Marshall County tourism officials are using a branding initiative to revitalize the local tourism industry and lay claim to the “South’s Great Lake.”
Local government and business leaders consulted Steve Chandler of Nashville-based branding firm ChandlerThinks earlier this year.
Chandler says he’s in the final stages of rolling out a strategic branding plan with hopes to refocus local business and tourism efforts to help Marshall form a collective identity.
Chandler says that branding a destination is much more difficult than working with a commercial product because locations have no sole proprietor or owner.
"Rather than an image, we're working to have Marshall County focus on their identity," said Chandler. "Rather than re-beautifying everything, we want visitors to have an experience that you can only get there. Like with Belew's restaurant in Aurora, you may have a 45 minute wait in the summer, but its an experience you'll remember and one that you'll only get in Marshall County."
Randy Newcomb, Executive Director of the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (formerly Marshall County Tourism), says he wanted to start the initiative to not only boost the tourism economy but find the one factor that could bring all Marshall County's communities together.
“And after 8 months of research and everything we found that the common thing that Marshall County has is Kentucky Lake," said Newcomb. "It’s the economic driver of our community. Because of Kentucky Lake and the Dam it’s why we have the plants in Calvert City and the industrial complex, it’s why we have our tourism.”
Newcomb says Marshall will need to focus on improving downtown development and local charm in Benton and Calvert City as tourists opt for Paducah and Murray instead.
"Over the years, there's been a disconnect between the lake area and Calvert City and the city of Benton," said Newcomb. "But with the annexation of the Kentucky Dam Village, Calvert City is now a community on the lake, so that gap has already been taken care of.
"Whereas Benton, a lot of times tourists come into the area and never know about downtown Benton. So we need to figure out a way to get the businesses in Benton to partner with the resorts on the water so that visitors know about our downtown and they can choose that as an option for festivals, shopping or places to eat."
Newcomb has introduced new signage and logos but he doesn't expect an increase in the Bureau's marketing budget in the immediate future.
Newcomb says the project has long-term goals so the effects on the tourism economy probably won’t be measurable for a few years, but he recommends that all towns perform a similar project as it helped them realize the best things that were at home in the community.
