Having just returned from a few days of vacation-work, I was sent a document entitled “State Brand Index: How the World Sees State Brands”. It’s an interesting document outlining some theory and small tidbits of practice in how states brand themselves in order to beef up vacation and business travel, and how those messages relate to the overall revenue. It sort of missed the point that there are usually individual cities that drive up the public funds.

The way I see it, there are states that have to do a great deal more in order to gain awareness about what they have to offer, and states that don’t have to work very hard at it (if they don’t want to) merely because they have major tourist / business venues or the weather to support them. Here are a few states to think about. Add your own, feel free to comment, etc…

North Dakota

I’m starting out easy here. How many times have you said to the significant other, “Significant Other, we should go to North Dakota!” Chances are you’ve never said that. The people in the Great State of North Dakota really wish you would.

Florida

While Florida may seem like an easy target as “highly branded”, it’s more to the point that they know how to work other brands. Disney, Universal Studios , Mother Nature and your grandmother are powerful influences on why you would travel to this destination (and that’s just Orlando). There are a ton of vacation destinations and the Sunshine State does a great job attracting people to the small corners of the state. Florida would rate higher on my Index (if I had an Index) simply because there are a ton of well-known choices.

New York

Unlike Florida, the weather doesn’t really cooperate and unless you’re a huge sports fan, there aren’t a ton of places aside from in the City or up at the Falls that would find you suggesting a trip here these days. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there is a ton of great stuff to see / do. The problem is, they don’t brand it. They don’t even talk about it and I’m two states away. You would think I’d be in their prime demographic.

New Jersey

Guess which state rated as the lowest on the Index? New Jersey. It’s true. They have Atlantic City, Wildwood and a couple of really nice exits, but that’s about it. Again, it isn’t even a lack of “nice things to do”. It’s more that they don’t spend any public funding on branding their state.

Cities and states should recognize the power of regional advertising. I get more junk mail (no offense) from Montreal than I do about any other city, state or country. I know more about what’s happening this weekend from a direct mail piece than I do about any bordering state. That’s just simply odd.