Oshkosh officials invite visitors, residents alike to 'Discover Oshkosh' in new tourism campaign
OSHKOSH ‒ Move over, "Event City." It's time to "Discover Oshkosh."
The Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau on Tuesday announced a new brand identity of "Discover Oshkosh," which moves the focus away from just big events to illustrate a new tourism strategy and campaign to bring more visitors to the city.
The new brand identity and campaign will include a total rebrand starting in 2023, with an updated website, new logos, visitor guides, print and digital advertising, billboards and a new TV and digital video advertisement slated to debut during the spring and summer of 2023.
For almost 10 years, Oshkosh has billed itself as "Event City," focusing on events like the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture, which brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city each year, according to Amy Albright, executive director of the CVB.
But Albright said the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a stop to many big events in Oshkosh, led the visitors bureau's staff and board to push for a revamp of the city's image. She also said she felt that while events clearly were "catalysts" for tourism to Oshkosh, they didn't tell the whole story.
Albright said she thinks changing from "Visit Oshkosh" to "Discover Oshkosh" also changes the idea of Oshkosh as a transitory destination to a place that has "ongoing" appeal and thinks this strategy will help the city long-term in bringing more people to the city — beyond just visitors.
"If we build a place people want to visit, you also build a place people want to live and work," Albright said.
In July 2021, the CVB received a state grant of $456,858 for branding research and planning, which it used to hire Roger Brooks, a tourism and downtown expert, to analyze Oshkosh. With those findings and his feedback, the CVB used it as a starting point to develop its new branding and focus.
Albright said the CVB also worked with the Milwaukee-based agency Hold Fast to develop the strategy and branding.
David Spiegelberg, the southeast regional tourism specialist for Travel Wisconsin, gave his congratulations on the re-branding on behalf of the state's tourism board.
Spiegelberg said a brand is a "lasting impression" for consumers and can build reputation with others, and said Travel Wisconsin was "pleased" the Oshkosh CVB applied for the marketing grant and those dollars did "exactly what they were designed to do" to create the new brand and strategy.
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Albright said the CVB staff and others had been working on the rebrand for well over a year, and she feels it can showcase the unique aspects that Oshkosh has to offer — from the environmental beauty, including multiple bodies of water, to the unique bars, shops and restaurants downtown.
"This brand I think supports literally almost any (unique aspect) in our community," Albright said.
The unveiling of the campaign was done in front of dozens of stakeholders and local officials, with big applauses and excitement in the room for the new direction.
City council member Michael Ford said he thinks the new branding direction gets at the fact that Oshkosh is a premier destination, and not just for "a few events a year."
"It's important," Ford said. "We're a great place to work and a great place to play."
Albright said a key focus in building the campaign was talking to local residents, community stakeholders and business owners about why they live and work in Oshkosh and what makes the community so unique. Her team's goal was to use those stories in the campaign because people in the Oshkosh community serve as the city's "best ambassadors," Albright said.
Albright said big events at places like the Best Western's Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center or Sunnyview Expo Center are crucial for bringing people to the city, but she hopes the campaign inspires visitors to "connect the dots" and wander further around the city.
For example, Albright said the campaign showcases parts she called "Oshkosh who knew's" ― which stems from a quote by famous musician Huey Lewis when he first visited Oshkosh in 2017 as part of the Waterfest summer concert series.
She hopes people visiting the city for conferences or expos try out other things, like bowling at the Howard or taking a walk along the Riverwalk, and telling their friends about all the cool things Oshkosh had to offer.
"Those are the things that I think they're gonna really remember about our community and what will bring them back," Albright said.
She added that social media will translate well to that part of the campaign, as it could help spread the word of what Oshkosh has to offer and change perceptions. The CVB has started to rebrand its social media pages, including its Instagram, which now reads "Discover Oshkosh."
Some of those aspects of the campaign feature itinerary-based digital ads or social media posts, that will list out things that visitors could do from the start of the day to the end of the day. Albright said that visitors who come to fish can fish in the morning and then fish "for deals" at a vintage clothing store later in the day.
Albright said one key goal is to provide a positive economic impact for Oshkosh. She said welcoming people into town and having them stay and spend money adds a lot for the city and can create a "more robust quality of life" for Oshkosh residents.
"We're not just (changing the identity) for the heck of it. It's important business," Albright said. "We are really excited to be launching a new brand ... and go into 2023 strong."
Contact Bremen Keasey at 920-570-5614 or bkeasey@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Keasinho.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh officials launch new tourism campaign to 'Discover Oshkosh'
