Recent activityMay 22nd 2013 Successful Place Branding: Don’t Forget Honesty and AccountabilityDuring recent months I have conducted brand coaching seminars for small cities in USA, Canada and Australia. These sessions usually attract a wide range of interesting and challenging questions from participants. Interestingly, at the end of my presentations in all of these countries I been approached with a surprising number... May 13th 2013 Successful City Branding: Don’t Hire a Painter if You Need an ArchitectWe have recently encountered situations where advertising, web design, visual design and communications agencies pitch for, and win, the development of brand strategies for cities and regions with disastrous results. Unfortunately, few of these agencies had any tourism or city brand planning credentials. Brand planning can be a very confusing... April 30th 2013 Is Glasgow Heading in The Right Direction for Its City Brand?Over the years I have admired the way in which Glasgow, Scotland overcame its reputation for urban and industrial decay to be recognized as European City of Culture in 1990. In recent decades Glasgow has also been at the forefront in developing several brand strategies to define and project its... April 22nd 2013 Brand Planning Should be the CEO’s BabyAt the conclusion of a recent presentation on place branding, I was approached by the CEO of a mid-west Chamber of Commerce who lamented that their brand planning had resulted in a bland and uncompetitive outcome. To my surprise, the CEO went on to take the blame himself by saying,... April 14th 2013 Developing a Place Brand Calls for a Different ApproachWhen discussing the differences in branding places and consumer products with friends in advertising agencies, they frequently maintain that there is no difference between the two. To some extent they are correct. However there are differences that have a profound influence on the brand planning, brand implementation and brand management.... |
Why TDM?Our sole focus is to make small cities, destinations and downtowns more competitive, enjoyable and economically successful. We boost tourism and economic development competitiveness by designing place branding, tourism and wayfinding strategies that make our clients the preferred choice for tourists, businesses, relocation, students, and new residents. When you need to strengthen your city’s image, increase marketing focus, win market share, generate wider support, and move from marginal results to a more prosperous visitor economy, we can help. We achieve positive results without controversy because of our vast experience, proven systems and collaborative approach. Our consultants have decades of experience with solving complex challenges in place branding, tourism, economic development and brand education. We are experts at bringing together hundreds of active constituents to rally around one message, speak with one voice and prioritize product development and investments. |
