As the economy of Oklahoma changes and more effort is made to promote northwest Oklahoma, local groups have wondered what the best way is to promote Enid.
Those groups have begun researching on what people think about Enid and what the city has to offer. They will introduce a “brand” for the city soon.
Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance, said the process began about two years ago. The regional development alliance purchased advertising in Oklahoma Today magazine. When they received the magazine they found both Main Street Enid and Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau had separate advertising.
“Our marketing was not consistent and organized,” Kisling said.
A First for Enid - About a year ago, a team called Enid First was organized consisting of Main Street, the city of Enid, Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau and Enid Regional Development Alliance, groups that do most of the advertising outside the city. Enid First gathers monthly for brief meetings about what the groups are promoting that month.
“We quickly figured out Enid doesn’t have a specific message we’re trying to share. Some are highlighting jobs, some shopping, some Vance Air Force Base, but it’s not consistent,” he said.
The groups began an effort to brand the community when the Enid First team partnered with the Enid News & Eagle for a series of stories about the areas in which Enid is first or excels. Kisling said it provided a list of stories people can use to brag about Enid.
A number of surveys also were accomplished, including one by Berkeley Young Associates that asked visitors what they thought of the community and would like to see.
Hitting the books - From the information gathered, Enid First developed a “brand book” that can be used for marketing the community. Over the next several months, Kisling said that book will be turned into marketing.
“We had to figure our product, and we did that in 2011,” Kisling said.
The brand will focus on what makes Enid unique, such as its history and heritage, but encompasses more.
“People raced and fought to inhabit this land, but also where do we want to be in the next 10 years, or 20 years, and the vibrancy the community has now,” Kisling said.
More than a logo - A brand is not a tag line or a logo, but the emotion people feel when they think of the product. McDonald’s has had many tag lines and is more than a big yellow M, he said. The same is true for Nike and Chicago and New York.
The next steps are to take the brand book that describes what the community wants to market and develop advertising for a nationwide promotion. That promotion will contribute to Enid’s web presence and make sure everyone is selling the same thing.
“It’s been fascinating so far,” Kisling said.
The principal people involved are staff members of the Enid First organizations. They also work on front-line employees who meet the public in customer service positions every day and train them to know what there is to do in Enid, so they can tell their customers.
“The salespeople for Enid are more than the chamber and the alliance, and we must make sure everyone is on the same page,” Kisling said.
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