ABOUT
Just a few hours from most major cities in the Northeast, nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks is Washington County. Home to 837 square miles of astounding beauty and a wealth of attractions – from wineries, museums, and farm-to-table restaurants, to trails and several waterways to explore.
In 2017, BLKDOG won a bid to create and implement a successful consumer-facing brand for Washington County and a unique tourism promotion strategy that would positively benefit Washington County and better reflect its unique offerings.
Today, BLKDOG is the official Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA) for the county in charge of deploying a comprehensive marketing strategy year-round. Read on to learn more about how we helped to put Washington County on the map!
DELIVERABLES
Brand Strategy + Asset Design
Logo Development
Print + Digital Collateral
Email Marketing
Web Design + Development
Photography and Video Production
Media Purchasing
Event Promotion
SEE. TASTE. EXPLORE. WASHINGTON COUNTY
With the goals of increasing visitors, obtaining additional funds, and recruiting new businesses to come to the area, we leveraged the county’s many strengths, concisely organizing Washington County’s values, vision, and offerings into the core message and foundation of the brand.
These strengths identified are agri-tourism, recreational outdoor activities, arts, and craft beverages.
GROWTH METRICS
CONTENT MARKETING
Each year we rehash Washington County’s content goals, laying out all the content to be developed for the entire year including dates, channels, key messaging, as well as all other relevant details, while constantly measuring and adapting to results.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our daily strategy and plan of action for Washington County’s social media channels is focused on continued page growth and interaction online. Through original content, targeted social media posts (organic and paid), retargeting campaigns, lead generation campaigns, and user-generated content, we’ve grown their audience tremendously over the last 3 years.
WEBSITE
Our goal was to build a website that was well organized, up to date in functionality, and easy for users to navigate and discover events and activities in the county, while they interact with ease. By incorporating directory listings, events management, and ongoing content creation, we were able to create a robust web presence for the county and score some sweet real estate on the first page of search results.
VISUAL SYSTEM
After a thorough analysis of Washington County’s unique strengths, the organizations it represents, the interests of its target audience, and competitive analysis of neighboring counties, we developed a unique visual brand identity that represented an outdoorsy, adventurous, yet peaceful vibe to characterize Washington County.
Using bold colors and easily identifiable lettering, this fun, timeless look visually communicates the unique set of offerings that make Washington County a can’t-miss location to visit in Upstate New York.
DIGITAL ASSETS
In order to ensure brand cohesivity, we designed email marketing templates and a social media identity to consistently interact with Washington County’s audience. No matter the topic, from bird watching to beer tasting, those familiar with the area could identify the region across multiple online platforms.
MARKETING COLLATERAL
Our team utilized the eye-catching brand style in creating actionable, unique print materials to help position Washington County as a leader among other locations represented in visitor centers throughout the region. Offering branded event material, take-home assets like stickers and rack cards, and on-premise material for Washington County businesses helped to create brand awareness and introduce the new brand identity to the community.
BOTTOM LINE
Washington County Tourism has undergone a revitalization of its branding, online presence, and advertising. As a result, all interactions with tourists, locals, and businesses now provide a cohesive identity that has built up their brand awareness and retention.
