D Brand examined in Fortune’s look at urban marketing campaigns

Fortune takes a look at three urban marketing campaigns, including
Detroit’s “The D,” and illustrates how honesty is the best policy when
it comes to branding.

Excerpt:

“The drumbeat of less-than-positive news that hits the airways
periodically about Detroit really does stand as a barrier to a growing
economy,” said Jim Townsend, executive director of the Tourism Economic Development Council of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau
(DMCVB). “There’s also a really strong need to change local attitudes
and to break down a certain amount of alienation that people have felt
for their own community and their own central city.”

In hopes
of reinventing Detroit’s tattered brand, the DMCVB spent $200,000
researching and developing a brand platform to support its newest
regional marketing initiative, which debuted late last year. Not unlike
Prince circa 1993, the city’s new identity is embodied in a symbol,
“The D.”

A TV and online ad campaign highlights five key local attractions: cars, culture, gaming, music, and sports.

Detroit has already seen a 7% increase
in visitation from markets that are running “The D” ads, which include
Cleveland, Columbus, and Grand Rapids.

Read the entire article here.