You don’t have to enter the witness protection program to get a new identity. We help clients navigate through the process all the time. We’ve developed some amazing visual identities for places and companies – some we created from scratch and some were makeovers done to take the organization to a new level of professionalism. Today, I’d like to share some thoughts on the visual identity that is part of the recent re-branding of the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.
A brand identity is defined as “visual, sensory or auditory components that aid with recognition and recall.” The NBC chimes and United Airline’s use of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue are important parts of their respective brand identities. For most organizations, the single most visible piece of the brand identity is a logo.
The Roanoke Valley CVB’s previous logo was 12 years old. It had lived a useful life, but it no longer represented the vibrant destination that the Roanoke Valley has become. Nor did it mesh with a strategy of becoming the number one choice for travelers seeking a Blue Ridge Mountain experience. After much research had been completed and once the positioning strategy was defined, we wrote a creative brief and began to work on a new identity.
The new logo is a perfect match to the RVCVB’s brand personality. It also includes subtle elements to help advance the strategy for future growth of the brand. Not only does the graphic brilliantly communicate the Blue Ridge Mountains location, it forms a rough outline of Virginia. The use of color in the typography also reinforces the location in Virginia – a genuine challenge facing the RVCVB considering there are at least six Roanokes in the United States including in neighboring West Virginia. The genius of the design is that even if no one picks up on the subtleties, the logo is still vivid, striking and memorable. To have a memorable brand message, start with a memorable brand identity!
Because destination branding is a specialty of our firm, we are very familiar with hundreds of tourism brands around the country. I’m proud to say that the Roanoke Valley CVB now has a powerful brand identity that rivals any I’ve ever seen. In the coming months, we hope to build upon this foundation and spread the brand’s message across many other creative avenues.
