Key Challenge
In Texas, it's called walking. McKinney has a solid dose of Texas swagger and a tendency to do things their own way. But their location – in the mammoth shadow of the Dallas Metroplex – meant they were often viewed as a cookie cutter bedroom community. How, then, to help this unique community break out of the mold and show the world that McKinney’s got its own?
Critical Insight
North Star’s research showed that McKinney is very different from Dallas and other surrounding cities. Those differences include rolling hills, lots of green space, lots of attitude and lots of opportunity. Guess that’s why it’s the fastest growing city in the nation!
Brand Strategy
For people who like to do things their own way, McKinney is a one-of-a-kind town near – but not shadowed by – Dallas, where even Mother Nature feels free to stand out from the crowd so you have the confidence of knowing “McKinney’s got its own.”
Initial Concepts
Evolution of the Idea
Brand Action
Bringing a two-dimensional brand to life in a three-dimensional community takes a strong brand action plan. Following are a sampling of action ideas from the hundreds developed specifically for McKinney. All were designed to help them wear their brand like a second skin.
- Create a central portal - Your web site should be the hub of all information for your community. Toward this end, create a
central portal within the site with links to each community/county as well as all areas of
industry and business within the city including real estate, tourism, recreation, restaurants and
health care. This allows Internet surfers to easily access comprehensive information while
allowing each industry/business to maintain independence. McKinney quickly put this idea to work - check out www.uniquebynature.org
- Create a collaborative video- Extend the logic behind creating your collaborative brochure to the realm of collaborative video production. The dynamic nature of the medium allows the uniqueness of McKinney to
come across to prospects and tourists. Best of all, digital distribution channels are extremely affordable. For example, place the video on websites and on continuous reels at Welcome Centers; also attach it to outbound emails and use as an inexpensive fulfillment piece.
Click here to view the video that McKinney has developed Unique by Nature Video
- Develop downtown with charming details - Enhance the charm of historic downtown McKinney by installing banners and old fashioned street lamps. Banners serve as unique signage that complement the architecture of downtown, celebrate seasonality and can be used to promote special events. Below is a photo of the banners currently hanging in McKinney's downtown square.
Press
It's Personal: Slogans Can Help Cities Capture a Unique Identity
McKinney's Marketing Second to None
Results
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“Unique by nature.” branding has won multiple awards:
- IABC Bronze Quill for "Best Marketing Communication"
- IABC Bronze Quill for "Best Strategic Communication"
- 3CMA Savvy Award
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Launched http://www.uniquebynature.org, a portal linking all City and brand-partner web sites
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In 2006, McKinney’s hotel/motel tax was up 22% over 2005 - with no new properties online
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In 2006 city sales tax revenue was up 17%
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McKinney’s estimated population as of Oct. 1, 2004 (4 months before brand launch) – 93,062
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McKinney’s estimated population as of Oct. 1, 2005 (8 months after brand launch) – 100,000
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McKinney’s estimate population as of Oct. 1, 2006 (1 year and 8 months after brand launch) – 112,000
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More than $1 billion invested and 5 million new square feet of development in McKinney in 2006
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McKinney is becoming a destination for Green, environmentally-friendly businesses
- Wal-Mart’s “McKinney Experiment” store, a testing ground for Green practices, opened in July 2005; it is one of only two in the nation
- McKinney Green Office Building, a 61,000 square-foot LEED Platinum certified building opened in April 2006
- Pat Lobb Toyota of McKinney, which is the world’s first LEED® certified car dealership, opened in August 2006
