A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News November 24, 2005 - Industry to create local brand By Karin Mast, for Daily Tribune Last week, more than 20 community members interested in furthering the area's growth joined the Heart of Wisconsin Business and Economic Alliance, Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and DuFour Advertising on their quest for a regional brand. The brand is intended to create an image for south Wood County and the town of Rome area that will be readily accessible in people's minds. What do you think of when you imagine our area? What images or feelings come to mind? What do businesses think? Visitors? Suggestions from the group included the Wisconsin River, cranberry and paper industries, accessible health care, comforting lifestyle, technology and ingenuity. Building a brand can be a difficult task. According to Destination Brand Science, cities are more than a collection of buildings, just as places are more than mountains, trees or beaches. Cities and places are about people's aspirations, their hopes and dreams, and - most important - their memories. This is why counties, regions and cities are places of imagination. People want to go and experience firsthand what they have heard, seen or read about. Businesses want to operate and thrive in a friendly environment. A genuine "destination brand" captures people's imagination. Perhaps the easiest way to understand a brand is to define what it is not. A brand is not just about launching an extensive ad campaign, creating a pretty picture and matching stationery, or distributing brochures. A strong and successful brand is much deeper - it is the internalized sum of all impressions received by visitors and businesses resulting in a distinctive position in their mind's eye based on perceived emotional and functional benefits. It sounds complicated, but really it's as simple as Las Vegas equals adult playground. How do we know this? Because everything we hear, see and read about Las Vegas tells us such, and therefore it's distinctive in our mind from other destinations like Chicago. Other examples might include Napa Valley equals wine and food, or Silicon Valley equals technology. Soon, everything you hear, see and read about our area will reflect our regional brand. It will take everyone - including residents, businesses and organizations - to make this brand successful. The brand will drive visitors here to discover our area and to help businesses and families decide whether to move here and support the Community Progress Initiative clusters as they work on a variety of projects. For instance, a strong brand will help create an image for the tourism cluster's visitor information kiosks and the New eConomies' cluster portal Web site. The possibilities are endless. Watch for more information as we continue to work on, and unveil, our regional brand during December and January. Please feel free to provide feedback and input in the meantime. The Wisconsin Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau can be reached at 422-4650. Karin Mast is the co-chairwoman of the Community Progress Initiative Tourism Cluster
		Copyright © 2005, Community Progress Initiative, South Wood County & Town of Rome