Industry
Services
The Challenge
When we started working with Brookhaven, they were an entirely new brand — nothing existed. We needed to create a brand from scratch and bring it to life. When compared with nearby competitor destinations, Brookhaven had the least audience awareness, presenting an opportunity to shape the destination’s story for potential travelers. For this entirely new brand, launch efforts focused on building a strong identity and driving awareness. Zehnder needed to effectively introduce Brookhaven – targeting local, leisure, and “bleisure” audiences with paid, earned, and owned channels – to create a distinctive identity among well-known cities in metro Atlanta.
The Strategy
Zehnder worked with research firm Brand Science to conduct one-on-one interviews and group meetings, gaining critical insights about the City’s unique selling proposition. Brookhaven needed its own authentic identity to overcome the “sea of sameness” occurring with neighboring competitors.
Our first priority was to create an ownable, unique brand that would differentiate Brookhaven from competitors. We began by establishing the CVB’s destination brand name, choosing “Explore Brookhaven” to distinguish the CVB from other state and regional entities.
We drew on research findings to develop the brand look, feel, and tone. The common themes identified included a strong sense of belonging and community, abundant parks and green spaces, walkable neighborhoods, family-friendly activities, easy access to the surrounding Atlanta metro areas, and excellent food and dining experiences.
Zehnder’s Creative team distilled these characteristics into a new logo, tagline, and brand positioning with an approved Brand Promise that defined the essence of the destination. The result was a streamlined, contemporary logo that communicated the natural beauty of Brookhaven and positioned it as an approachable respite from the busy rush of Atlanta.
Then, we developed an information-rich website introducing prospective guests and locals to the new brand. Our team started from scratch, using collaborative sessions with our client to create an engaging and user-friendly online experience with a content-driven, blog-like approach. With the diverse categories of the user-generated site, target audiences had a virtually endless supply of relevant details. Whether spotlighting the latest chef-owned restaurant opening or promoting hot local events nearby, site visitors could effortlessly find information. The design also leveraged original photography and visuals to highlight Brookhaven’s distinctive neighborhoods, parks, restaurants, and shops.
The Results
The paid media plan employed a strategic mix of digital and traditional media to reach target audiences during critical moments in the decision-making process. Our efforts focused on capturing audience attention, helping visitors envision themselves spending an afternoon, evening, or weekend in Brookhaven.
Immersive content was leveraged to help them customize their own Brookhaven experience. Mediums included print ads and advertorials, digital banner ads, native content, programmatic display ads, social media ads, and search engine marketing with destination keywords. Out-of-home advertising like billboards and airport signage was also used as a high-reach tactic to get Explore Brookhaven in front of travelers coming through the busy Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson airport or driving on the busy roads in the metro area.
This carefully planned mix of heavily targeted digital ads paired with strong local awareness drove brand awareness at every turn, reinforcing Brookhaven’s new identity, look, feel, and tone.
As a result, the brand was well-received by the City, its key stakeholders, and area restaurants and businesses. Despite launching during a global pandemic, Explore Brookhaven’s website enabled the city to successfully tell its story and solidify its position as a desirable destination.
Dive in with Z
Zehnder is always on the lookout for great collaborators. From clients aspiring to drive sustainable growth to fresh talent hoping to join the team, we welcome you to drop us a line. We’ll be in touch!
