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Convention Bureau unveils new city branding
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Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - After a year and a half’s worth of planning and $500,000 worth of investment, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association Wednesday unveiled its new branding and advertising campaign. Tagged “Get in on it,” the campaign’s main goal is to dispel the disparity between potential visitors’ preconceived notions of what they’ll experience and the actual experience they’ll have when visiting the city.
“ ‘Get in on it’ is a $500,000 investment toward the future,” said Ronnie Burt, the association’s interim president. “To grow our market share, we must invest in our future.”
To come up with its new brand messaging, BACVA hired Longwoods International, a tourism research firm and Landor Associates, which has developed branding for FedEx, BP and the cities of Hong Kong, Cincinnati and Madrid.
Those companies, in conjunction with BACVA, conducted 18 months of research and planning that included in-depth interviews with tourism stockholders in Baltimore, distribution of 1,000 surveys to BACVA members and local tourism stockholders, mail surveys to 1,000 meeting planners and leisure travelers nationally and two rounds of focus group testing among out-of-state travelers.
“Research shows that people who have not been to Baltimore don’t know what to expect,” Burt added.
Burt said the branding initiative is coming at an important time for the city, which in 2005 saw 12 million visitors, marking a seven-year high. Visitors that year spent almost $3 billion, according to D.K. Shifflet & Associates, which tracks the tourism industry.
According to Dr. Gary Vikan, chair of the brand repositioning task force, the branding campaign was developed using four criteria: People have to care about it; it has to be different; it has to be sustainable; and it has to be credible.
From those criteria, the brand was developed focusing on Baltimore’s greatest assets — its waterfront and the ease of exploring the city.
“We have everything every city has,” Burt said. “But the ease of exploring and the water is where we differentiate ourselves.”
Margot Amelia, vice president of marketing for BACVA, said the new logo, created by Landor, is suggestive of a city on the water while the compactness of the logo suggests a plethora of activities and attractions that are easily accessible. The tagline, she said, creates a “buzz factor.”
Aside from the new branding materials, BACVA’s local advertising agency, Carton Donofrio Partners, has designed television and radio ads featuring the same tagline and brand messaging. BACVA has allocated $700,000 for the month of June to launch the ads in Washington and Philadelphia, generating about 17 million impressions. Other components include online marketing and print media that will run in the Baltimore market to rally residents to become ambassadors for the city.
Branding Baltimore
Longwoods International developed the ‘Get in on it’ campaign after 18 months of research and planning.
– Courtesy
bmiller@baltimoreexaminer.com
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Examiner Reader said:
Please do not bring from China contaminate MILK to our CHILDRENS!!!
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Examiner Non Reader said:
I never asked for the examiner, I don't want it and now it is showing up on my doorstep, this does not make me a "customer" or a "reader" all it makes me is annoyed and feeling harassed. Often there are three or more papers on my lawn and in the gutter outside my door. This is neither responsive nor responsible of the examiner, stop delivering it to people who don't sign up for it. Other papers like the washington post have accurate delivery, aggressive over marketing like this is just one more sign that this is a predatory sales circular masquerading as a "news"paper
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Matt said:
Christy Milton is the most beatuiful women I've ever seen in my life.
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Examiner Reader said:
i am a personal friend of roberts,have been for over 12years,this man has a huge heart,andby far isnt involved in drug money,for god sake the man doesnt even drink,he has a wonderful family and also watches over many,many families,and not to forget the endless things that you may see or may not see that he does for many people in need.ihave personally witnessed this man give and do soooooo much for people,and he doesnt even mention half of it.people shouldnt talk crap when this man is absolutely a great man,he has a strong personality and work ethic and if thats so bad i think you need to take a look at yourself and ask your self what have you done for anyone today?i know what his answer would be... j.d.
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Examiner Reader said:
Poeple who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it. Stop believing everything you hear in the US media. Use your minds and do your homework. All the hate spewed by the gop about Obama is bull. They're running scared because finally someone is challenging them on their record. Look at what's right in front of you McCain voted with bush 90% of the time last year and 100% this year.
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Examiner Reader said:
i dont think this is a good idea because where r the people going to go. they r tryin to destrot westport.for someone like me who have lived there and is from there is saddened by the fact that they r just selling us off like slaves. westport is good place i luv westportbut rite now its r.i.p to my hood. my whole family is from there. i hope somebody read this and i hope ms dixon do somethin about this
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Examiner Reader said:
i dont think this is a good idea because where r the people going to go. they r tryin to destrot westport.for someone like me who have lived there and is from there is saddened by the fact that they r just selling us off like slaves. westport is good place i luv westportbut rite now its r.i.p to my hood. my whole family is from there. i hope somebody read this and i hope ms dixon do somethin about this
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Examiner Reader said:
you forgot to mention that eastern motors was involved in money laundering.(dope money being used to buy expensive cars, how nice!! along with select auto imports, and eagle motors. so don't make it out to be a success story, when drug money is used.
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Examiner Reader said:
I work for Eastern motors myself and he has friends that work for him that are fake back stabbers they shake your hand but talk behind your back at the same time. I dont know Robert in person but Iwould hope that he is not this way but his friends that work for him are above the law meaning they can get a person fired any time they want even if they are wrong in a situation but that drives away hard workers maybe Robert should not have friends in top positions it can be mis leading and really not fair right is right wrong is wrong no matter if its Roberts friends or not.
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Examiner Reader said:
add to the list won,t pay his employees.he rude, he lies . he is a cheet and I know this because i worked for him. it seems like the rags.to riches store and it sounds good. but don,t be fooled
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Examiner Reader said:
That guy Robert is a smart mofo. Everyone knows Eastern Motors and they are all over the place! Gotta love that jingle! Go Easterns!
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Examiner Reader said:
Conscientious observer - you are an idiot and deserve what happened to you.
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Examiner Reader said:
Are there flights out of MacArthur Airport on Long Island New York to Washington Dulles
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Examiner Reader said:
I understand that we should not choose a President based on his religious beliefs,but tell me---how can we support a President in defending our country when he doesn"t even believe in pledging allegiance to it!!!!?????
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Examiner Reader said:
The Dewalt system is good for notification but the alarm only sounds for 20 seconds and shuts off. The alarm is not loud at all if it were in the middle of a large job site nobody would hear it.
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Makis said:
Nice!
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Examiner Reader said:
I can't believe Fort Monmouth has a bunch of whinos have they ever heard of commuting on the Acela from New Jersey every morning my guess is no.
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Examiner Reader said:
Ed Hale is a real inspiration. He's the perfect model of the American dream. LL Detroit
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