Lantern

Norfolk lacked a unifying strategic purpose and identity. A new brand essence, ‘Alive with nature,’ became the foundation for their approach. Through the interplay of type, image, and illustration, audiences are transported deep into the destination, while positive messaging promotes responsible exploration. Discover more about this #CNPAwards winning entry from Lantern on the #PlaceBrandPorfolio here - along with more than 300 best practice case studies in place branding and place marketing! https://lnkd.in/eYSW6rtU

I had a great time speaking at the Latvia Tourism Forum in Riga earlier this month, sharing my thoughts on reframing sustainable travel messaging. With anti-tourism demonstrations spreading across Europe, 2024 has felt like the year that tourists became the enemy. I spoke about the challenges, opportunities and behaviour changes needed to drive responsible travel, including:  📢 Reframing ‘sustainable’ as ‘responsible’: Complex global definitions, greenwashing and negative media coverage means the word ‘sustainable’ has lost all sense of meaning. In fact 70% of travellers don’t know where to start when it comes to being a more sustainable traveller. By reframing behaviours as ‘responsible’, we can nudge travellers to take personal responsibility before and during their visit. It’s easier for people to act ‘responsibly’ than ‘sustainably’ – driving a broader respect for environment and society. 💡 Refocusing on social impact: For decades, industry messaging around sustainability has been led by in-destination or in-accommodation behaviour change; Turning off lights, switching off aircon or reusing towels. In fact 77% of people say switching off lights is the most sustainable thing they do when they travel. These legacy messages are important, but they don’t cut it today against the social impact we’re witnessing today. We need to promote new behaviours: Going off-season and off-the-beaten-path, using green transport and supporting local, independent businesses.  💚 Repositioning from burden to benefit: Given the fact that most people travel to feel relaxed, the narrative around responsible travel has always felt like a barrier to enjoyment. It’s time to flip the script and show people what’s in it for them. Responsible travel can actually elevate your stay in ways you’d never imagine, with fewer crowds, richer experiences, more affordable options, it’s actually an unexpected upgrade. That’s the story the industry needs to tell, and it starts today. I shared a sneak peek of our work with the European Travel Commission, based on these principles, to encourage behaviour change in travellers to the continent. Over 700 million people visit each year – 1 in 3 in July and August alone. And up to 87% of visitors don’t realise off-the-beaten-path travel is even sustainable. By promoting the benefits of shoulder season travel or visiting lesser-known destinations, we can better balance impact with long-term benefits. Watch this space for more. A big thank you to the Latvijas Investīciju un attīstības aģentūra - LIAA, Latvia Travel and Anita Andersone - Abika for the invitation and for organising such a successful event. Thanks too to J Spurdzins for the photos. As a first time visitor to Riga, December made for the perfect off-season stay. With the Christmas Market in full swing and snow in the air, it was full of festive feel good! #responsibletravel #sustainabletourism #travelresponsibly #destinationmarketing #placebranding

🎉 🏆 🦀 Still buzzing to have come away from last week's City Nation Place Global Awards winning 'Best Use of Design' for our brand development of the Norfolk Coast's Protected Landscape. 🌍 Big thanks to the judges, who commend Lantern’s work to challenge the traditional approaches in communicating responsible tourist behaviour, reflecting that “this unifying design solution successfully conveyed the beauty of the Norfolk Coast whilst also successfully providing a positive message about behaviour change and responsible exploration.” (More on that via the link in the comments). 💡 The trophy is an absolute beauty. Hats off to DNCO for designing it, and to their Strategy Director Simon Yewdall for a brilliant presentation on the power of great storytelling in place branding. It was a standout talk, alongside Jessica Radford showcasing Brand Tasmania's focus on creativity to create change, Qasá A.'s passionate review of tourism trends, Laura Citron OBE's learnings from leading London & Partners and C Studios review of new trends in talent attraction. 🍻 Lovely to connect with friends old and new, including Kata Varblane, Annelise Michel, Paul Eschmann, Kasper Friis Jørgensen, Kristin Yr Juliusdottir, Caroline Thing Lundsteen, Claudia Bednorz, Ann-Kristin Vedsø Foss, Brianna Vetrano, Cody Dillabough, CFA, Artur Bryzghalov, CFA and many more. Special thanks to Clare Dewhirst and the CNP team for such an insightful and inspiring event. The drinks reception at the Houses of Parliament was a real highlight. Roll on 2025! #placebranding #destinationbranding #brandstrategy #storytelling #travel #tourism Thanks to the brilliant team on this project: Client team: Katy Owen, Sydney Jacus and Mel Gillings Creative team: Henry Brown, Baz Forrister and Mollie Kendell

