Place Branding

ICONICS Place branding Process

The process to create the new place brands is extensive. Below is an overview of what is involved.

Place Branding follows a standard approach to branding with the following components:

• In the Discovery Phase for research, we understand and review consumer research, competitive destination research, sentiment analysis, brand audits, and more. In the Discovery Phase for Engagement, we undergo an extensive engagement phase (Indigenous communities and businesses, tourism industry representatives and residents). The purpose of the Discovery Process is to validate the Iconics – what they are, where they are, and how many there are. It is in this phase where we gather valuable input into the development of each Iconic’s brand.
• Following this is Brand Strategy Development which includes developing brand architecture and brand strategy (target audience, essence, promise, values, USPs, positioning, name, story) for each iconic route/place.
• In the Brand Creative Development and Testing Phase, we begin to develop visual identities for each Iconic and undertake consumer testing, creative development, and the production of marketing assets like itineraries, stories, and advertising.
• We then move to the Brand Implementation Phase, where we develop brand guidelines, tool kits, communication tools, and a brand implementation plan.
• Finally, we will move to Brand Launch and Marketing Phase. This is where we develop and implement marketing activities for all channels to launch the Iconics brands to industry, trade, media, and travelers.

PLACE BRANDING PROGRESS UPDATE

As of April 2021, Place Branding is well underway. The Planning Phase is complete, and Discovery–Research is nearing completion. Discovery-Engagement is at the mid-point with over 140 meetings with 440 stakeholders completed, and PlaceDNA resident and industry workshops and Indigenous engagement ahead of us. We anticipate Discovery-Engagement will be complete by late September 2021. The Discovery Phases are an extensive and important part of the project as they helps us validate the potential Iconics and provide learning and insights into the Brand Strategy Phase.

GET INVOLVED

Industry engagement is critical to the success of the Invest in Iconics Strategy. So far we have conducted numerous engagement sessions with partners and organizations to share information about the Invest in Iconics Strategy. These have included the Regional DMOs, City and Community DMOs, Travel Trade, Travel Media, Destination BC’s Tourism Marketing Committee and Board, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and others. And we’d like to bring you along, too. There will be more engagement opportunities in the future with both industry and residents. 

To learn more about the Invest in Iconics Strategy or to find out how you can participate, contact us at Iconics@DestinationBC.ca. And, please check back regularly as this page will include progress updates in the future.