70 / 104
HE U.S. IS A BIG PLACE. And while most
Americans have traveled extensively in this
land for fun, for work or for school, it’s diffi-
cult to truly know the nation’s various locales unless
you’ve spent significant time in each.
The truth is, lacking firsthand knowledge of a city or
place means we often default to pop culture and the
media to provide a sense of what we’re missing. This,
mixed with a cliché or two, is often all some ever learn
of the destinations where they didn’t stay a while—or
perhaps didn’t visit at all.
This problem is compounded for the thousands of
small cities and towns that receive virtually no media atten-
tion and enjoy no cultural awareness whatsoever. But large
cities can also struggle with identifying their myriad quali-
ties and then targeting campaigns to interested parties.
Understanding what makes a place unique and culti-
vating branding strategies around these qualities can
bring tourist dollars, attract new businesses and promote
pride among residents.
Here are some strategies PPAI member distributors
have used to help communities advertise their unique
attributes.
Keeping it local.
A nonprofit representing municipal
governments in Georgia wanted to honor the state at an
PROMOTIONS
We
♥
Our Town
T
HOW DISTRIBUTORS HELP CLIENTS PROMOTE AND CELEBRATE THEIR HOME TURF
BY TAMA UNDERWOOD
68 •
PPB
• MAY 2015
THINK
201505_Promotions_PPB 2013 4/15/15 10:28 AM Page 68