PMVB Branding

THE STORY OF THE POCONO MOUNTAINS BRAND PROJECT

According to the U.S. Travel Association (TIA), the travel and tourism industry generates 7.5 million direct jobs, making it one of the country’s largest employment sectors. If it were not for the tax revenue created by the industry, every US household would pay an extra $965 in taxes each year. These statistics highlight how very important our industry is to our citizens, at every level.

The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) is thrilled to announce the results of our destination branding initiative. We have created a truly unique, distinctive destination brand for the Pocono Mountains, which we hope, will resonate with both visitors and industry stakeholders and allow the region’s tourism industry to prosper and stand out in the highly competitive marketplace.

We would like to share the story of this process and introduce the people and events leading to today.

BRAND ASSESSMENT

The PMVB developed the new Pocono Mountains Brand by conducting research to discover what local tourism industry stakeholders, community leaders, visitors, non-visitors, tour operators and meeting planners thought about our destination.

Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell (YPB&R), highly regarded for their market intelligence and annual National Travel Monitor™, conducted the brand assessment. Research included:

• i.d.e.a.s. patented two-day StoryJam™ session
• Stakeholder telephone interviews
• PMVB member/non-member surveys
• Focus group interviews of meeting planners, visitors and non-visitors
• Online quantitative study

BRAND PROMISE

From this research, the Pocono Mountains Brand Promise was developed:

To our visitors, the Pocono Mountains offer convenient, easily accessible Mountain, River, Lake, Place-in-the-Country travel experiences that enable you to get the most out of your time here and result in a lifetime of cherished memories with friends, family and colleagues.

BRAND CULTURE

The Brand Promise sets the stage for the culture that exists and will continue to evolve around the brand. The Brand Promise is influenced by many components, which were unearthed and shaped throughout the assessment process. These components include:

Pocono Mountains Brand Values:

• Preservation of the natural environment
• Preservation of small town character
• Responsible development
• Consumer centricity
• Genuine hospitality

Pocono Mountains Brand Pillars:

• Ease
• Authenticity
• Refreshment

BRANDING CAMPAIGN

To execute this branding campaign, the Executive Committee of the PMVB selected MMG Worldwide to develop a new brand identity and logo for the Pocono Mountains. In addition, they have created a marketing campaign based on the brand promise.

The campaign capitalizes on the fact that time is the traveling public’s most precious commodity, and that the location of the Pocono Mountains is ideally suited to allowing visitors to make the most of their treasured vacation time. MMG Worldwide also noted the exciting new investments happening in this legendary vacation destination to make it a perfect recreation place away from everyday pressures…a place to do what you want when you want to do it. So…

BRAND SHOWCASE

- Bus Wraps
- Spring Ad
- Meeting Ad

BRAND BUILDERS

• PMVB Executive Committee & Staff
• Pocono Mountains Tourism and Hospitality Industry Stakeholders
• Pocono Mountains Community Stakeholders
• YPB&R
• MMG Worldwide
• Lou Hammond & Associates
• i.d.e.a.s.
• Miles Media Group

Through focus groups, interviews and surveys:

• Consumers
• Meeting Planners
• Tour Operators

PRESS RELEASES

• Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau Plans to Deliver Its “Brand Promise”
• A Destination Whose Time Has Come…Again
• Visitors Bureau To Let Consumers Know “It’s Time” For the Pocono Mountains

For further information, please contact David West at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.