Case Study
Place Branding: Driving Visitor Dispersal for Western New York
Tourism
Background
Beyond Niagara Falls, the tourism offerings of Western New York were relatively unknown. Eight counties united to create a distinctive brand that would drive visitor arrivals and spending regionally.
Services Provided
Strategy
To create an effective brand positioning, DCI implemented primary and secondary research, including focus groups and one-on-one interviews with tourism stakeholders in each county; surveys of consumers, in-region stakeholders, media and travel trade; a competitor analysis of four competing destinations.
Western New York needed a unifying brand identify in order to increase visitor arrivals and drive dispersal. We’re well on our way to success.
Results
- The name, “New York’s Western Edge” was created based on research and tested with consumers and regional stakeholders.
- A brand position, promise, value proposition, key messages and target audiences were develop.
- A Brand Strategy Manual was created to guide the brand marketing for the eight counties.
- A Marketing Blueprint, which included recommendations for local and industry engagement, market engagement and measurement, was delivered.