Sep 18, 2025
Our first Wednesday Webinar of the season featured Chris Coughlan and Alexis Shippee from Black Dog Designs, who explored how communities can build authentic brands that resonate with residents, businesses, and visitors.
With multiple examples and visuals, they highlighted the importance of engaging stakeholders early, using tools like the Community Vitality Wheel, and applying practical exercises such as workshops, focus groups, and benchmarking against other destinations throughout the branding process.
Chris and Alexis also included in their presentation a case study “Go Oakland” — showing how a unified brand can bring together diverse towns, events, and organizations under one message and strengthen destination stewardship.
Key takeaways: Start with stakeholder engagement, ensure messaging reflects the whole community, and scale branding strategies to fit your county’s size and resources.
Huge thank you again to Chris and Alexis for sharing their time, as well as everyone who attended! Please see the slide deck and recording above.
About the NYSTIA Wednesday Webinar Series:
Back by popular demand, NYSTIA is once again hosting a free, weekly virtual workshop series in an informal, "coffee and conversation format. All are welcome to join and send invitations to your friends and colleagues! Each webinar is recorded and archived for post-event access. This season's webinar topics include: the outdoor recreation economy, tech in tourism, generative engine optimization, community branding, digital maturity, sustainable event planning, accessible recreation, & more! Sign Up Webinars for Free
Next Week: How to Accelerate Digital Maturity Across Your Operator Network with David Brett from Wheresight. Learn More & Register