BLOG POST BY: DON MCEACHERN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NORTH STAR DESTINATION STRATEGIES, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Does your community have a brand narrative?
Clients often ask me how they can maintain the strategic integrity of their brand reputation while communicating using a variety of marketing channels, particularly social media. This year at the 2011 ICMA conference I’ll be talking about how community leaders can join the digital conversations that consumers are having about their communities. A critical touch stone for leaders looking to deliver a consistent brand message in social media and elsewhere is your community’s brand narrative . . . a compelling point of view that narrates your community’s beliefs and actions. Your brand narrative is essentially your brand’s story. It helps people connect with your community’s brand emotionally, making it more personal for them. The best narratives are authentic, different, idealistic, passionate and inspirational. In fact, we’ve had clients and council members cry when we read their narratives out loud. We also suggest that clients hang their brand narratives on the wall, place them on their websites, disseminate them to public sector partners and generally use them to guide the tone and messaging of creative work
Does your community have a brand narrative? How about strategic brand platform? If not, what do you use to ensure consistent relevant messaging? Let’s talk about it more in Milwaukee at our Solutions Track Session, “Community Branding: Beyond a Logo and a Line” Tuesday, September 20, 12:45 – 1:45.
For more information, email info@northstarideas.com.