January 2012
-- By John F. Favalo, Managing Partner, Eric Mower and Associates Anybody ever break a promise to you? Unfortunately, broken promises litter the roadsides of life and business like so much paper and rusty cans. They are annoying, ugly and just plain disrespectful. Maybe you can excuse one broken promise, if it’s a little one. But, if someone makes a habit of going back on their word, well, you leave him in the rearview without caring what your tires spit back. Brands – those things we buy and trust, like Coca-Cola®, Apple® and IBM® – are promises. They promise the benefits you expect and pay for. If they don’t, you never buy them again. Several months ago, my company, Eric Mower + Associates (EMA), joined The Development Corporation (TDC) on a journey to find the elements of a brand for Clinton County, a promise made to stakeholders, communities and business leaders who would locate facilities here. The essence of this brand had to be a promise that was very special, but could never be broken. Our journey began by talking to people who know The Development Corporation, what it does for Clinton County and what it wanted to do – attract more businesses and jobs to the Plattsburgh area. Also, we spoke with people who moved their businesses here to gauge the experience of selecting Clinton County. We analyzed other cities and locations to learn what they promised. We studied the actions of the people who advised business leaders what locations to consider. The hundreds of pages of notes boiled down to clear roadmap with these key points:
Now, we had to create a connection between these business needs and what Clinton County had to offer, not only rationally as a physical location, but also emotionally through the personality behind the promise:
With this, EMA’s strategy and creative teams went out to find the core promise. Where did we arrive? Not just a place, a partnership. Not just a site, a solution. TDC’s people will always work toward building partnerships and solutions for the businesses that entrust their futures to Clinton County. With our promise made, we had to develop a way to express it in an attracting and compelling way. We took a bold, deep red and with it framed an arresting visual that played up the contrast of dark warehouse doors opening on a brilliant autumn landscape. Silhouetted were two business figures engaged in a clearly important conversation. We complemented this big picture with a headline perfect in its delivery of the brand promise: Come here and your business can go anywhere. This brand expression has become the platform for TDC’s and Clinton County’s communications on its new website, at the airport, in advertising and throughout its marketing programs. It’s the expression of a promise that will shape everything TDC does for the businesses it visits in Canada, across the country and across the globe. Come here and your business can go anywhere – it’s the expression of a promise that will never be broken. John Favalo is Managing Partner for Group B2B at Eric Mower + Associates, a marketing communications agency with six offices, four in New York State. He can be reached at jfavalo@mower.com.
