Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau rolls out its new 'branding' strategy for visitor marketing

The Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau is rolling out a new “branding” strategy to connect visitor attractions in different communities of the 25,000-square mile borough with a common theme.

Tourists come to Mat-Su to pursue a wide range of activities and the new branding will encourage people to look beyond one community, flight-seeing from Talkeetna to trekking on the Matanuska Glacier in Glacier View, to see what else is enjoyable in the region, according to Casey Ressler, CEO of the convention and visitors bureau.

Many tour operators bring visitors to Palmer and Wasilla, for example, without realizing that there is an entire region offering opportunities for enjoyable experiences.

The new plan has been in development for a year by the convention bureau with CivicBrand, a Colorado company specializing in regional visitor industry marketing that was retained to provide assistance.

The company was paid $50,000 under the contract, which came from the convention bureau’s budget.

“We believe this is a very good investment to enhance awareness of Mat-Su and grow our tourism,” Ressler said.

“This project set out to define a strong and cohesive brand for the Mat-Su, one that unites its diverse communities, landscapes and local partners under a clear identity and message,” he said.

The branding will strengthen regional recognition in an effort aimed at independent travelers, among others, and will allow Mat-Su visitor-related businesses to download new logos and other materials from the convention bureau’s website to incorporate them into individual marketing plans.

Local marketing will be assisted by things like a visual graphic highlighting a community attraction or activity, like a flightseeing plane for Talkeetna, the water tower in Palmer and clock tower in Wasilla, linked with an underlying logo for Mat-Su that will link it all together and reinforce the message, Ressler said.

Developing the plan involved an intensive collaboration with local partners including visitor businesses and residents in a process to define what makes Mat-Su unique and to communicate that.

A slogan for the initiative is still under development, but an initial one, still a work in progress, is “Mat-Su: Alaska on your terms” he said. “This an exciting time for our visitor industry. We’re launching a new brand identity with a complete website design to follow,” Ressler said.

The branding campaign also features badges with the slogan "Mat-Su Made" for local business. The Frontiersman newspaper now features the Mat-Su Made badge on the front page of the print edition.

At the same time construction is proceeding on the new $8.7 million Gateway Visitor Center, which is on the Glenn Highway near the intersection with the Parks Highway. The project is on schedule, on budget and set for completion and a grand opening next spring, he said.

The building will be closed in and essentially finished by the end of the year, which will allow interior work such as on interpretive displays to begin in January.

Bids for construction and materials were “locked in” early by Steppers Construction, the Wasilla-based contractor, so that the project cost will not be materially affected by the recent inflation in construction materials such as steel. Much of the material has already been delivered and is in the yard at Steppers, Ressler said.