Houston's place brand unification project

Entered by Houston First CorporationIn May 2021, Houston led an ambitious project designed to develop a unified brand identity for the 4th largest city in America. And at its core was the most comprehensive brand modelling research project in the city’s history.The brand identity needed to be inclusive of all industries: tourism; economic development; entertainment; sports; film; etc. And as the most diverse city in the nation – a city with no ethnic majority – it was imperative that the brand authentically reflects the community’s sentiment. The process was not about finding a tag line for Houston or establishing a ‘new’ Houston, but rather to enhance and highlight Houston’s brand attributes.Conducting a brand unification project for a major metro area during the height of a global pandemic will probably never be the opening line of a recovery plan. However, in 2021 and still today, the one positive thing that came from the pandemic was a heightened sense of interpersonal awareness and appreciation / longing for connectivity – allowing for deeper, more comprehensive responses.To ensure the foundation of this project was built on authenticity, they engaged two global research firms, Resonance and OmniTrak Group, to work together for the first time on a Mixed Methods Research Project. The team’s quest to uncover their brand would require deep, meaningful, and inclusive insight.These two firms had clear strengths that were so glaringly harmonious that all they needed to do was ensure the right project architecture was in place. OmniTrak Group is a strategic research firm within the destination space, and Resonance Consultancy is a team of creative place makers in tourism and economic development.Houston also had an advantage other cities didn’t: Mayor Sylvester Turner. Houston has a strong mayoral form of government, and their Mayor wanted this project to succeed, so he ensured that any major institution that marketed and promoted Houston offered full participation. The first deliverable sought to frame their challenge and understand what makes Houston unique, define key characteristics and differentiators, and identify features that related with audiences.A thorough one-of-a-kind research process covers perception, performance, and aspiration across four different audience types to unpack Houston’s quality of life:Houston’s Performance against 15 peer metros, across 6 categories: Place, Promotion, Product, Programming, Prosperity, PeoplePerception from residents, talent and investorsAspiration from Houston business, community and cultural leadersThe Peer Metro Study and Resident Analysis conducted by OmniTrak provided insights which were more emotional and experiential in nature based on consumer responses to 14 attitudinal statements in four key areas: Emotion, Quality, Experience, and Service. These were compared with defined competitors, and Houston owned one very clear attribute – ‘Shares My Value.’Results from Resonance Consultancy’s unaided research with talent and stakeholder groups – conducted separate and apart from OmniTrak – revealed that the sentiment pointed to a clear emotion, Belonging.Destination branding attempts usually fail because once the project is complete, there is a rush to implementation, which usually starts with a press release. It is almost guaranteed that branding efforts are confused with a new marketing campaign.Then came the click-bait headlines prompting viewers to vote on whether they like it. The effort is reduced to a gimmick. This implementation needed to be steady and disciplined. In October 2021, research along with messaging workshops had concluded and a Houston’s Power of Together Brand Playbook was unveiled along with three foundational brand truths:Houston is a tapestry of cultures whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.In Houston, people can be themselves and they can build a future of their own.Houston empowers people to succeed. The community collaborates to build a shared future and a better city.Because the team took the time to uncover the brand alongside their partners, because they were committed to authenticity, and because they chose to introduce partners to what they uncovered about the destination rather than forcing them to use it, they have seen a natural integration. Within just six months, there has been broad adoption of brand messaging, from professional sports teams to METRO to Arts and Culture.The biggest single result achieved is that the Houston Brand Project has unified more than just their brand. For the first time, the most influential organisations responsible for marketing and selling Houston are working in alignment and towards a common goal – to further enhance Quality of Place.In June 2022, Houston was named a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the local organising committee, working with US Soccer and FIFA, are integrating the Power of Together playbook into Houston event marketing leading up to 2026.

Houston's place brand unification project

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