Taking a Tip From Madison Avenue, Towns Buy Into Branding

It's tempting to scoff at "TIMELESS," the one-word slogan adopted by the Fredericksburg Area Tourism Council last year to lure more visitors to the region. The trim little tagline cost more than $110,000 to develop, all told -- nearly $14,000 per letter.

At least David Holder, Fredericksburg's director of Tourism and Business Development, isn't fretting over the expense. Since the new slogan's debut, there's been a 22 percent increase in traffic to the tourism bureau's Web site, as well as a 58 percent increase in phone inquiries, he said. With a nod to the area's history and its leisure opportunities, Holder called "TIMELESS" "a true synopsis of what our destination has to offer."

"It appeals to the traveler's emotional side," he said. "You feel like time can stop, because the last thing you want to do is go back to work on Monday." More than a slogan, Holder said, "TIMELESS" "is an experience."

In the argot of contemporary marketing, this is known as "living the brand."

With its clever sloganeering and slick advertising, branding is a concept more commonly associated with toothpaste and sneakers than towns and communities. But city and county governments in the Washington region and throughout the country now are trying to attract tourists and cement their civic self-image by forming a brand identity not unlike Nike, Cheerios or Charmin.

Some places have it easy. Ocean City's allure is built into its name. Annapolis is visibly "America's Sailing Capital." And Washington needs no introduction.

But what about Leesburg, La Plata or Frederick? The region abounds in towns and places that share similar appeal: battlefields, colonial architecture, upscale shopping and fine dining.

"As the marketplace becomes more competitive, communities have to work harder to distinguish themselves from other communities 10, 20 or 60 miles down the road," said Stephanie Redman, assistant director of the National Main Street Center, which promotes the redevelopment of downtowns and commercial districts.

Redman described this elusive quality as "differentiation." In other words, cachet brings in cash.

"Generally every community has something it can hang its hat on," she said.

In the past three to five years, Redman said, communities nationwide have increasingly sought to develop a brand identity, both to draw more tourists and in response to the homogenization of the country, as chain stores and franchises replace local businesses.

"You're creating an experience for the customer, to live and be and feel the brand," said Dana Page, program manager of the Zyman Institute of Brand Science at Emory University.