Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association

When the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association sought to clarify its brand and understand position in the marketplace, it turned to Strategic Marketing & Research, Inc., (SMARI).

Research into the branding and positioning of a destination market is much more complicated than merely tracking numbers. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, as well as a community survey and perceptual mapping, SMARI helped the association define its competitive framework.

“It was the perfect tool to understand what our message should be,” says Stephanie Pace Brown, President of the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association. “We had a lot of creative ideas and we needed to understand what our strengths and weaknesses were.”

The research helped the association determine a brand that “was authentic” to Alexandria, which faces stiff competition from Washington, D.C.

SMARI’s understanding of the tourism business and knowledge of marketing are key elements. “SMARI gets our hardest projects,” Brown says.