson
I suspect there are many more out there, if you know about one send it my way and I will update this article.
Perhaps reason this ‘branding’ thing is so very difficult is that Prescott is probably not capable of being ‘branded’ Norwood’s highly touted new tourist czar, Mr. Prince, brings us his first idea. A non-starter. He wants to ‘brand’ our town. And for this exciting ‘brand’ new idea we are paying him? But alas, to accomplish this he immediately needs a $75,000 consultant. Norwood said this man was the great tourism expert. Guess not.
We are no longer, and never have been ‘Everybody’s Hometown’. A hollow, useless moniker. We are nationally perceived of late as hating both Mexicans and African Americans. And additionally anyone who moved here from somewhere else. The ‘Christmas City’ tag is simply silly … this is a high desert town with some twinkling lights on the Courthouse Square. And although the Rodeo is historic, if you have ever been to an A-Class rodeo … it is not a very good rodeo. The Yavapai County Fair is far away, dusty, and dirty. Prescott’s climate and scenery are simply wonderful. This town’s and Arizona’s politics are now legend … both moronic and endlessly embarrassing. Still a nice place to retire. Would help if you are a right-wing, conservative, ‘Don’t tread on me’, wing-nut, ‘I’m a little tea pot’ individual… Maybe we should just concentrate on fixing the streets and sewers, and leave well enough alone.
Thank you for your input Richard. The $75,000 is for Marketing and was always envisioned as there will be a need for print media, etc. The Place Branding that I have been discussing involved a RFP for Brand Positioning Services that is currently posted on the City of Prescott website under Open Bid Requests with a maximum budget of $50,000-. I am working on a third article in this series on Place Branding that will discuss that specifically. The points you discuss illustrate why Place Branding for Prescott will be a challenge. Hope you will continue to actively participate in the discussion as it evolves.
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