Earlier this month, Tempe Tourism Office revealed its new brand identity — a culmination of more than a year of stakeholder and visitor research, industry observations and creative exercises helmed by Valley-based award-winning branding agency Attic Salt.
After 13 years of “Refreshingly Tempe,” the destination marketing organization set out to capture the essence of a city that’s welcoming, diverse and maturing through its continual evolution and innovation.
“Tempe is uniquely positioned at the heart of Arizona, specifically at the confluence of the nation’s fifth largest city and the magic of the Sonoran Desert,” said Michael Martin, Tempe Tourism Office President & CEO. “Outdoor recreation has always been an alluring aspect of our city. On the urban side, our destination has quite literally grown up in recent years. We set out to capture both aspects of who we are, too. In doing so, an unmistakable theme emerged.”
Brandmark
Tempe has long-been associated with Tempe Town Lake and its unmistakable bridges, but this branding exercise provided an opportunity to personify the significance of a key aspect we’re already identified by.
“Our brandmark is a symbol of Tempe, embodying the spirit of connectivity and exploration that our city offers,” Martin said. “It’s an abstract representation of a bridge, signifying our role as the link between travelers and the diverse experiences in Tempe. The design also conveys our commitment to bridging cultures, ideas, and communities, inviting visitors to explore and engage.”
The brandmark is complemented by an assortment of graphic expressions that further this visual representation, including archways and patterns created by the historic Mill Avenue Bridge’s architecture and also a series of pathway designs that reinforce these commitments and serves as an invitation to explore.
Personas
In preparation for this branding endeavor, Tempe Tourism Office partnered with Destination Analysts for an evaluation of current perceptions of Tempe and to gain a deep understanding of the types of leisure travelers our organization should prospect and market to.
This focus was supported by several other research objectives, which were to identify and explore high-affinity traveler personas that are most efficient to convert to Tempe visitors and represent the highest positive impact; Tempe’s assets, experiences and attributes that motivate visitation; and how to reach and inspire high-affinity traveler personas.
The top five personas, as defined by Destination Analysts, include:
Beer Lovers: These travelers take trips specifically to visit craft breweries, take brewery tours and enjoy local brews.
The Eventgoers: If there is a party to be enjoyed, they’re there. Whether it be nightclubs, concerts, block parties or festivals, they travel for the fun of being with, and meeting, friends.
Desert Doers: These travelers enjoy desert conditions and are motivated by the unique environment of these landscapes.
Foodies: These travelers live to post pictures of their culinary experiences in social media channels and seek travel experiences to add to their documentation of food they have tried.
The Artsy Crowd: These sophisticated arts patrons highly value and explore less pedestrian and more avant-garde museums and other cultural experiences while traveling.
“With this data, we’re able to craft our marketing efforts in such a way that we reach prospective travelers who are a great fit for our destination,” said Cristal Rodriguez, Tempe Tourism Office Director of Marketing. “We’re eager to pair this invaluable research with our new identity in our target travel markets to reach the most-likely travelers to visit Tempe.”
Next Steps
Tempe Tourism’s new visual identity will continue to roll out in the weeks to come, including an interim update to TempeTourism.com for a cohesive brand aesthetic and user experience. Behind the scenes, an entirely new website is in the works for 2025.
Additionally, Tempe Tourism has partnered with Miles Partnership, a strategic marketing consultancy focused exclusively on travel and tourism, effective fiscal year 2024-2025. The concept for our forthcoming marketing campaign is underway.
“Our goal was to create a brand that not only captures the spirit of the city but also resonates with travelers seeking unique and memorable experiences,” Rodriguez said. “Whether it’s hiking a mountain or climbing the stairs for a rooftop drink, our aim is to highlight the memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression — encouraging visitors to tie a thread to Tempe that tugs them back time and again. This refresh truly reflects the vibrant energy and evolving identity of Tempe and we’re extremely excited to share it.”
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