摘要: |
Branding products has become a critical business strategy in today's market. Brands differentiate a product, presell a product, and 'guarantee' a product. Without a brand, scenic highways simply become designated miles of roadway. The byway community asked the Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program (NSBP) to take the lead in developing and building a brand for the collection of nationally designated roads. NSBP has been researching, defining, and beginning to build a brand for the collection of roads designated as National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads in recognition of their archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities. There are 72 such designated byways in 32 states. These roads have now been given the brand designation "America's Byways," as a result of the efforts of a 17-member marketing project group representing state and national entities. This article discusses the importance of brands, why a brand is important to America's Byways, the benefits of the Byway brand designation for travelers and stakeholders, efforts to build the brand, and key decisions and lessons learned during the process. |