A valuable way to discover a community’s
brand
By: Jim
Walton
CEO
Brand
Acceleration, Inc.
On
a warm morning, I sit alongside beautiful Lake Norman, just north of Charlotte,
North Carolina. Being a serious early morning person, I find a great coffee
shop and settle in for a few peaceful moments before I set off to the first of
many meetings over the next few days.
One
of the things I love about driving trips is that they provide an opportunity to
truly experience an area, getting to know the people, lifestyle, and business
advantages of each community.
In
my job, I travel often and see much of the country that most people never get
to experience. I'm often asked which regions I prefer, a loaded question that I
honestly cannot answer. America has so much beauty and the people everywhere
are amazing. I love it all.
As
I make the rounds, visiting with my economic developer and site consultant
friends and clients, I take great pride in what Brand Acceleration has become.
After the long line of website developers and graphic designers, followed by
the small wave of economic development "specialists," my company has
truly hit its stride as a firm of economic development marketing professionals.
Our team of experts strives to deeply understand the expectations of corporate
executives, site consultants, and local employers who make location and
expansion decisions. Our clients understand that anyone can build a website or
design a brochure, but to craft and promote a strong community brand takes
specialists who are in the heads of decision makers. It's not so much about
design, technology, or technical jargon as it is about having strong
relationships with people who can make investments that create jobs. In the
economic development marketing business, relationships really matter.
The heart of a community’s
brand
I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again; a community’s brand resides in the minds
of its residents and those outside the area. It’s that feeling a person gets
when he or she hears or sees the community name. One great advantage of a
personal visit, which we always do, is the opportunity it provides our team to
meet the people, getting a feel for what they love about their home. This is
something that just cannot be done with a phone call or video chat. Our Brand Profiling research utilizes a
combination of personal meetings, focus groups, and other strategies to
discover that special emotional nugget known as brand.
At
the end of this week, I’ll return home, completely exhausted, but with fond
memories of the people and places. I will forever remember the beauty of the
region, the restaurants, hotels, and bars that make for a great experience. I
look forward to my next trip and another region of this beautiful country.
Please
feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. I’d love to hear from you.
Jim
Walton
CEO
Brand
Acceleration, Inc.
Branding
// Marketing Communications // Public Relations
Indianapolis:
317.536.6255
Fax:
317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380
jim@brandaccel.com
Brand
Acceleration Web Site
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Brand Acceleration is a full-service
marketing communications, brand management and website development firm with a
focus on community and economic development.
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