The definition of Brand Essence is “a brand’s fundamental nature or quality.” In other words, it’s the heart and soul of a brand. I’ve also heard it defined as the reason the brand exists in the first place, which may be accurate for corporate brands but is a bit of stretch for community or destination brands.
To really understand the concept, consider what some famous brands say is their essence. Hallmark: Caring Shared. The Nature Conservancy: Saving Great Places. Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance. A Brand Essence is not always written in flowery marketing language. It’s not always meant for the consumer. It does, however, keep the brand itself and all who speak for it focused on what matters. Once in a while it can be for both internal and external audiences. The Nature Conservancy uses Saving Great Places as its consumer messaging, too.
Why is a Brand Essence important to a community or tourism destination brand? Communities are a lot more complex than businesses, which are created by people for the purpose of filling a niche. A business’ Brand Essence is pretty much known when it’s founded. Communities are more diverse. They contain lots of groups with individual agendas. While all are valid and contribute something to the community, some have a greater impact on the personality of the place. Let’s face it, some have the potential to draw more visitors an economic activity than others. That’s what makes finding the Brand Essence difficult while at the same time demonstrating how critical it is. Marketers, including tourism marketers, have a natural predisposition to want to appeal to everyone. Unfortunately, that approach leads to weaker brands not strong ones. So, destinations have to determine what makes them unique and special. Finding those differentiators and putting them into a Brand Essence defines for everyone the “fundamental nature or quality” of the place.
