Destination bland? The challenge of creating a sense of place with a brand.

Every year urban developers, cities and whole countries spend thousands of dollars trying to distil everything they stand for into a simple, engaging brand. They go in search of distinctiveness, in a bid to appeal to tourists (which I’ll focus on), residents, businesses and foreign investors. But not everywhere can be unique. Can it?

It’s a tough ask; capture all a place has to offer in a simple phrase, design and identity system. Everything from its role in history and culture, climate and landscape, to the main reasons you might want to go there. How do you cover it all off in just a few words? Chances are, you can’t. But what you can try and do is communicate a feeling. What’s the spirit of the place? What vibe can you expect once you get there? How will it change the way you see the world? Some of most iconic destination brands have been built around attitude. It creates a single top-line message that (in theory) every story to tell (or proof point if you want to go all marketing speak) can ladder out from. The trick is to do it all in a distinctive way, creating a brand so strong, you could cover up the destination name on a promo piece and know exactly where it was from.

Winning the world over with a word or two.

Great Britain has a stylish, flexible, distinctive destination brand.

Sometimes, simply does it. The current idea behind Visit Britain is simply Great. Obvious, yes, but flexible, effective and relevant.

The Great Britain identity system can easily be used to cross-promote.

The GB identity system can easily be adapted to convey a wide range of messages and can embrace brand partnerships with ease.

“I say old chap.”

The Visit Great Britain website has a splendidly British tone of voice too don’t you know. A positively spiffing way of bringing the brand to life for the world’s rapscallions to devour.   The mother of simple destination branding?

Milton Glaser’s classic I love New York logo

Almost 40 years old, the iconic I♥NY logo, designed by Milton Glaser, looks fresh as ever. Minimal, yet human, it feels instantly rebellious, yet the heavy serif’s of American Typewriter font give it a credible corporate feel. It may have stood the test of time, but the catchy song (written for the State) and radio jingle have gloriously dated, almost full circle to being cool again. 

Like the city itself,  I♥NY is a rare beast that becomes much bigger than simple a brand, it creates a sense of belonging that deserves its place in peoples hearts. Post 9/11, a redesigned and bruised I♥NY became a mark of defiance and resilience.   New York was lucky enough to get to the branding table early. There are only so many generic positive one word ideas that can be claimed and made to stand for a brand. Much as New York now owns love and India Incredible, New Zealand can pretty much claim the word Pure. The 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, launched in 1999 has been a massive success, even before the Lord of the Rings / Hobbit effect.  It instantly conjures an image of what the Land of the Long White Cloud is really like, with the flexibility to stretch across a wide range of messages. 

In the year after launch, visitor numbers were up 10%. Today the brand alone is estimated to be worth US$13.6 Billion. If you’re interested in its evolution, this site ,  created for the brand’s 10th anniversary, is well worth a look.

Guess it’s not 100% Pure.

With New Zealand owning 100% Pure, it would be a brave destination who would try something similar. Which makes the new Pure Grenada campaign a little bemusing. If they were looking for a point of difference, it aint there. Though it’s an improvement on their previous slogan – “Live the Rhythms of Spice”, which must have painted them into a corner. (The spice lives on in the stylish Nutmeg dancing in the Pure Grenada logo.) For every successful destination brand, there are countless places still struggling to successfully communicate their identity. Greetings from Beigeville! It’s a magnolia marvel! Take a look at 105 tourism slogans painstakingly captured by blogger @Fionacullinan on her blog Tourist Vs Traveller in 2012.

It’s very Dutch (and the reason carrots aren’t purple), but is the brand idea lost on most people?

There’s all sorts in here. From the dull ( Visit Gibraltar ) and the ‘so what?’ (Bolivia awaits you), to the bland (Bermuda – So much more, Portugal – Europe’s West Coast), genuinely appealing (Kyrgyzstan – Oasis on the Great Silk Road, Egypt – Where it all begins), strange-until-you-know (Holland – Add some orange) and mildly terrifying (Colombia – The only risk is wanting to stay – pull your pants up Colombia, your strategy’s showing). The most common attribute of these is the way they try and tap into feelings. Just blame the marketeer. “Talk about benefits, not features, capture emotions and appeal to consumer need-states”. Trouble is, in doing so, they’re in danger of losing so much of what makes somewhere distinctive. Bulgaria isn’t the only place in the world with Diversity, Natural isn’t wholly ownable by Switzerland and I don’t so much Need Spain as want to enjoy sunshine, good sangria and affordable fruit, veg and cerveza again (there’s Nothing Like Australia for turning life’s small pleasures into wallet-busters).

