Written by Creating a destination
By Lauren Vane and Karen Johnson
Times Southeast bureau
Auburn paid $90,000 for a marketing firm to design and create its logo and slogan: “More than you imagined.”
Seattle has coffee. Redmond has Microsoft. What do Southeast King County cities have?
They’re paying big bucks to find out. They are spending thousands to find identities they can sell, hiring marketing gurus and tourism experts to build recognizable brands.
For cities that have long struggled to climb out of Seattle’s shadow, brands that give people reasons to live and do business here are more
than marketing. They are plans for survival.
Starting with Renton in the mid-1990s, Southeast cities have put money toward slogans, logos and complete overhauls. They hope to build a product that stands out from the rest.
Cities brand themselves when they want to bring money into their communities, said John Kelsh, senior partner with Destination Development, a company whose clients include Enumclaw and Whistler Resort in Canada.
Many cities enlist the company’s help because they’re trying to reinvent themselves, he said.
Brands aren’t based on sentiment, but on what will bring in the most revenue.
“For us it’s all about the economics and the cash,” Kelsh said.
The plan for success is detailed but simple: Create a lure to bring tourists to town and a slew of backup “diversions” to keep them there spending money, Kelsh said.
At the foot of the Cascades, with picturesque mountain views and fresh air, Enumclaw might appear in no need of a marketing strategy.
But the bounty of nature at the doorstep is exactly why Enumclaw officials have pushed for a tourism plan. Tourists drive through on their way to the mountains, but city officials want Enumclaw to become the destination, not a stop along the way.
“We know now that being a gateway to Mount Rainier means people drive through your town,” said Larry Fetter, Enumclaw’s director of parks, recreation and cultural services. “But that doesn’t give them a reason to spend any time here.”
Formulating a plan
Renton was the first Southeast city to recognize its need for a marketing plan.
When Boeing scaled back its Renton operations 15 years ago, the city teamed up with schools, hospitals, businesses and colleges to hire a marketing firm to breathe new life into its tired, industrial image.
Consultants helped Renton come up with the slogan “Ahead of the Curve,” a play on the S-curves on Interstate 405 in the city.
Next, the city formed a task force of community and business leaders who pooled marketing and advertising resources to pay for a campaign to help it shed its negative blue-collar image.
First on the list was its permitting system. Businesses had long complained that it was difficult to do business with the city, so officials streamlined the planning process.
The new marketing plan also promoted a close-knit relationship among the city, Renton School District, Valley Medical Center, Renton Chamber of Commerce and Renton Technical College.
The premise of the plan was to help Renton promote its assets, even hidden ones — the basis of any branding consultant’s plan.
Consultants look first at what they have to work with, the raw resources of the community they can build on and cultivate.
“We try to retain the legacy of the town and the history of the town — if it works,” Kelsh said.
Enumclaw’s assets were the town’s equestrian heritage, its old-time downtown and the fairgrounds, which the consultant saw as underused with huge potential, Kelsh said.
At the company’s urging, the city acquired the fairgrounds from King County in January, with the idea of turning it into an equestrian center where people will come for shows and events, Fetter said.
In Auburn, city and business leaders chose to promote arts and entertainment, focusing on parks, the local symphony and attractions owned by the nearby Muckleshoot Tribe.
Marketing is more than slogans and logos. For a brand to stick, the community must commit to making real changes, Kelsh said.
A downtown filled with blocks of unique restaurants and shops can be a moneymaker in keeping money-spending tourists in town, Kelsh said.
Tangible changes, including outdoor dining spaces, informational kiosks, signage and narrowed streets, make a downtown work.
The cost of branding
Renton, Auburn and Enumclaw each have spent nearly $100,000 on their branding strategies.
Special mailings and DVDs touting the benefits of doing business in Renton have helped increase the city’s visibility. Local and national media campaigns have added to the city’s clout.
Even Renton’s failures seemed to add to the buzz. In the aftermath of a high-profile bid for the Sonics, officials estimated that the city received more than $1 million worth of free advertising because of all the media coverage.
Auburn paid $90,000 for a marketing firm to design and create a new logo and slogan: “More than you imagined.”
To promote its new look, a new Web site was launched earlier this year. And branded merchandise was ordered and distributed to departments and licensed for use by some businesses.
Mayor Pete Lewis even brought gifts of coasters bearing the city’s logo on a trip to visit politicians in Auburn and Kent’s sister city, Tamba, Japan. The businesses have also created a citywide tourism board to pool resources for advertising and marketing.
Enumclaw, in the early stages of branding, has spent about $100,000 to hire a few companies to develop marketing plans around its downtown, the fairgrounds and the city’s equestrian heritage.
It takes a village
Branding doesn’t happen overnight. Great destinations could take up to 15 years to be fully developed, Kelsh said.
“It really takes a village to build a brand,” Kelsh said.
For a brand to work, the entire community has to be consistent with it. A lot of people change logos and slogans because they’re sick of them, but that really undermines the branding effort, he said.
No Southeast city has seen the full effect of branding. Renton started in 1992; Auburn in 2002.
Enumclaw took its first steps in 2003, when Mayor John Wise put together a partnership to revitalize downtown. They expect it could be two to three years before the plan is completed.
But all the money and planning don’t guarantee success.
“Lots of cities can throw money at marketing and getting a slogan,” said Alex Pietsch, head of economic development in Renton. “But time will tell where the real successes will be.”
Lauren Vane: 253-234-8604 or lvane@seattletimes.com
Karen Johnson: 253-234-8605 or lvane@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
I think Renton has done a fantastic job with its branding, starting with the “Ahead of the Curve” TV commercials many years ago. What other city’s slogan is readily recognizable in our area? The Renton marketing video that came out recently was also well done, but I’d like to see some additional regional advertising if the money can be found for it. Perhaps an ad done in conjunction with Harvest Partners once The Landing is fully open this spring. Or an insert in the daily papers showing all the new restaurants, apartments, condos, shops, and activities downtown.
I’m sure I’m not the only person to have said this, but I think downtown desperately needs some streetscape improvements. The white light poles are pretty ugly, and in some places on 3rd St, there’s a complete lack of vegetation. The old sidewalks and metal railings are also uninviting. While there’s not much the city itself can do to spruce up the sagging buildings downtown, streetscaping can go a long way. Kent’s downtown, for instance, is very attractive (as long as you stay within the downtown core!). I wonder how much money it would take to beautify up our downtown? Is there a plan in the works to do so, other than the forthcoming wayfinding signage?
Agree about downtown….
If Renton can’t afford to replace the white railing and whtie lamp posts downtown – a coat of black paint would *really* help. It would go from late 70’s cheesy pipe to look like something that was built in the 1910’s.
Replacing the lights would be really costly, but a coat of black paint would be horribly cheap and really help, and would help match the lighting at the new Landing.
Re: Agree about downtown….
Great idea! Maybe just replacing the lamps (but keeping the poles) might be feasible, too.