a sense of place

The Brand North Carolina ProjectState Brand Case Competition

A Sense of Place

Brand Objective

build on the values of community, stewardship, innovation and quality

Brand Objective

build on the values of community, stewardship, innovation and quality

connect emotionally with citizens and visitors alike.

North Carolina

A Sense of Place

What should North Carolina stand for?

• North Carolina is more than a spot on a map

• It is a place because of its people

• It is where we live and interact

• It is where we sleep, eat, study, work, pray and play

• It is how we care for and interact with out environment

• It is how we see ourselves, and how others see us

North Carolina, A Sense of Place

• Anthropology:“Place attachment is the symbolic relationship formed by people giving culturally shared emotional/affective meanings to a particular space or piece of land that provides the basis for the individual’s and group’s understanding of and relation to the environment.... Thus, place attachment is more than an emotional and cognitive experience, and includes cultural beliefs and practices that link people to place.”

Low, Setha M. 1992. "Symbolic Ties that Bind: Place Attachment in the Plaza." Pp. 165-186 in Place Attachment, edited by Irwin Altman and Setha Low. New York: Plenum Press.

• Environmental Psychology:“Sense of Place: the particular experience of a person in a particular setting (feeling stimulated, excited, joyous, expansive, and so forth).”

“Spirit of Place: the combination of characteristics that gives some locations a special ‘feel’ or personality (such as a spirit of mystery or of identity with a person or group).”

Steele, Fritz. 1981. The Sense of Place. Boston: CBI Publishing Company, Inc.

• Landscape Architecture/History:“A sense of place is something that we ourselves create in the course of time. It is the result of habit or custom.... A sense of place is reinforced by what might be called a sense of recurring events.”

Jackson, John Brinckerhoff. 1994. A sense of place, a sense of time. New Haven: Yale University Press.

• Sociology:

“By sense of place, I mean people’s subjective perceptions of their environments and their more or less conscious feelings about those environments. Sense of place is inevitably dual in nature, involving both an interpretive perspective on the environment and an emotional reaction to the environment.... Sense of place involves a personal orientation toward place, in which ones’ understanding of place and one’s feelings about place become fused in the context of environmental meaning.”

Hummon, David. 1992. "Community Attachment: Local Sentiment and Sense of Place." Pp. 253-278 in Place Attachment, edited by Irwin Altman and Setha Low. New York: Plenum.

Unique and Credible Benefits

• The expectation is that by creating a strong self-awareness of place, and an inward focus on who we are, we will know who we want to be and how we want to be perceived.

• We will collectively share in the benefits of being engaged and active citizens of the state.

• Increase overall economic strength

Building on Emotional Connections

• In order to project a warm and welcoming image, with poise and self-confidence to potential visitors, the feelings must be authentic.

• We need to be proud of our history, and the special physical attributes that North Carolina has to offer, which are many.

• There needs to be a culture of working together, along with an inclusive message of opening our businesses and public places to everyone.

• It is the people of North Carolina that are its greatest asset, and a genuine offer of hospitality is ingrained in who we are.

Doing Something Right

Unique Value and How We Are Different

• What we can embrace, from the mountains to the sea, as being uniquely ours is our Sense of Place, our communities, and the spirit that unites us.

• Every city, town and crossroads is a unique expression of North Carolina.

• Every church, mill and country store is full of the history and culture that we have created, and that we work hard to preserve.

• We celebrate the small towns and farms, and grow our cities with deliberate forethought and care.

• North Carolina’s industry, and enterprise is recognized around the world.

• Our schools, universities and research act as magnets for growth.

• Health care and the entrepreneurial spirit insure our future.

• It is the human potential and spirit found in all of the places where we live and work and play that makes North Carolina unique.

• Being a part of that Sense of Place is why we call North Carolina home.

• We can’t export North Carolina, A Sense of Place, but we can swing our doors open wide and share it. Every visitor, whether it be for business or on vacation, can join in our celebration of place.

• They can go home with a gift that cannot be bought or sold, but can be found only in North Carolina. This is the unifying brand that can connect us all.

Brand Position & Comparison

The Neighbors …

• I used rankings from Bloom Consulting to compare the effectiveness of state tourism and business branding.

http://bloom-consulting.com/us/usa-state-brand-ranking

• North Carolina Brand Ranking: #7 in Trade

• North Carolina Brand Ranking: #7 in Trade, and #13 in Tourism

• Most state brands declare how they want to be seen, or what they want you to do, but they are not making any sort of emotional offer.

Tourism Brand Effectiveness

North Carolina, A Sense of Place, allows each individual to find, accept or create an experience that will be uniquely their own. Citizens of North Carolina have 9.8 million personal experiences and stories to tell, as will each visitor that comes to the state. The idea of North Carolina offering A Sense of Place invites the individual to become part of, or add to the whole experience by way of their interaction.

• A Promise… through which you can see the past, the present and maybe the future.

• A Promise… the actions of the people of North Carolina will be seen by our guests, and this is how we will be judged as a state.

N.C., A Sense of Place - Brand Personality

Dimensions Attributes

Dimensions• Sincerity

Attributes• down-to-earth, honest

• Excitement

• spirited, imaginative

• Excitement

• Sophistication

• charming, intelligent

• Excitement

• Sophistication

• Ruggedness

• outdoorsy, tough

• Excitement

• Sophistication

• Ruggedness

• Competence

• outdoorsy, tough

• reliable, hardworking

• history… examples are endless but should include our pre-history and indigenous populations, outdoor dramas and pioneer heritage, monuments to wars fought on this land and others, discoveries, inventions and industry, art, architecture, literature and film.

• physical attributes… from every corner of the state are beacons for visitors to enjoy. Every sort of natural beauty, and seasonal pleasure; as well as the man made wonders that amaze and entertain us.

The sense of place is what makes somewhere distinctive and memorable. It is its personality. This is where its competitive edge lies. Establishing a sense of place involves celebrating the place’s people, products, culture and heritage, nurturing its natural and built environment, and presenting the public realm in a way that reflects the true spirit of the place – from the management of public buildings to public art and events.

Handbook on Tourism Destination Branding, Introduction xxvii, Published by the World Tourism Organization and the European Travel Commission, Printed by the World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain, First printing 2009

• Mantra

• Repeated with any meaningful transaction or plan of action

• Mantra

• Simply add a verb, adverb or adjective

• Mantra

• Creates a personal message, different for everyone that hears it

• Mantra

• Creates a personal message, different for everyone that hears it

• Allow the people of the state to give the expression meaning

North Carolina

A Sense of Place

a sense of place

place attachment

spirit of place

sense of place anthropology

sense of place sociology

north carolina h

sense of time

sense of recurring events

credible benefits

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