The Madison County Tourism office unveiled a new logo and tagline at the organization’s Annual Dinner held at the Lincklaen House in Cazenovia on April 21.
“We had two goals for this project,” said Dr. Joan Johnson, President of Madison County Tourism. “First, we wanted to develop a new logo that would clearly portray tourism in Madison County and reflect how the county should be perceived by its businesses and visitors. Second, we wanted to develop a new tagline that highlights what is essential about tourism in Madison County.”
Johnson noted that Madison County Tourism’s research indicated that its former logo and tagline were not fully addressing certain key communication challenges, which prompted the development of the new logo and tagline. Specifically, the logo and tagline need to reflect the county’s greatest assets, which research identified as its natural beauty, antiques, major events, food & beverages and Agritourism. Next, the logo and tagline need to counter the reality that many prospective visitors do not know where Madison County is. Lastly, they need to encourage people to visit for reasons in addition to seeing family and friends and the county’s colleges, which are the top reasons why visitors currently come to Madison County.
The new logo addresses two of these communication challenges. The contemporary design visually connects with the county’s greatest asset—natural beauty—by using earth tone colors and shapes that symbolize flowing waterways, winding roads and gentle hills. Also, incorporation of the phrase “Central New York” lets potential visitors know exactly where Madison County is.
The new tagline — “Unwind. Explore. Enjoy!” — addresses the third challenge by encouraging consumers to visit Madison County for reasons in addition to family and college visits. “It calls back to our greatest assets. Unwind with our food and beverages. Explore our attractions, antique shops and natural beauty. Enjoy our major events and Agritourism spots,” said Johnson.
In addition, a “seal” was created to serve as an accent piece in certain advertisements.
Madison County Tourism developed the logo and tagline in conjunction with its marketing agency-of-record, Keegan Associates. “Tourism is an $84 million industry in Madison County, providing income, jobs and tax revenue that benefit the county as a whole,” said Jennifer King MacKenzie, executive vice president of Keegan Associates. “The new logo and tagline establish an exciting, fresh identity for tourism in Madison County and create a powerful marketing platform that will elevate the county’s reputation as an ideal daytrip and vacation destination.”
The tourism office will incorporate the logo in all of its advertising moving forward and encourages tourism-related businesses, such as events, attractions, shops, restaurants and lodging properties, to do the same in their promotional materials so as to strengthen brand recognition for all users. To request a high-resolution copy of the logo, call Madison County Tourism at 684-7320 or send an email to [email protected].
