Client: Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Will Slogan Help Market Yarmouth?

By: Marc Parry - Staff Writer
May 14, 2005

Here's a multiple choice question. If you had to boil down the essence of Yarmouth to a slogan no longer than seven words, which of the following would it be:

(A) Yarmouth - The original family beach trip.

(B) Yarmouth - Closer to everything you are looking for.

(D) Yarmouth - Cape Cod. Within Reach.

If you picked ''D,'' pat yourself on the back.

That's the slogan announced this week by a consulting group working on a project to ''brand'' this Mid-Cape town.
The goal is to help Yarmouth better market itself to tourists. North Star Destination Strategies, also came up with a logo, sample ads and tons of data about who's visiting Yarmouth and from where.
North Star interviewed dozens of visitors, surveyed hundreds of local ''opinion leaders'' and studied a year's worth of hotel data. Though they considered the other slogans and several more, the ''within reach'' line emerged as the clear favorite.

Their reasoning: Yarmouth's Mid-Cape setting makes it a logical base for day trips. It's pretty affordable. And it lacks a focal point by which it can define itself, so it made sense to hitch the town to the high-voltage Cape Cod brand.

Plus, Yarmouth had to stake out fresh territory. Dennis has ''The Heart of Cape Cod.'' Sandwich has ''The Best of the Cape, Remarkably Close.'' Orleans has ''The Perfect Cape Location.''

The people who are visiting Yarmouth come mainly from four areas, the survey found: Boston, Hartford/New Haven, New York and Providence/New Bedford.

But the information is much more specific than that. A Yarmouth visitor is likely to drink Berringer domestic wine, read Conde Nast Traveler magazine and own or lease a new Cadillac, for example.

The consultants presented an overview of their preliminary data to selectmen Tuesday. The business community will use the final data to market Yarmouth to tourists and town officials will also use it as they study redeveloping Yarmouth's village centers, said Robert DuBois, executive director of the Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

DuBois hopes to see the slogan and logo in circulation as early as this summer. They could go anywhere from beach and golf course signs to business brochures to brass plaques on locally made furniture.

Now, another multiple choice question. What consumer product does Yarmouth most resemble?

(A) Mr. Potato Head.

(B) A recliner.

When the consultants presented to opinion leaders this question (without choices), a recliner was the most common answer. But somebody actually did write ''Mr. Potato Head,'' the classic toy.

''Because we have all these different parts you can put together and make it what you want it to be and have fun with it,'' DuBois said.

Published: May 14, 2005)