It takes a brave place to focus on long-term viability, rather than short-term visitor numbers, so it's great to see our work for the Norfolk Coast make the shortlist of this year's City Nation Place Awards! 🎉 The coast is one of UK's best loved and most visited tourist destinations, but also one of its most fragile landscapes. We worked to deliver a new responsible-first brand for the region, to ensure it remains here for everyone, forever. And now it's flying the flag on a global level, shortlisted in the City Nation Place Awards 2024 for Best Use of Design. The awards celebrate excellence in place branding and marketing, and promote the strategic and creative thinking that goes behind managing the reputation of destinations around the world. With entries received from over 30 countries across all continents, it’s a truly global benchmark for place branding – and we're up against some tough competition from Denmark, Chile, Austria and Ecuador. The winners will be announced at the City Nation Place Global conference in London on 7th November. 🙌 There's more on the news here: https://lnkd.in/e23P956W Thanks to the brilliant team on this: Client team: Katy Owen, Sydney Jacus and Mel Gillings Creative team: Henry Brown, Baz Forrister and Mollie Kendell #destinationbranding #destinationmarketing #placebranding #responsibletourism #sustainability #sustainabletourism #norfolk

This is one of the best examples of story-led destination branding out there. Tourism Tasmania embraced authenticity, challenged perceptions and owned the off-season to deliver a 📈 43% increase in Aussie visitor spend → Underdog destinations are my favourites to work with. Braver clients and a challenger spirit typically lead to tighter positioning and more powerful creative. Tasmania's 'Come down for air' platform is a case in point, and Amanda Gordon's recent deep-dive into the island state's approach to storytelling is a must read for anyone interested in place branding and marketing. In the article, she breaks down: 👂 Listening to locals:  In 2018, Tasmania passed the Brand Tasmania Act, which established Tourism Tasmania as a Destination Marketing Organisation. Their first act was to conduct hundreds of interviews and workshops with locals. The result? A strong, honest brand platform inspired by the local spirit. 📖 Repositioning through storytelling: Tourism Tasmania crafted a slew of stories that demonstrate the really specific, quirky details of the Tasmanian people and experience: whisky made with a recycled clothes dryer, scallop pies, morning ocean dips and more. Coupled with effortlessly intelligent copywriting, the messaging takes you to Tasmania in an instant. ❄ Owning the winter: It’s not an easy brief to sell ‘cold and dark’ to mainland Australians – the land of sunshine, beaches and brunch. Tourism Tasmania made the choice to invest in “the off season" with an annual winter campaign. As Amanda points out, an underrated strategy for owning a space in people’s minds is to own a day (Amazon Prime Day), holiday (John Lewis), or, in this case, a season. It's something we were keen to push in our work with Visit Estonia, promoting the nation's unique fifth season. Amanda's regular series 'The Case for Brand' is worth every minute of your time, breaking down one remarkable brand, every week. 🙏 Check out the full article here and make sure you subscribe: https://lnkd.in/d2ptHgzF #sustainabletourism #placebranding #tourism #destinationmarketing

