Branding

City of 29 Palms

Visitors to 29 Palms are very different than those bound for Palm Springs. Both typically attract Californians. But their demographics could not be more different. Camo vs. cabanas. Beer vs. espresso martinis. 29 Palms needed to send a clear message of astonishing landscapes and an “old California” vibe.

The Ask

You are surrounded. Cities with bigger budgets and long-standing travel agent relationships win more tourism. Season after season, their hotels, restaurants, and attractions seem to book more overnights.

You cannot outspend them. To catch up on SEO, backlinks, and organic search deserves attention. But first, your city must look more true to who you are.

In travel and tourism, what works in your favor is your authenticity. Do the stories you tell ring true and win over the kinds of people who will love visiting your destination? 

For 29 Palms, the task at hand for Merton Way was to strip away the fluff and speak plainly to the right visitors.

The Work

Starting with research, three things held true. Most visitors came to see Joshua Tree National Park. Most were Californians looking for a getaway. And the kinds of people who would enjoy the park and 29 Palms sought an economical, down home vibe.

They hiked, camped, and loved RV’ing. They enjoyed a day at the spa, but not the extravagance of 5-star hotels.

By focusing the brand on its roots, Merton Way showed 29 Palms a mirror into the very best of itself. And there is a lot of greatness in and around 29 Palms to unpack.

The Win

First, the current logo looked too much like nearby Palm Springs, which was a destination closer to red carpets and cocktails. This client’s city limits sat on the trailheads into Joshua Tree. The nearby Marine Corps base acts as an anchor for traffic and word of mouth. These are folks interested craft beer, not umbrella drinks.

So, in addition to proposing a new website, featuring video footage of the park, the agency surprised the client with a new logo, too. The look and feel evoked the hearts and minds of the targeted tourists. It also reflects the lifestyles, values, and originality of the residents.

When branding simply reveals who you really are, your success lies few steps away.

Case studies

Explore how Merton Way helps clients sell amazing products to the world's toughest buyers.

Competing with Loom.com isn’t easy. But Merton Way helped a smaller SaaS company offering asynchronous video to pivot and find a niche among new enterprise customers like Adobe, Mazda, and Liberty Mutual. The full-service engagement included a quantitative pricing study that pinpointed the packaging and costs of the client's "good, better, best" subscriptions. The agency also decreased marketing spend by $1.3 million...meaning, our agency is in the business of more efficient revenue production.

$1,300,000

Marketing budget reduction

411%

Increase in Annual Recurring Revenue

Roasting in small batches, Gold Coffee sources from hand-selected farms and relies on the expertise of roast masters rather than automated equipment. Batch roasting gives Gold Coffee a distinct aromatic profile. The taste of each varietal is determined by the microclimate in which it is grown and the intensity of the roast. There's so many brands out there making claims. How do we share Gold's nuances with consumers?

8

Prime regions for sourcing beans

25

Years in business

Postsecondary schools, academies and online colleges constantly face challenges to enrollments, budgets, and overworked staff. Enter: Orbund. With a cloud-based Student Information System, this disruptor in edtech now serves 400+ schools on its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. Merton Way teamed with Orbund to sharpen its message, increase attendance at annual users conferences, and create sales enablement tools that increased conversions.

2003

Year founded

400+

Campuses served