Charlotte Regional Destination Branding
Why Have a Destination Brand?
By Rick Handford
           
Molly Hedrick and Gina Sheridan of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) spoke to that question, and to the efforts not only to develop such a brand but to market it and make it part of our culture. A central part of the mission of the CRVA is to bring visitors to Charlotte and to ensure that they have a positive experience while they are here. The destination brand is a significant tool used to accomplish that mission.
 
Molly Hedrick came to Charlotte in 1987 and worked for the Charlotte Chamber until she joined the Charlotte Visitors Bureau in 2000. She became part of the CRVA when it was formed in 2004, and currently serves as the Senior Director of Communications. Molly is very involved in various community activities, including the Charlotte Restaurant Week, First Night Charlotte, and helping with Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraising. Gina Sheridan came to Charlotte in 1998 and worked for the Charlotte Convention and Visitor's Bureau, which is now Visit Charlotte, the sales and marketing component of the CRVA. In addition to serving as the Senior Director of Marketing and Visual Communications, she is active in A Child's Place and is a winner of the Business Journal 40 under 40 award.
 
Molly pointed out that the Charlotte Region has many good things to offer as a destination for tourists and visitors, and also for residents, potential residents, and businesses. Many communities promote themselves as "having it all", because that potentially will appeal to the most people, but that has long since been overused. It also is a rather bland approach that does little to distinguish one destination from another. As the market for destination dollars is very competitive, it was determined that a brand was required to quickly and consistently present the Charlotte Region in a way that would attract and engage the consumer and investor.
 
A brand is not a tagline or a logo, although many people think of brands in that way. It was determined early on in the Charlotte process that a successful destination brand clearly defines the community's unique and distinctive attributes that have both emotional and functional benefits to its visitors. The process of identifying these attributes and developing the "Brand Promise" took a year and involved twenty-five meetings with up to 200 participants in the thirteen counties surrounding Charlotte, along with seven online surveys and related analysis.
 
It was determined that the top five functional benefits of the region are: 1) NASCAR racing; 2) Clean and green environment; 3) Banking & Financial center; 4) Sports events and teams; and 5) Southern hospitality. The top emotional benefits, those things that result in an emotional connection between the consumer and the community, are: 1) Friendly; 2) Exciting and fun; 3) Optimistic and positive; 4) Progressive and opportunistic; and 5) Welcoming and hospitable.
 
These benefits were incorporated into the Charlotte Region Destination Brand Promise: "With its warm, friendly people and inviting Southern hospitality, Charlotte is a clean, beautiful and diverse contemporary city that is a dynamic financial center with an ambitious can-do spirit. With its trees, lakes and green open spaces, the region is steeped in NASCAR heritage and has a commitment to community that embraces the innovative, aspires to the best in all of its endeavors while preserving traditions and not compromising on a superb quality of life."
 
Once the Brand Promise has been developed, the next step is "Brand Culturalization", which is the process of making the Brand Promise come to life and become part of the fabric of the region. This is a multi-step process, a few of which steps include having all area marketing organizations use the Brand Promise; developing a Cultural Tourism Program to promote cultural assets such as museums, art galleries, etc.; creating a sales training program for those involved in direct contact with consumers; and developing visual components that can be used to promote the brand, making it emotional and exciting.
 
Gina Sheridan then discussed the first set of visual components to be used in promoting the Brand. Built around the idea that if you look closely at "Charlotte" you'll find "a lot" [C h a r l o t t e], which leads quickly into the fact that "Charlotte's got a lot", the first series of ads consists of: "Flirt a lot" promoting night life and restaurants; "Roar a lot" promoting NASCAR; "Savor a lot" promoting restaurants, clubs, museums and galleries; and "Thrill a lot" about the Whitewater Center, restaurants, museums and galleries. All of these still features, plus an upcoming 30 second advertising spot directed at family activities, send people to either a live operator via a toll-free number, or to the website www.charlottesgotalot.com, which Gina describes as "the portal of information for all things Charlotte."
  
A significant objective of the Brand Culturalization is to educate not just visitors and tourists, but the residents of the Charlotte Region as to all of the activities and "functional benefits" available. As the number one reason for visitors to come to the region is to visit friends and family, it will be helpful if those of us who live here realize how much there really is to do, and take those visitors out to do some of it!
  
 
Head Table: Rich Campbell, Nancy Roberson, Ineke Van Der Meulen, Mac McCarley, Tim Newman;
Invocation: Alan Barnhardt;
Visitors & Guests: Herb Harriss; Health & Happiness: Trent Merchant; Song: Matt Ryan

• Condolences are extended to the Joe Penner family in the death of Joe's brother last week and to the Ken Poe family in the death of Joy's mother.
 
• Matt Joyner has formed a new business law firm with David Bishop and Dain Dulaney, called Bishop, Dulaney & Joyner, P.A. Please update your contact info: 4521 Sharon Rd, Ste 375 (28211), 704-442-8875, mjoyner@bdj-law.com; Tyler Ream was named as the CMS system's interim chief operating officer; Rich Campbell has been named to the board at Discovery Place; John Cantrell will be in the upcoming class of Leadership North Carolina; Richard Early will begin a new position as Executive Director & President of the Des Moines Symphony & Academy of Music in Des Moines, Iowa on September 2.
 
• Bob Brietz is still in need of another volunteer for the AV committee. Contact Bob at 704-953-9858.

• Interested in making the Peru trip? Contact Paul Schmidt at 704-506-1133.

• Ed Wadsworth introduced the club's second exchange student - Carol Antunes. Carol is from Brazil and will be enrolled at Charlotte Country Day School. If you are interested in serving as a host family for either Carol or Luciano, contact Ed at 704-895-3435.
   
• Members of Ballantyne Rotary were invited as guests of Charlotte Rotary on Tuesday. President Ineke Van Der Meulen introduced the group, exchanged club banners with President Mac, and invited everyone to make up at Ballantyne - one at a time of course! The Ballantyne club was formed four years ago and they have twenty four enthusiastic members. Join the group any Friday at the City Tavern-Stonecrest, 7828 Rea Road, at 12:30.

Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, contact the Rotary office by 9/01/2008.