Tulsans themselves have to believe in Tulsa first.

[perspicuity85]

In case this expires:

Tulsa World, April 28, 2007:

TULSANS GET TIPS ON GREETING VISITORS

Beginning the process of bolstering Tulsa's image could be as simple as the saying, "It's not what you say, but how you say it."

That's what nationally known, West Coast-based brand strategist Duane Knapp believes, and that's why the Tulsa Metro Chamber Convention and Visitors Bureau brought him on board in a campaign to help Tulsans market their city.

Knapp, an author and brand adviser, was in Tulsa this week to conduct three "Train the Trainer" sessions for the people who most often make that important first impression to visitors -- taxi drivers, restaurant and retail employees, and hotel and entertainment venue staffers.

Knapp's sessions are the second phase of a branding campaign that started 18 months ago with a series of focus groups, surveys, and phone and face-to-face interviews with native Tulsans, frequent visitors and individuals from outside the area.

Local marketing and advertising firm Littlefield partnered with the chamber on the project.

The accumulated research produced "some very interesting comments," Suzanne Stewart, vice president of the visitors bureau, told those attending Friday's final training session.

"What makes people come here?"
Stewart said. "There's a science to figuring out who you are."

With $1.2 billion spent by visitors in 2005, finding an answer is vital to the future of Tulsa and its neighboring cities, which are definitely part of the brand package, she said.

Just like big companies or well-known products, cities, too, can have a brand, yet most communities don't have a strategy for building a brand image, Knapp said.

That process begins with a welcome that makes people feel wanted.

"How we are going to build our brand is by making people feel good," Knapp said.

And creating a memorable experience for visitors starts with that initial impression.

"You can't control the outcome if you don't have a greeting."

Knapp cited his own visit Thursday evening to Utica Square, where he wandered into shops and restaurants, taking note of employees' welcome and their approach to a prospective customer.

"Everyone was very nice and friendly," he said, but some went beyond the customary basics, and Knapp said those encounters influenced his shopping and dining choices.

Knapp said his personal experience here exemplifies what his message is all about.

"It's not just doing your job well, it's also how you make people feel," he said. "People spend money when they are comfortable.

"Every visitor's experience here begins with the greeting. . . . The challenge you face is to take this to the next level in your own way.

"If you all inspire one person a day, it will completely change the dynamics of your community in a year."

Marke Burroughs, senior sales manager for Cherokee Casino, said he will share the branding strategies gleaned from the session with the rest of his staff.

"It's just about getting all of Tulsa on the same page," he said. "It's important to all of us."

Stewart said the chamber will begin a marketing campaign to promote Tulsa in June through such promotions as billboard advertising and a redesigned Web site.

In the coming months, a trainer will either be added to the visitors bureau staff or contracted to hold staff training sessions at hotels and casinos, for instance, and to conduct follow-up sessions, she said.

The visitors bureau will also work personally with taxi drivers and airport employees to provide ongoing training.

The bureau is pairing with city, county and tribal officials, as well as people from neighboring communities, "to make this a reality," Stewart said.

"We want to make people excited about Tulsa," she said.

"Five years from now you don't recognize this part of the state, the surrounding area and the city of Tulsa."

-Debbie Blossom, World Stff Writer

[TheArtist]

I was expecting that there would be a "reveal" or something telling us what they found out about Tulsa.  How they thought we could best be branded.  But I haven't heard anything about it until this.  Sounds like they have completed the study.  I am very curious to know what they came up with.

[hazleton]

I am from California and whenever I visit Tulsa which is about twice a year, I am really impressed at the friendliness of people from Tulsa. More friendliness won't make a difference.

What Tulsa needs is more media exposure as to how wonderful it is.  A t.v. show based in Tulsa, or media/internet/t.v. ads showing some wonderful places/people.

I was truly surprised at how fantastic it is!

[pmcalk]

Is this the same company that came up with the "comfortably cosmopolitan" slogan?

Frankly, I find this an odd pr approach.  The best thing Tulsan's have going, IMO, is their friendliness.  Our lack of friendliness is definitely not what is keeping people away.  And I don't think people travel just to meet friendly people (after all, people flock to New York dont they?[])

[tulsa1603]

I think they need to take a look at the self-esteem of Tulsans.  Too many people I know have a chip on their shoulder about how they are "stuck" here.

A situation that is all too common to me is being at a party where one of the guests is a visitor with a rather unbiased opinion of the city.  Other guests who are from Tulsa will often respond with "Why would you come HERE?"  "Gee, i know it's probably a bore compared to where your'e from!", etc.  While tihs could be considered "Friendly", I'm not sure it's really helpful.  When the general attitude is to complain about how Tulsa doesn't have this or that, or to make fun of our sometimes backwards culture, I try to deflect and call upon some of the city's positive attributes.  For instance, if people make fun of our downtown's lack of life, I point out how stunning the skyline is, or how affordable real estate is, or how friendly the place is.