Bland Brand Quiz. Can you guess which country these slogans are for?

Emotional destination brands can inspire…but they often lose a sense of place.

1. See it! Feel it! Love it!
2. Love life!
3. Best enjoyed slowly
4. Yours to discover
5. It’s a pleasure
6. Be inspired
7. Inspiring new ways
8. A world of wonders
9. Where dreams come to life
10. There’s more to celebrate

Answers:

• Lithuania
• Ecuador
• Latvia
• Ukraine
• Mauritius
• Korea
• South Africa
• Zimbabwe
• Qatar
• Tunisia

Play to your strengths. Even if they’re a little odd.

Not every destination settles for generic stock-shot feels. Whether by accident, or design, there are some intriguing destination brands out there that do what every great brand should – they draw you in, whisper in your ear and make you want to learn more. Even if their main strength is their name, like the hero shot for this post.

The blue poppy. Let’s not mention the fact opium and happiness don’t always go hand in hand.

The tagline behind Bhutan’s small tourism council is ‘Happiness is a place’. At first glance, it may seem like an identikit bland touchy-feely line, but it’s part of a much richer story. The Bhutanese take happiness very seriously. When Dragon King Wangchuck opened up Bhutan to modernisation, he signalled his commitment to the new Bhutan by declaring Gross National Happiness a more important measurement than GDP, an ethos in keeping with the values of the mainly Buddhist society.

The Thunder Dragon. Alive and well on the flag of Bhutan.

Just as appealing as a destination brand would be the traditional name for Bhutan – Land of the Thunder Dragon. It may sound at odds with peace and happiness, but don’t tell me an Asian destination brand built around a mountain dragon wouldn’t set hearts racing, especially for Game of Thrones and Elder Scrolls fans. It conjures up ideas of mountains, clouds, drama and noise – not to mention a little mystery. Could there really be a dragon?

A great direct mail piece promoting Welsh tourism

Speaking of dragons, the Welsh Tourist Board also has an interesting angle. Their flag features a fearsome red dragon, so what do they use to lure you into their territory? Mud. Gooey, icky, glorious mud. Chances are it will rain while you’re in Wales anyway, so why not make it a virtue? The TV ad and DM pack do this beautifully, with a big dollop of British humour.

It takes guts to do create a destination brand that focuses on a very specific detail of a place, especially when you’re aiming for the broadest possible target demographic.  But in doing so, the power of authenticity and intrigue are at their strongest. It seems too many destination brands forget that they don’t need to tell someone how they’ll feel when they visit, but why they should visit. What can a visit give them that they just can’t get anywhere else? A visit should bring visitors’ imaginations to life, and gives them something that will live with them always. Whatever it may be.

Have you come across any destination brands that really made you want to visit a place?

Why exclamation marks are not your friend.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. One of the biggest giveaways that a client has written their own copy, without hiring a copywriter, is the over-use of exclamation marks.

The world’s most over-used punctuation mark has a lot to answer for. In a fraction of a second, it has the power to turn even the most delicately worded prose into a pantomime horse. It’s right up there with CAPS LOCK and alphanumeric truncation (h8ers gonna h8) for a spot in room 101. In the printing world, an exclamation mark is often referred to as a ‘screamer’, ‘gasper’, ‘bang’, ‘slammer’ or ‘startler’ – ie: something to be used sparingly, and for dramatic effect, where warranted. Over-use is tiring and annoying at best and shows lack of control. (Apple even has a specific section in their distributer rulebook about avoiding their use.) There’s even a word for excessive use of exclamation marks: ‘bangorreah’. But try telling that to writers on social media, where the mere whiff of a competition is excuse enough to crack open a whole can of exclamation marks! Take a look at this list of contests currently on NineMSN’s homepage. Among other things, you could win a cheese plate. A CHEESE PLATE! I might forgive them for using one on a prize worth a cool million dollars, but a cheese plate‽

NineMSN love their exclamation marks.

