The city of Emporia is located in the heart of east-central Kansas, and was undergoing a transformation. Emporia was evolving beyond their brand as a tourist destination, and was in need of a brand reposition.
In 2014, I was part of the team at IM Design Group that was commissioned to help develop this position and create a new visual identity for the city. Our inspiration was the quirky and playful nature of the city itself. We created an identity that is fun and exciting and shows that small town life in Kansas is more adventurous than most people can imagine. Conventional small town branding has a tendency to be generic. We tried to avoid this at all costs and make Emporia’s identity as unique and vibrant as the city.
I created a complete brand strategy for the Emporia CVB, including discovering core attributes, ideal audiences, repositioning and creating brand stories.
Emporia is your favorite destination to experience authentic Kansas. The unique landscape and history of the Flint Hills has shaped a distinctive way of life for the hard-working and fun-loving residents. Natural outdoor adventures, a creative spirit, and sense of entrepreneurship combine to give this small-town an enthusiasm and energy not found elsewhere, and give visitors a sense that they belong here.
The Emporia Visitors Guide is a yearly magazine that promotes attractions and events in the city. With 25,000 printed copies, this magazine presents the vibe and the fun of Emporia. Disc golf and endurance gravel cycling are two of the main draws to the city and pull in tens of thousands of visitors every year, to they are prominently promoted in the guide.
Awards:
1st Place - 2019 Medium Budget Outsourced Visitors Guide - Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK)
2017-2018 - Total of 9 additional TIAK Awards
Our mission was to review all the marketing material for the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau and create a coherent brand throughout all their communication media. We needed to move away from the generic "Small Town, Anywhere, USA" imagery that had been used in the past. We created clean and colorful layouts for all marketing materials that would be instantly eye-catching.
Awards:
1st Place - 2019 Medium Budget Integrated Campaign - Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK)
2017-2018 - Total of 9 additional TIAK Awards
Want to learn my process for free and try it for yourself? I've developed a FREE downloadable guide to give you the tools to discover your brand’s core identity and position your business yourself.
