Branding Kitsap . . . again

I've followed the conversations on branding Kitsap (County or Peninsula).  Actually I've followed it over the 8 years I was involved in tourism and the subject came up many times.

First, I strongly believe that any marketing effort needs to be for the Kitsap Peninsula.  There are counties everywhere.  The word "county" is in no way unique, enticing, or welcoming.  "Peninsula" says water, accessible (not an island), has romance and intrigue.  From a tourism point of view the word, "Peninsula" is an invaluable tool that very few can claim.  Regional or geographic marketing is getting a lot of attention and proving far more effective than "city" or "county" or "state" marketing.

Tourists don't care about imaginary lines across the highway.  They do understand crossing a bridge or taking a ferry.  They know they have arrived somewhere when they land on the "other side" of a beautiful ferry ride or wide expanse of steel and concrete.  Crossing water is something very few can claim.  Branding the "Peninsula" would take more coordination and collaboration but how amazing if Kitsap could move beyond the few collaborative efforts (the peninsula wide Museum brochure and others) to a truly peninsula wide effort to market the area.

Back when Kitsap 20/20 was being developed a lot of community members, leaders and government officials gave a lot of their time to develop a "plan" for Kitsap.  It was primarily "county" but there was extensive discussion, especially in the tourism committee, about "peninsula".  There was also a sub committe on marketing that took on the task of "branding".

The brading that came out of the Marketing committee was "Kitsap, Soul of the Sound".  It has a nice sound and was based on all of the following and more - I don't remember the long list of thoughts:

• Home and burial place of Chief Sealth (Seattle) 
• Music, waterfront concerts a part of every community. 
• Heritage includes all things northwest: timber industry, maritime industry, fishing industry, military.
• Cultural diversity: Native American plus multiple other ethnic groups that settled here.
• Surrounded by mountains and water and natural beauty.
• Access to one of the most beautiful large cities, and one of the most beautiful, remote National Parks.

I believe the KEDA board approved it (it was at least discussed by them) and the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau bought the domain http://www.soulofthesound.com/. 

All that work and here we go again, spending time and money to again "create" a "brand".  Money that will take away from actually marketing.

Kitsap is uniquely special.  We are not a county with boundries on four sides bordering other counties.  Kitsap is literally the "Great Peninsula" (the real name) surrounded by some of the best that nature and man have created.  We are an electic collection of wonderful communities, each a chapter in the Kitsap story.  We are almost completely surrounded by water and nature and we are a natural recreation area.  We have so much to offer.  I hope that any new "branding" effort captures the uniqueness of Kitsap and doesn't fall back on the over used terms that could describe most any area across the county.

Soul of the Sound - at least add it to the conversation.