Successful Branding is MORE than Slogans & Logos….

As I posted a few days ago in my entry about building a ‘brand’ of Historic Hub City, Centralia, WA; according to Destination Development branding your community involves more than slogans and logos. The following is another segment with some very interesting facts about branding.  Destination Development is one of the leading companies dedicated to helping cities establish a “brand” of their city and establishing a proven marketing plan to attract YEAR ROUND visitors.  Their approach impacts the bottom line and raises the economic conditions to a whole new level.  We have found this information most helpful as we traverse the challenge of bettering our Wilson Hotel marketing and promotion plan.   

Slogans and logos are ineffective in building a brand without product to back up the claim to fame. And that product MUST be different or better than everyone else’s product. That’s why automakers and fast-food restaurants spend millions of dollars differentiating themselves from each other – in spite of the fact that many of them offer similar, if not exactly the very same product. 

Furthermore, branding is all about setting yourself apart from the competition in terms of attractions, activities, and overall image. Ninety-six percent of all counties in the U.S. promote outdoor recreation as one of their primary activities. Nearly sixty percent of the counties in Texas promote bird watching. If I can enjoy the activity in the county next door, then why travel halfway across the state for the same thing? However, if you have the “best” bird watching in Texas, and you have Audubon (and other organizations) to back you up on the claim, then perhaps you will be worth a special trip and an extended stay.

Utilizing Federal Historic Tax Credit Syndication for Rehabilitation

One of the fantastic subjects I learned more about at the National Preservation Trust Conference in St. Paul, MN last week was the process of fully utilizing the Federal 20% Historic Tax Credit Program and the process of syndicating (or selling) the tax credits that our rehabilitation project would qualify for to raise initial capital for our project.  The class was moderated by National Trust Community Investment Corporation Acquisitions Manager, Al Shehadi.  Al was joined by two additional panel members who are experts in their respective fields as well; Gordon Goldie, Partner in Plante Moran, PLLC in Michigan and attorney, Andrew Potts from Nixon Peabody, LLP in Washington D.C.

Following is some basic information about the NTCIC and the services they offer in syndicating federal historic tax credits.

About National Trust Community Investment Corporation

The National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC) makes equity investments in real estate projects that qualify for federal historic tax credits and when available, state historic and New Markets Tax Credits. NTCIC works with a wide variety of property owners including for-profit developers, nonprofit organizations and local governments. Its focus is on projects that have a strong economic revitalization impact on the surrounding community.

Why is Downtown Important?

This excerpt was taken from the National Main Street Program. 

Why is downtown important?  Can malls and discount centers take the place of downtowns in the future?  The answer is most definitely no.  Though malls and discount centers play important roles in our communities, downtown is much more than a shopping center.  It is critical for everyone involved in downtown revitalization to understand the value of downtown.  Here are some reasons why downtown is important (in no particular order). 

1. The central business district is a prominent employment center.  Even the smallest downtown employs hundreds of people.  Downtown is often the largest employer in a community.
2. As a business center, downtown plays a major role.  It may even represent the largest concentration of businesses in the community.  It also serves as an incubator for new business – the successes of tomorrow.
3. Most of the businesses in the downtown core are independently owned.  They support a local family who supports local schools, etc…  Independent businesses keep profits in town.
4. Downtown is a reflection of how our community sees itself – a critical factor in business retention and recruitment efforts.  When industry begins looking at our community as a possible location, they examine many aspects including quality of life.  Included I quality of life is interest in downtown – is it alive and viable, or does it represent local disinterest and failure?

Green Built LEED Guidelines

One of the LEED construction guidelines is to source all materials used for the project within a 500 mile radius of the project location.  This guideline was established to cut down on the carbon footprint used to transport materials from their point of origin or creation to the construction site.  It hardly makes sense to purchase “green” materials from another country or considerable distance when there is significant cost and carbon emissions released into the environment if the materials were transported 12,000 miles across the ocean for example. 

Sourcing materials locally is an important part of any “green” project.  Utilizing local resources also helps to feed the local economy on a broader scale.  Pulling from local material and labor sources is a part of building a sustainable community.  Building a sustainable community is a fundamental concern of ‘green builders.’   

Mark Your Calendar & Save the Date!

 The Washington State 2008 Main Street Conference is going to be held May 13-15^th, 2008 at the West Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel in Wenatchee, WA.   

The conference will provide learning tracks that revolve around the 4 Point Approach: organization, promotion, design and economic development.  There will be classes available for all levels from beginners to advanced. The greater number of CDA folks that attend the conference the better!  This is a tremendous learning opportunity as we embark on the launching process of the CDA and growth of our Main Street Program. 

