Northern Forest Tourism Network
Collaborating to Create a World Class Destination – Join Us!Collaborative Leadership of Branding Effort
By Samantha Kenney Maltais, Northern New Hampshire Marketing Initiative, Project Manager
It takes a village to build a brand. Brands are things that communities are known for, both good and bad. Everyone knows what famous mouse resides in Orlando, Florida or what Napa Valley touts as their brand. It also takes a village to change a brand. Brands are deep-seated, typically long-held perceptions that didn’t get to be that way overnight.
Northern New Hampshire right now is attempting to implement a branding change, part an overall shift to a more diverse economy, and a collaborative Brand Leadership Team has been assembled to guide the effort.
Some background: This northern part of the state has long been known for its mill towns and logging industry, with a little bit of tourism contributing here and there. The residents of the area didn’t see tourism as a viable resource for the economy.
Then the mills closed. The forests were sold and changed hands. Factories closed. The working landscape remains part of the fabric of the North Country, but it is not the sole defining factor, nor is it able to be the economic foundation it once was.
To diversify the economy, the Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC), a jobs-based non-profit, launched the New Hampshire Grand Marketing project. Roger Brooks of Destination Development International (DDI) and his team were brought in to listen to county residents, contribute their own observations, and construct a new brand. “Grand Resorts, Grand Adventure” was created as a way to highlight what is most unique and special about Coos County.
To move the brand from the “planning” to the “doing” stages, DDI suggested the creation of a Brand Leadership Team (BLT). This team was designed to include tourism professionals from all areas of Coos County, representing everyone from small sole-proprietor businesses to larger employers. The group was to be as small and efficient as possible while still giving fair to various county constituencies.
Branding is new to many in northern New Hampshire. Showcasing our best businesses to draw visitors to the area is a new concept. The Brand Leadership Team is charged with leading the brand through the selection of our Grand Adventures (businesses worth a trip from anywhere) or our Certified Best of Businesses (our best retail, dining and entertainment establishments). This team says “yes” or “no” to each one after a formal vetting process. The BLT also ensures that the brand has the same look and feel throughout the marketing materials and other usages.
Today, the BLT is in its early stages of development. Among the early lessons of the BLT are these:
- transparency of deliberations and decisions matters a great deal;
- clear operating procedures to ensure that all BLT members know and live up to their responsibilities are critical both for the internal functioning of the team and for the external credibility of the team;
- implementing the branding and marketing initiatives standards and standing by its criteria isn’t always popular;
- listening and responding to all questions, concerns, hopes is one of the team’s most important jobs;
- most importantly: staying focused on the goal of improving tourism outcomes for the benefit of the county is a long-term effort, and the BLT needs to maintain the long view while thoughtfully managing the short-term implementation steps that will get us there.
The BLT is learning a lot, and is certainly breaking new ground by bringing together a set of community leaders with diverse roles to act together on behalf of the county. This approach or a variation of it may be relevant and feasible in other locations. Please be in touch with Samantha if you would like further information.