Exclamation marks give the impression of an over-excited child. And in marketing copy, they often just aren’t needed. If a statement’s flat, no amount of exclamation marks are going to liven it up, they’re just going to make it look ridiculous. If it’s already exciting, why would you need to sign-post it? Exclamation marks are distracting. And while excitement will always be subjective, no brand should lose their shit over a cheese plate. Have a look at the next Lost Dog, School Fete, Yard Sale or Fresh Lemonade sign you see. Chances are it will be festooned with exclamation marks, most likely some clip-art and quite possibly a smattering of comic sans. These are not the communications tools of professional marketers.  F Scott Fitzgerald once said “an exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke”. If that rule applies to everyday brands, it should go double for premium ones.  I spotted this advertising billboard for Swiss Miltary Hanowa watches at the weekend. The Flagship Chrono looks like a nice watch. Admittedly, it’s not in the same league as Rolex, Omega or even Tag Heur, but if Hanowa want to at least pretend to play in that space, that exclamation mark is a huge no-no, especially for their flagship watch. The words leading up to it are strange too. I assume the line ‘ALWAYS ON TARGET!’ is used to suggest a sense of dynamism, accuracy and weaponry, all stuff blokes love. But whatever the disconnect between the words, image and message (what’s it targeting?) that exclamation mark shoots the soaring metaphor dead mid-air. It’s a scream of shock, as if being on target is something you wouldn’t expect from the brand. It starts you wondering about the surprise itself and makes you completely forget to read the body copy (a list of bullet points). A time and place for exclamation marks.  So now I’ve had a whinge about the bad use of exclamation marks, it’s time I said a few words on the good. If you know what you’re bringing to a communications piece by using an exclamation mark, it can be a useful gizmo. Exclamation marks can be a simple way to add a touch of personality to a brand name. Air France’s new regional subsidy Hop! uses an exclamation mark not only in the name, but as a very effective graphic device on its destination price lock-ups, acting as a clever nod to flight paths. Hop! captures the excitement of flying, in a playful fashion. Similarly classic fragrance Joop! and Yahoo! Both benefit from the quirkiness the exclamation mark brings. The surprise is delivered by the brand itself, not a clunky message it’s trying to express. It can be tricky to get right in sentence copy and headlines, but the best use of an exclamation mark is, oddly enough, the one it was designed for. Trusty Wikipedia tells me it was first introduced into English printing in the 15th century to show emphasis, and is well-known for appearing alongside words like ‘bang’ to increase their potency. Boom! Bang! Boo! A boo without one would surely sound sarcastic? I may sound a little down on the shriekish bang, but I use it myself from time to time. My unofficial rules are to think about adding it to a script and imagining the difference it would make to the way the words are read out. Which tends to mean, I end up saving it for expressions like Ta-Da! Wahooo! Or Yippeee! And by the time a brand is playful and brave enough to be sporting these kinds of words in its vocabulary, chances are they won’t be needing cheap exclamation marks anyway.

Naming someone else’s baby.

Choosing a brand name. Where do you start?

How creating an effective brand name is much trickier than naming a child.

It’s a funny thing, naming. Everyone thinks they’re an expert. We’ve all named something at one time or another, even if it’s just the goldfish. But when it  comes to naming a company, product or service, choosing the perfect  name can have many an “expert” flummoxed. Employees, customers, shareholders; how can you inspire everyone in just a word or two? The short answer is, you can’t. Not everyone. But what you can do is have a  very clear idea of your audience and the most important things you want to communicate, and go from there.

To the uninitiated, naming can be a minefield, which probably explains why   so many companies spend months, even years, developing a product only to   discover as the launch date approaches that they’ve yet to agree on a name, let alone secure the trademark.

Cue a last-minute panic and cry for help to the advertising agency, who are often asked to come up with a name as a tiny part of a launch campaign brief, without being given the adequate time or budget to do so.

The agency will often think coming up with a name is a doddle, give the task to a junior copywriter as ‘a nice little job’ and come bounding back with a long list of suggestions, which get knocked out one by one for creative reasons (they’re too obscure), legal reasons (they’re obviously taken) or linguistic ones (sorry, Mist in German means manure – just ask Mercedes). The deadline gets ever closer, but the solution doesn’t.