Stay tuned for more conference information as it becomes available.

New CDA Web Site ~ Up on the Web!

 The new Centralia Downtown Association web site place holder is up on the web.  

 The new CDA web site address is http://www.centraliadowntown.com .

  If you visit the site, you will notice the lower area of the page has 5 boxes for advertisements.  This ad space is available for purchase through the CDA.  We have received several inquiries for the CDA web site information and wanted to make sure everyone had the new web site address.  Check back to the CDA site as updates and postings start rolling in.

Branding Basics ~ Branding = Visitors…. LOTS of Them!

 As the process of Centralia’s downtown revitalization continues and the new CDA is taking shape to become the catalyst to bring the movement to a whole new level, we are thrilled with the progress that is being made.  Revitalization is a BIG word, especially when it directly relates to infusing new life into an area that has undergone challenging economic times.  This grassroots effort that is underway is a strong sign that the tides of change have begun to lap the shores here in Centralia. 

One of the principles in the Main Street Program addresses the concept of each town having a distinct and distinguishable “personality or character” if you will.  This personality or character is formed through the process of “branding.”  Much like in foods, clothes, cars or locations – the fundamentals of branding remain the same. 

If a visitor can experience similar activities closer to home, why should they visit Centralia?  What does Centralia have that sets it apart?  What makes Centralia worth the special trip?  How is Centralia perceived?  What is the image that comes to mind when you think of Centralia?  Does that image want to make you visit Centralia?  These are all critical questions to evaluate with regard to branding?  We are in the process of doing this very same concept with relation to the overall branding approach for the Wilson Hotel.  With so many lodging facilities up and down the I-5 corridor, the Wilson must be a destination in and of itself in order to attract the traveling patron.

Great Clip - Intent Behind the Lodging Tax

I don’t know who to give credit to for this great clip about the lodging tax use - I have been doing so much research online that I neglected to link which site I extracted it from…  It was such a great article I had to post it anyway.   This article applies to the work of the new CDA perfectly…..

In most states across the U.S. lodging tax funds have strings attached: the funds, by law, are to be used for the promotion and development of tourism.

They are NOT grant funds. These taxes are economic development funds. When they are used for the promotion and development of the tourism industry, every entity that collects and distributes these funds should consider the return received on their investment.

In many communities lodging tax funds are doled out as grants with little if any return on investment from the organizations or facilities being funded. Are these facilities, events and organizations being held accountable for the proper use of the money? Are the funds being used to bring visitors to the community? Are visitors spending multiple days in your community as a result of the investment made with the funds?

CDA Builds Momentum with the National Main Street Program

The past few weeks have been filled with excitement as the new Centralia Downtown Association has kicked into full swing with the first official general meeting and the CDA movement towards a formal adoption of the National Main Street Program.  This is a ‘historic’ time in the formation of this beneficial organization.  Did you know that currently anyone who is attending the CDA meetings and expressing a desire to get involved has a ‘promo’ membership in the new CDA until the official membership drive gets underway in January 2008. 

Currently the new board is working diligently to create a fantastic multi-tier membership program that will allow for different levels of membership benefits.  The new CDA is also accepting financial ‘seed money’ donations in cash and ‘in kind’ service donations relating to getting the organization ‘up and running.’  New interim Executive Director, Dan Henderson, has been making the ‘downtown rounds’ to visit with local business owners, property owners, employees and community members to share about the new CDA formation and the benefits of becoming involved with the organization.  Dan and his new CDA board have also been distributing the “Downtown Revitalization Program Using the Main Street Approach” workbook to all who have expressed interest in the CDA kick off.

Interesting Facade Facts

One of the fun aspects of the Wilson Hotel rehabilitation project has been discovering old photographs of the hotel, in particular the early years.  We are mindful of proper preservation methods and working to establish the critical design components that have been sacrificed due to remodeling or poor repair methods over the past 93 years of the building’s history.  Originally the hotel was built as a stand alone structure in 1914. 

About 10 years later the owners added the annex building to the south and added the awning across the fronts of the two buildings.  The awning on the hotel side was removed in recent years due to rust and decay and remains in storage in order to construct a suitable replica replacement.  Additionally 95% of the original wood sash windows were removed and inexpensive low quality vinyl windows were framed into the window spaces.  These replacement windows were not in the least bit historically reflective, nor the proper size for the window openings.  The improper window replacement has probably been the most detrimental feature with regard to the appearance of the exterior of the building today.