From Vision to Reality: Crafting a Strong Brand

Building a compelling brand is no small feat. It requires vision, adaptability, and a deep understanding of your audience. Julia Ponce, Vice President of Marketing at Arizona Boardwalk located in Scottsdale, Arizona, knows this journey intimately. Her experience in transforming a budding entertainment destination into a thriving brand offers valuable insights for marketers and business leaders alike.

The Genesis of a Destination

When Ponce joined Arizona Boardwalk, then known as OdySea in the Desert, she faced a daunting challenge. The site was still under construction, with no established identity or awareness among potential visitors. "We were starting from scratch in the entertainment business," Ponce recalls. "We needed to build awareness, build excitement, and then, as soon as we opened, it was to get people to visit, get people to visit."

This blank slate presented both opportunities and obstacles. Ponce and her team had the freedom to shape the brand from the ground up, but they also had to contend with a fragmented media landscape and limited resources.

Navigating a Changing Marketing Landscape

The traditional playbook for launching a new attraction had become outdated. Ponce notes, "Twenty years ago if you wanted to build awareness really fast, you just bought TV ads and newspaper ads. You would have reached 70% of your audience right away." In contrast, the modern marketing environment demands a more diverse and nimble approach. Ponce's strategy involved layering in varied sources of content consumption, including reaching out to a wide array of influencers, bloggers and content creators, each representing a slice of the potential audience. This grassroots effort required persistence and patience. "I remember I would see articles come out in the paper, saying ‘What To Do This Weekend’ and we wouldn't be on there," Ponce shares. "And you're thinking, ‘I'm working so hard, why aren’t we on there?’ It was just that we weren't top of mind yet."

Evolving the Brand Identity

As OdySea in the Desert grew, adding new attractions and experiences, the brand needed to evolve. What started as a focus on the OdySea Aquarium expanded into a broader vision of a multi-faceted entertainment destination.

The Power of a Name

One of the most crucial decisions in this evolution was rebranding from "OdySea in the Desert" to "Arizona Boardwalk." Ponce emphasizes the importance of this change: "When you're building a brand, naming something is very important. You have to really be intentional about it. We knew we didn't have a huge marketing budget, and we needed a name that was going to do the work for us." The new name, by incorporating “Boardwalk,” instantly communicated the essence of the destination, evoking familiar associations with fun, family-friendly entertainment. This strategic choice reduced the need for extensive explanation in marketing efforts, allowing the brand to resonate more quickly with potential visitors.

Leveraging Consumer Insights

A key aspect of Arizona Boardwalk's brand development has been the effective use of consumer insights. Ponce and her team take a hands-on approach to gathering feedback and understanding visitor experiences. "We get a lot of ideas by observing people and listening to our teams that are on the ground in the attractions every day. We’re always talking about what exhibits or things are people gravitating towards, what are they walking by and not thinking twice about," Ponce explains. This real-time, on-the-ground approach to consumer research allows the team to quickly identify areas for improvement and capitalize on successful elements of the visitor experience. By closely observing guest behavior and listening to frontline staff, they can make informed decisions about everything from exhibit design to wayfinding systems. Ponce emphasizes the importance of this approach, noting, "You can do your consumer research kind of on the spot… You need to be with the consumer where they are."

Fostering Innovation and Creativity

Keeping a brand fresh and engaging requires constant innovation. Ponce encourages creativity within her team by embracing change and giving team members the freedom to pursue their ideas. "I try to say yes to most everything," Ponce says. "The more freedom you give people, the more ideas they'll come up with." This approach has led to a dynamic brand identity that continues to evolve, with new attractions and experiences regularly added to keep both visitors and employees engaged.

Lessons for Brand Builders

Ponce's experience offers several key takeaways for those looking to build and grow a strong brand:

1. Be patient and persistent in building awareness
2. Adapt your strategy to the current media landscape
3. Choose a name that does some of the marketing work for you
4. Leverage real-time consumer insights to inform decision-making
5. Encourage creativity and innovation within your team

By following these principles and remaining open to evolution, brands can navigate the challenges of a competitive marketplace and create lasting connections with their audience.

As Arizona Boardwalk continues to grow and thrive, Ponce's journey serves as a testament to the power of strategic brand building. From a construction site to a must-visit destination, the transformation of Arizona Boardwalk showcases how vision, adaptability, and a strong brand identity can turn ambitious goals into reality.