Luckily for Australia, because of our youth and size, securing a trademark and url for the domestic market is much easier than in Europe or the US, which probably explains why the slap-dash attitude to naming still prevails.

Considering it can take up to two years for a trademark to be registered (although in reality, few companies wait that long), the sooner a name is chosen, the better.

Naming. So where do you start?

Short answer – by knowing what you want to communicate. Defining what your brand is about is where every naming brief should start. Once everyone is looking for a clear expression of the same idea, it makes choosing a name much less subjective.

Can you imagine naming someone else’s child? Creating a name for someone else’s company is just like that. People can get very subjective, especially as everyone has natural associations with certain words. The smaller the company, the higher the personal stakes.

When you name a child, you have no idea what they’re going to be like, yet you have the responsibility to pick a name that will suit them in the future. In theory, creating a brand name should be easy by comparison, as you should know exactly what you want to get across and choose a name that does it.

Thing is, people and brands can often grow into a name, whatever it is. Think of the people in your life, can you imagine them being called anything else now?

The different styles of name; descriptive, associative, abstract.

Whether you’re a company like Unilever launching a new FMCG or a multi-million-dollar enterprise in need of a new name following a merger or acquisition, the first step is to have an idea about what style of name you looking for, something often dictated by geography.

Do you just want a descriptive name that’s very direct and obvious, setting out your stall in a flash, or is it more important to build your brand by creating an associative name rich in personality? More often than not, companies want both.

Names used to be very straight-forward. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Dick Smith Electronics, National Australia Bank… But as companies became more diverse, expanded internationally and saw an increase in competition, the need to create differentiation became much more apparent. What began as a simple way to tell cattle apart with a hot-iron brand has moved into a world of much more complex identity creation.

A brand’s identity has both visual and verbal elements. Design and tone of voice together bring it to life.  The brand name is often the way into both of these as a means of introduction, usually with a strong idea at the heart. For example ‘Apple’ suggests refreshing simplicity or a (Newton) eureka moment, ‘Wii’ togetherness and ‘Google’ has the clever double association of googol (a number with 100 zeros) and goggle – a wide-eyed look of amazement.

In Australia, it seems many of the biggest brands have very traditional names, often taking those of their founder. The brands now stand for far more than the characteristics of the person that created them, which can make them feel very dated and tied to the past. And if you don’t know of that person, the name is abstract anyway. Harvey Norman means nothing to me…but then I guess, so does Calvin Klein, although at least he has a legacy.

It’s often the young upstarts that tend to have the most engaging names. Launching in a crowded market, it’s a great way to get instant cut-through. Just look at how undies maker AussieBum ripped into Bonds’ market share in just a few years. In the beginning, with a limited budget, the cheeky name really helped them get column inches and punch above their weight.

Why it pays to talk nonsense.

Abstract names are the hardest to warm to. Made-up or unfamiliar words can take a lot of work to build meaning into, but ultimately, they are the most distinctive, the easiest to trademark and tend to travel well as you don’t have to worry if people who speak other languages will understand a name – because at first, no one will.

An abstract name is like a blank canvas you can paint with meaning. When done well, they are incredibly strong brands. Kodak, Sony, Viagra, Optus, they’re all essentially abstract names, but you probably carry plenty of association with them now.

Even abstract names can have association. Xstrata is an interesting name in an industry full of bland ones. (Rio Tinto incidentally, comes from the Spanish rivers washed red from all the iron ore.) Xstrata feels quite techie and progressive. It conjures images of multi-layered rock-strata, along with a hint of ‘X marks the spot’ treasure hunting. Even when your product is already valuable, it never hurts to have a strong brand to help build a premium offering.

There’s a great theory – nominative determinism – that people become the names they are given. It might not actually be true for children, but it often is for brands ­– a brand like Nike was always going to be about victory. But playing against type can work wonders too – like Caterpillar, big, powerful, heavy machinery named after a small squishy insect.

Naming is full of contradictions. The only consistent rule seems to be, there are no rules.

The original version of this post was published in The Australian Financial Review – June 2011.