Elkins, W.Va. – Elkins-Randolph County Tourism Convention and Visitors Bureau has revealed Randolph County as “Authentic By Nature” for its newly developed tourism brand aimed at boosting visitor numbers to the area.
“We’re creating a new vision and direction for Randolph County and our first task was to develop an updated brand that reflects all of the County,” says Taira Landavere, Elkins-Randolph County Tourism’s Director of Marketing.
“Randolph County is a growing myriad of unique attractions, shops, restaurants and natural beauty. We’re building a brand that reflects this versatility.”
Since its inception in May 2018, Elkins-Randolph County Tourism CVB has wasted little time in getting started. The organization partnered with LMC & Associates, an Elkins based full-service integrated marketing agency, to begin construction and implementation of a strategic marketing plan.
To lay the groundwork for developing a brand, initial research was proposed to define target audiences and test out design concepts. The completed Regional Tourism Assessment Study includes details on attitudes and perceptions of out-of-state travelers in addition to results of logo, tagline and color palettes options.
“As an organization we love that we can say the brand is genuine and truthful because this was truly a ground-up process with the investment of an in-depth tourism study that the entire county can benefit from,” says Anne Beardslee, Executive Director.
Data collected from individuals living in a metropolitan area within five hours of Randolph County was influential in defining Randolph County’s visitor profile.
Nearly half of respondents surveyed considered themselves a “culture finder” while hiking and biking were a top reason to visit the region. Design concepts for brand development were also tested as part of the Study.
Overwhelmingly, those surveyed gravitated towards one logo and color palette.
The enclosed badge-style logo chosen is bold and rugged while showcasing a fun, handwritten tagline, ‘Authentic By Nature’. The logo paired with a denim blue and earthy clay color palette expresses Randolph County’s adventurous, one-of-a-kind nature.
“Our goal was to develop a brand that is a geographical representation of Randolph County and communicates the very essence of the West Virginia travel experience,” says Lori Chenoweth, owner of LMC & Associates. “A new brand should convey a strong message to visitors and be backed by research. We are confident in the CVB’s ability to strategically target visitors.”
“Our all-inclusive, interactive website will launch in March,” says Landavere. “The site will truly be a doorway to Randolph County for many visitors. Our goal is to welcome them online and inspire them to visit in person. Once we’ve got them here it’s up to us as a community to deliver the authentic experience we’re known for.”
Future tasks to further instill the brand message include storytelling video campaigns, digitized regional itineraries and a detailed county map.