[USRufnex]

After being back in Tulsa for 6 mos now, I'd like to say...... well....... the biggest problem with Tulsa is.....

what tulsa1603 just said.
so ditto that.  []

[perspicuity85]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Is this the same company that came up with the "comfortably cosmopolitan" slogan?

Frankly, I find this an odd pr approach.  The best thing Tulsan's have going, IMO, is their friendliness.  Our lack of friendliness is definitely not what is keeping people away.  And I don't think people travel just to meet friendly people (after all, people flock to New York dont they?[])

Agreed.  Friendliness?  Every small town in America promotes its' friendliness.  Tulsa needs to focus on what makes it a cosmopolitan city, i.e. arts, culture, nightlife, and beautiful architecture.  It should celebrate its diverse geographic influences.
In many ways, Tulsa seems like a much smaller city than it actually is because it doesn't promote its cosmopolitan attributes that are typically associated with big cities.

[tim huntzinger]

I greet a lot of folk from out of town or are new in town, and steer them toward Brookside and Cherry Street.  I think more B&B's in those districts would be a huge draw, but ultimately this all has to do with jobs.

[rwarn17588]

<tulsa1603 wrote:

A situation that is all too common to me is being at a party where one of the guests is a visitor with a rather unbiased opinion of the city. Other guests who are from Tulsa will often respond with "Why would you come HERE?" "Gee, i know it's probably a bore compared to where your'e from!", etc.

<end clip>

I've heard that crap everywhere I've lived in the Midwest. It's not just Tulsa.

I like being here, and I ain't afraid to say so.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by hazleton

I am from California and whenever I visit Tulsa which is about twice a year, I am really impressed at the friendliness of people from Tulsa. More friendliness won't make a difference.

What Tulsa needs is more media exposure as to how wonderful it is.  A t.v. show based in Tulsa, or media/internet/t.v. ads showing some wonderful places/people.

I was truly surprised at how fantastic it is!

We Had "Rodney," "The Torkelsons," "UHF," and several episodes of "Friends."

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by hazleton

I am from California and whenever I visit Tulsa which is about twice a year, I am really impressed at the friendliness of people from Tulsa. More friendliness won't make a difference.

What Tulsa needs is more media exposure as to how wonderful it is.  A t.v. show based in Tulsa, or media/internet/t.v. ads showing some wonderful places/people.

I was truly surprised at how fantastic it is!

We Had "Rodney," "The Torkelsons," "UHF," and several episodes of "Friends."

They may have shown the friendliness, but Rodney and The Torkelsons gave the impression that we were all a bunch of poor rednecks.  I can't remember UHF that well, but I never had the impression that it was set in Tulsa.  And don't get me started on the slew of insults we got from "Friends".  Smoking in the office? Come on!  And lest we forget the motel chain commercial where the boss sends his underling to Tulsa, but don't worry, you'll be staying at a "_________ Motel".  I can't remember the name.  We regularly get battered in the media for being bland, boring, backwards, etc.  No wonder everyone has such low self esteem.

[perspicuity85]

Often when young families move to Tulsa from places like Dallas, they settle in South Tulsa, Owasso, and Broken Arrow.  The stereotype of a boring city is prevalent when they move here, and perpetuated by the fact that most locals they run into have no idea what kind of interesting things there are to do or see in Tulsa.  I graduated from a suburban Tulsa high school in which about half of the kids were not born in Tulsa.  Many of them would have gladly explored places like Brookside and Cherry St. if they hadn't been told by so many local citizens that those places were dangerous because they were in the city core.  

In marketing there is something called the AIDA model which stands for: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action.  Awareness is the first step towards effectively marketing Tulsa.  The article I posted is about making citizens that have a great deal of contact with out-of-towners aware of Tulsa's unique attributes.  If our own citizens are aware of our unique characteristics, then we will have a much better chance of promoting those charactericstics to outsiders.

[TheArtist]

Tulsa is indeed turning the corner, slowly but surely. There are already many more interesting places to go and see than there were just 10 years ago. Places like Brookside, Cherry Street, and several downtown areas, are finally taking hold and solidly growing. For years one would pick up then flalter, then the other would pick up a bit only to falter, and so on.  But now they are all standing on their own, holding steady and growing. But after having lived through 30 years or more of faltered starts, complete collapses, and excitement dashed, my stomach still cringes when I dare to believe that what is happening now will last. I really think it will. But gosh it can be hard to believe.  And indeed hard to even appreciate what has happened.

Many other natives can have even less knowlege about what has happened than someone like me who is really on top of whats going on, and have old ideas about what is what.

So there you have it,  Old timers who remember "bad areas" and newcomers who know nothing about the neat historical and interesting things we do have.

