A Brand Refresh for More Regional Coverage
Learn how a destination organization revamped its brand to better represent a wider region and its communities.
In May 2023, Visit Champaign County launched its rebrand to Experience Champaign-Urbana.
As Terri Reifsteck, the organization’s Vice President of Marketing and Communication says about it:
“As a result of market research, holding focus groups, testing advertising, and conducting surveys over the past year, we decided to embrace the name that is widely known to hundreds of thousands outside of our community, thanks to the brand recognition of the University of Illinois. Through this change, we will be able to engage with more people and shine a light on the entire Champaign-Urbana area, from as far north as Paxton, west to Monticello, and south to Sullivan. We will continue the work we have always done. Telling stories about the brilliant people, places, and events to explore through engaging content on our website, our social media channels, our videos, advertising, and much more”.
Having conversations with several stakeholders in the community, we were able to understand how the brand and the collateral developed by Experience Champaign-Urbana are key to economic development efforts in the region. Our team met with Rob Kowalski, Neighborhood Services Director for the City of Champaign, and Kowalski highlighted the important role Experience Champaign-Urbana is playing in extending the brand and generating activity by bringing the different units of government and the different stakeholders and unifying the voice of the destination.
The brand of the Champaign-Urbana area and the collateral that is developed by Experience Champaign-Urbana are major assets that partner organizations use. Carly McCrory-McKay, Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Organization highlighted the Champaign County Area Experience Guide as an effective tool.
In 2022, the guide won the Best Printed Collateral award at the Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism. The award, part of the Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards night, was especially deserved as the piece is written and designed entirely in-house. McCrory-McKay also highlighted how the two organizations co-branded to have consistent messaging and one voice in describing the area’s value proposition and differentiators, despite having separate missions.
The Destination Effect is a joint initiative by Destinations International and Tempest. To share your destination's success story, please email join@destinationeffect.com.
More Destination Effect Stories
One of Us
The Confluence of Workforce and the Destination Organization
Helping a Community Achieve Its Goals Through a Bike Race
The Opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum and the Power of Hidden Stories
Diversifying Tomorrow’s Talent in Charleston with New Industry Initiatives
How Choose Chicago is Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Leaders