Industry
Services
The Challenge
Our initial research showed the destination suffered from low brand awareness. Less than half of visitors knew they were in South Walton, and recall for existing advertising compared to competitive destinations remained flat.
For this project, the legal name of the Tourist Development Council, the brand name of the TDC, and the name of the destination itself all had to be considered for brand evolution. We needed to create a new brand identity in order to:
- Increase legibility
- Aesthetically appeal to an upscale audience
- Develop a quick, recognizable visual anchor point icon
- Overcome confusion over the use of “Walton County Tourism” as the organization and “South Walton” as the destination
- Spotlight the geographic location of the destination
The Strategy
Zehnder worked with Walton County Tourism’s research firm, Downs & St. Germain Research, to design and conduct a consumer survey to explore effectiveness and collect key impressions of new logo concepts.
The study evaluated everything from consumer impressions about affluence, brand attitudes, and widespread appeal to audience evaluation of the logo concepts against brand terminology. This helped us test the pragmatic effectiveness of concepts like instant readability and recall.
After this research, we took a boots-on-the-ground approach to capture the essence of South Walton and share it with new and repeat visitors via:
- Rebranding and logo development
- Innovative media planning in more than 15 markets
- Original social media and engagement campaigns
- Website development
- Engaging television and radio commercials
- Consumer promotions and airport takeovers in emerging markets
- Video vignette series highlighting key attractions and activities such as eco-exploring, wine-tasting, shopping, dining, and family-friendly beach fun
- Mobile application development to help visitors “find your perfect beach”
- Merchandise including hats, t-shirts, sunscreen, cups, towels, and more
- On-site signage and wayfinding systems
- Sponsorship and event participation
- Blogger outreach and relations
- Co-op sales program with bed tax collectors
The Results
In recent years, Zehnder’s role evolved as the client’s purview expanded beyond the beaches, into the more rural lands north. After a tax referendum was passed to collect tourist development tax north of Choctawhatchee Bay, Zehnder not only branded the new taxing district – Authentic Walton – but rebranded the tourism organization to Walton County Tourism. Beyond the destination and organization brands, Zehnder also spearheaded an affiliation with Keep America Beautiful and developed Keep Walton County Beautiful to ensure the destination remains pristine.
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!