My parents who lived here all their lives moved away in the 80s. There was a time around then when Tulsa almost turned into a ghost town. It was a horrible time for many people who lost everything. My aunt and uncle now live in South Tulsa.  When I tell any of them about what is going on in such and such an area they give me this puzzled look and honestly can't imagine anything decent in those areas. Downtown and areas around it were written off ages ago. Anything around there might as well be another planet.  I told my mom about the Blue Dome Arts Festival when they were in town today, She had given up on trying to do Mayfest years ago, said it was too hard to get a booth there. She didn't know what the Blue Dome district was. I showed her a pic of the Blue Dome building and she immediately remembered and was suprised there was a festival there and that the area was starting to refurbish. Many still remember Philbrook before it got its new addition and the gardens refurbished. It was always nice, but basically stayed the same forever. Today its much larger, more enjoyable, and even more beautiful than it ever was.


Old habits and views are hard to break.  Its gonna be an uphill battle to educate the old timers and the new arrivals to what Tulsa has, what its "core" is about and its wonderful history and treasures.

Many of the places we have still need more work and improvement to really establish themselves and be more than "great starts".  We are very close.  And they can get there gradually with time.

 If one of the East End developments takes off. I think you will see a sudden shift in peoples attitudes about Tulsa, their view of Tulsa will shift away from the south and back to the real heart of the city. I think a big bold new development like that would jump start people into feeling good about Tulsa.  For the core really defines a city, not places like 71st and Memorial.  An alive and interesting core is what will enable us to feel good about our city or not.

[dinkleman23]

quote:Originally posted by perspicuity85

Often when young families move to Tulsa from places like Dallas, they settle in South Tulsa, Owasso, and Broken Arrow.  The stereotype of a boring city is prevalent when they move here, and perpetuated by the fact that most locals they run into have no idea what kind of interesting things there are to do or see in Tulsa.  I graduated from a suburban Tulsa high school in which about half of the kids were not born in Tulsa.  Many of them would have gladly explored places like Brookside and Cherry St. if they hadn't been told by so many local citizens that those places were dangerous because they were in the city core.  

In marketing there is something called the AIDA model which stands for: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action.  Awareness is the first step towards effectively marketing Tulsa.  The article I posted is about making citizens that have a great deal of contact with out-of-towners aware of Tulsa's unique attributes.  If our own citizens are aware of our unique characteristics, then we will have a much better chance of promoting those charactericstics to outsiders.

Go to the upscale downtown areas or near town areas of Dallas, Denver, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Austin etc and be an observer. Look at the people ... how they dress, what they drive, where they eat and you will figure it out pretty darn quick. People want flash, glitz and excitement. They could care less about the history of the Blue Dome. It is the reason that young people are deserting Oklahoma in droves for these places.

It is no secrect w

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by dinkleman23

quote:Originally posted by perspicuity85

Often when young families move to Tulsa from places like Dallas, they settle in South Tulsa, Owasso, and Broken Arrow.  The stereotype of a boring city is prevalent when they move here, and perpetuated by the fact that most locals they run into have no idea what kind of interesting things there are to do or see in Tulsa.  I graduated from a suburban Tulsa high school in which about half of the kids were not born in Tulsa.  Many of them would have gladly explored places like Brookside and Cherry St. if they hadn't been told by so many local citizens that those places were dangerous because they were in the city core.  

In marketing there is something called the AIDA model which stands for: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action.  Awareness is the first step towards effectively marketing Tulsa.  The article I posted is about making citizens that have a great deal of contact with out-of-towners aware of Tulsa's unique attributes.  If our own citizens are aware of our unique characteristics, then we will have a much better chance of promoting those charactericstics to outsiders.

Go to the upscale downtown areas or near town areas of Dallas, Denver, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Austin etc and be an observer. Look at the people ... how they dress, what they drive, where they eat and you will figure it out pretty darn quick. People want flash, glitz and excitement. They could care less about the history of the Blue Dome. It is the reason that young people are deserting Oklahoma in droves for these places.

It is no secrect w

Very very true.  But here again, even that flash, glitz, and excitement is found in the core.  Didn't mean to imply that interesting history is equally important or interesting to everyone. But knowing about it can still go a long way towards Tulsans believing in Tulsa. Not necessarily knowing about the Blue Dome, Cherry Street, Brookside, etc. but knowing that those areas exist and that they are up and coming areas of "flash, glitz and excitement". Plus some of us "older" people in our 30s and 40s really appreciate things of historic beauty like Philbrook, Philcade, Philtower, Cathedrals,The Rose Garden, Utica Square Area, Harwelden, McBirney Mansion, Art-Deco architecture etc.  Heck plenty of people travel far and wide to go see it, but Tulsa doesn't promote the richness that it has.

To your point, had a younger friend go to OKC bricktown last weekend. He was really enamored with all the life he saw downtown. Said he could move there. I said "Well Tulsa is getting there" And then he said this...

"I don't want to wait until I am old, I want to enjoy my life now."

I get that a lot from people. So the question becomes. What can Tulsa do to speed up the process?