Does every place need a logo? No. Does every place need an emotive story about what makes it special and why people should protect, invest visit and live there? Absolutely. → It was a pleasure to be interviewed as part of Transform magazine’s 10th anniversary edition, to give my perspective on place branding’s evolution and what's next for the sector. Big thanks to Brittany Golob for the in-depth feature, where we discussed: 💥 The power of place branding: No two places are the same, and nowhere is the connection between brand investment and tangible outcome more intrinsic than in place branding. Crafting a place brand based on its culture, values, people and ambitions strengthens its identity, defines its position on the planet and provides the platform to drive sustainable community and commercial impact. 📖 Story over style: Not every place needs a logo, but they all benefit from a compelling story. That’s why at Lantern we focus on understanding the mindset, character and personality of a place and its people, to uncover and unlock the spirit that underpins a destination. Then we craft a strategy that tells that story to the world. Our work for Visit Estonia is a case in point, focusing on emotive storytelling and leaving the design system untouched. 🚀 Future trends: The relationship between people and place is changing. For too long, the balance has favoured growth at all costs. Locals are understandably rebelling – with protests regularly reported in European media. Destination adaptation will define the next era of place brand development. Behaviour change in travel and tourism is non-negotiable. Take our recent responsible tourism brand for Norfolk County Council – designed to improve visitor behaviour rather than increase visitor numbers 💚 Change starts now: Lantern is working with the European Travel Commission to encourage a shift in the behaviour of tourists to the continent. Over 700 million people visit each year – 1 in 3 in July and August alone. Changes such as shifting the perceptions of shoulder season travel have the power to balance impact, with long-term benefits to local businesses, locals’ enjoyment of their own cities and the local environment. Watch this space for more. Links to the Lantern journal and original article by Brittany in the comments. #sustainabletourism #placebranding #tourism #destinationmarketing

Today's inspiration on dailybranding.co is Alternative Airlines by Lantern

Branders is honoured to spotlight Ryan Tym, Founder of Lantern and his exceptional rebrand of the Norfolk Coast Partnership. Ryan's journey began in childhood, fuelled by a love for design and creativity. From experimenting with simple programs to working in motion graphics and design agencies, his passion led him to start Lantern. Winning the tender for the Norfolk Coast Partnership, Ryan strategised with the team there, to promote responsible exploration and protection of the coast. The Partnership wanted a transformation in to a lifestyle brand, which has been perfectly captured by the logo, graphic system and emotive illustrations. Visuals below for a sneak peek and full interview here: https://lnkd.in/ey6gD38W #Design #Branding #NorfolkCoast #Creativity #GraphicDesign #Rebrand #Lantern

What a night! 🏆 Our place brand for the Norfolk Coast scooped three trophies including Gold for Best Place or Nation Brand and Best Visual Identity from the Travel and Tourism sector at the Transform Awards Europe. We also took home a Silver gong for Best Creative Strategy, wrapping up a successful evening and marking Lantern's 24th trophy at the event. It's the only awards programme to celebrate excellence in rebranding, repositioning and brand development across the continent – and it's judged by industry clients, not just creative peers. All that made it extra special to hear judges describe the work as ‘effortlessly stylish’ and a ‘natural wonder of a brand’. There's more on the news here: https://lnkd.in/e6PEmEdB As always, this was a massive team effort – with thanks to: Client team: Katy Owen, Sydney Jacus and Mel Gillings Creative team: Henry Brown, Baz Forrister and Mollie Kendell Photography: Hollie Harmsworth Illustration: Benedikt Luft Logo refinement: Alec Tear #destinationbranding #destinationmarketing #placebranding #responsibletourism #sustainability #sustainabletourism #norfolk

☠ Nature is in crisis. In just 50 years, we've lost over two-thirds of our wildlife. So at Lantern, we've donated 1% of our revenue to Rewilding Britain and Earthwatch Europe, supporting the rebalancing of nature and providing valuable access to – and education in – biodiversity for younger generations. 🍃 As a member of 1% for the Planet, we’re committed to donating 1% of our revenue to support global environmental organisations. Created by Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard, the community helps to support environmental and social justice across the world. 🌍 2023 was our first year in the programme, and we've just committed to do the same in 2024, supporting more organisations in the year ahead. 📢 You can read more about the fantastic work of Rewilding Britain and Earthwatch Europe in the update here → https://lnkd.in/eiWYzqnQ