by Frank Cuypers | 13 Sep 2019
We’ve noticed that the word brand makes some people uncomfortable. Has brand become a bad word? Most people don’t speak the language of marketing. Even if they do, they might not know your dialect of place marketing. It’s smart to assume that your stakeholders aren’t...
by Frank Cuypers | 7 Dec 2018
Like many industries, place marketing has weathered some notorious brand disasters. This 2010 brand video for Downtown St. Louis received criticism for portraying itself as the next über-trendy scene for hipsters and fashionistas – a new New York, perhaps? Or...
by Frank Cuypers | 13 Jul 2018
“The wider any culture spreads, the thinner it gets.” -Stanley Edgar Hyman, literary critic This maxim – known as The Law of Raspberry Jam – describes a core challenge of destination branding: Without a coherent story and coordinated stakeholders, your...
by Frank Cuypers | 3 May 2017
Your visitors spend months dreaming about their vacation. They research online, they see promotional material on websites, they read reviews, they plan, and they book. After weeks of increasing anticipation, they finally get on the plane, train, or car and try to have...
by Frank Cuypers | 5 Apr 2017
In 2015, the Skift travel magazine declared “The Rise of the Boutique Destination” as a trend to watch. This mirrors the message put forth by urban expert Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class”. Florida has predicted the rise of the distinctive...
