Brand is not a logo. It’s every decision you make #6/20

Brand is one of the most misunderstood concepts in tourism.

It’s often reduced to a logo, colours, or a tagline.

But in reality, brand is how your business shows up — everywhere.

It’s the experience you deliver.

It’s how your staff interact with guests.

It’s the tone of your website.

It’s your pricing.

It’s what people say about you when you’re not there.

Over the years, I’ve worked on a number of projects where brand strategy has played a central role — particularly in positioning destinations and new visitor experiences.

Where brand is treated as a surface exercise, it has limited impact.

Where it is used as a decision-making framework, it becomes powerful.  Just look at my home state of Tasmania who has fostered a deep understanding of place and connection with its priority customer.  John Firzgerald, former and CEO and current CEO Sarah Clarke have tapped into the DNA of this island and the traveller most aligned with its offer and its values to become the highest appeal, premium destination in Australia.

A compelling brand guides:

·      Experience design

·      Service standards

·      Marketing content

·      Partnerships

·      Even pricing

Without a clear brand, decisions become inconsistent.

You end up with mixed signals:

·      A premium price with a mid-market experience

·      A strong website but weak on-site delivery

·      Good marketing that doesn’t match reality

That disconnect is felt by customers.

And in tourism, perception is everything.

A strong brand creates alignment.

It ensures that what you promise is what you deliver.

And when that happens consistently, it builds trust — which is one of the most valuable assets in tourism.

3 actions you can take now

1. Define your brand in simple terms:

   1. what you stand for (remember our ‘why’)

   2. who you’re for, and

   3. how you’re different.

2. Review your key touchpoints (website, experience, service) and measure alignment

3. Create a simple brand guideline and use it to guide long-term and immediate business decisions.

Once your brand is clear, the next challenge is communicating it.

Because in tourism, your content does the selling before the experience ever begins.

Next week, I’ll look at why content is far more than decoration — it’s what drives conversion.