What are two of the most common responses from outsiders when
San Benito County comes up in conversation?
”
Where is that?
”
and
”
Did you say San Bernardino?
”
What are two of the most common responses from outsiders when San Benito County comes up in conversation?
“Where is that?” and “Did you say San Bernardino?”
Whether it is geographic isolation, getting shrouded in the prominence of San Jose and San Francisco, or a general lack of aggressive marketing, the area tends to get lost in the shuffle when it comes to drawing tourists or getting others to notice it.
You can’t control the first two, but you can do a lot for the economic well-being of a community – just as private companies and smarter local communities customarily do – by finding a fresh, relevant branding strategy. The Hollister Downtown Association has taken the lead – with the help of $10,000 in total from the city and Community Foundation of San Benito County – in moving ahead to hire a consultant that will develop a focused branding campaign.
Although it is a worthy pursuit in general, a problem remains in that developing a brand for the city – and focusing such marketing efforts toward upping name recognition for Hollister – would dilute prospects to do the same for San Benito County, which heavily trumps Hollister when it comes to drawing outsiders. Within county limits, outside of the city, there is an array of attractions with vast potential to draw tourists.
Think Pinnacles National Monument, the San Benito County Wine Trail, Mission San Juan Bautista, Hollister Hills, Clear Creek Management Area (before it was in limbo). Think agrotourism.
All of the main draws for the area are in the county limits, so why not focus a branding and marketing campaign on attracting outsiders to the entire community? Why not use our most unique and desirable resources – all of the aforementioned county attractions and others – to draw in visitors? What is there about Hollister in particular that stands to provide any kind of spark toward increasing outsiders’ traffic? With all due respect, very few people are coming to Hollister just to visit the downtown shops (you could hear a pin drop on Black Friday morning). Few people are coming here because they like our Target better than their communities’ stores. Few families are willing to pile the kids in the van to drive here for a picnic at Dunne Park.
Every small city, after all, cannot see the same success in branding their quaintness and charm as Los Gatos or Paso Robles.
Much the same way an “anchor” store or restaurant can provide a wide breadth of traffic for surrounding businesses, Pinnacles, the wineries and other recreational venues have the potential to provide a lot of resultant business for other merchants throughout the City of Hollister and other places such as Tres Pinos and San Juan, as visitors are destined to use services and visit retailers while in town.
Though on a much larger scale, communities surrounding Yosemite National Park and Napa Valley have used those attractions to their benefit while marketing their towns as being part of the experience, or as a “gateway” to the main attraction. In our case, that could be a trip to Pinnacles National Monument.
While the HDA has good intentions in focusing on the city – and had the foresight to expand beyond the downtown area – Hollister and outlying areas within the county would be much better served through a collaborative effort that also involves other organizations, such as the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau and the Economic Development Corp.
Branding does make sense. If you need proof that the biggest and best in the marketing business appreciate its value, consider that Starbucks last week announced a change to its logo – for the fourth time in its history – to encompass the company’s expectations to expand beyond just coffee in its product offerings.
It also seems appropriate to hire the consultant from South Carolina, as they are experts with an abundance of experience in branding for other communities and came at a relatively low cost, compared with much higher price tags and less relevant experience locally. As approved, the consultant would come to Hollister for a three-day workshop, and that would offer anyone with interest the chance to get involved in the process.
That process is worth the prospective benefits, as long as the county as a whole and its many treasures are not forgotten.
