Small Back Room brands Northumberland in tourism drive

Appointed in March following a strategic pitch that saw 20 groups whittled down to a shortlist of four, the consultancy was tasked with ‘engaging businesses and community groups to give Northumberland a voice’, according to Small Back Room director Tim Lewis.

Lewis says the consultancy’s approach had to be measured, because ‘the people of Northumberland don’t want to just throw open their county to tourism’.

A research project was undertaken to define what the county – which attracts ten million visitors a year – means to its stakeholders. 

‘We needed to create something that would retain its spirit of independence and show understanding of a visitor economy,’ Lewis adds.

The identity ‘gives Northumberland a voice’, Lewis says, so that it can be applied to a range of collateral across businesses and local communities. ‘In some ways, it’s more a campaign than a tourism brand,’ adds Lewis.

The consultancy will now work with 20 local businesses, setting up ‘design clinics’ to establish toolkits and strategies to improve communications ahead of a roll-out.