Fayetteville tourism is getting a new look.
The city’s convention and visitors bureau today unveiled new branding that includes an updated logo, a redesigned website and a new marketing campaign.
Now known as Experience Fayetteville, the bureau is responsible for promoting the city to potential visitors as part of the Advertising and Promotion Commission’s overall goal of increasing the economic impact of tourism in the city.
The bureau’s last brand refresh took place in early 2009 when the “Are you feeling Fayetteville?” tagline was unveiled to coincide with a new logo. The bureau later dropped the tagline and began using the “Experience Fayetteville” slogan in select marketing materials and as its website address.
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A new vision and direction is one of the first tasks the commission assigned to its new executive director Molly Rawn in July 2016. Rawn took over the commission following the resignation of Kym Hughes, who was hired in late 2014 to replace the group’s 22-year leader Marilyn Heifner.
Rawn worked with Fayetteville-based marketing agency BLKBOX, which was hired by the commission in March 2016, to help identify the new direction and create the updated look. It’s the same company responsible for several local brands including Onyx Coffee Lab and Ozark Beer Co.
Rawn said pinpointing what makes Fayetteville so great was more difficult that expected.
“Fayetteville is a melting pot of attractions, restaurants, entertainment venues, people, natural beauty and nightlife,” said Rawn. “There’s not just one singular thing. It is an experience, and one that is different for everyone from day to day.”
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That versatility, she said, is also woven into the new look.
Instead of the traditional red cursive lettering used previously, the new logo features a vibrant orange color and a more modern-looking typeset that’s flexible enough to be pulled apart to fit into a variety of applications.
Rawn said the new vision is about more than just a logo.
To help develop the new vision, she and the team at BLKBOX identified three distinct visitor profiles to pursue in the bureau’s upcoming marketing campaign: culturalists that are largely millennial tourists who travel because the overall culture of a place has engaged them; naturalists that seek an abundance of natural beauty and outdoor experiences; and weekenders who are looking for a weekend getaway destination.
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Rawn said the bureau’s contracted marketing firm the Sells Agency has already begun integrating the new branding into print advertisements, video pre-roll, and ExperienceFayetteville.com through its Pixel Perfect website design and development team.
“For many tourists, ExperienceFayetteville.com is the front door to our city,” Rawn said. “We want to welcome them, intrigue them and encourage them to visit us in person.
“Once they’re here, we will deliver that unforgettable experience and Ozark hospitality we’re known for.”
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