Lantern appointed to explore sustainable brand strategy and identity for the Norfolk Coast
Place and destination branding specialists, Lantern, have been appointed by Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Coast Partnership to create a refreshed brand strategy, story and identity for the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Explore responsibly
The project, which aims to promote sustainable tourism in the region, will encourage locals and visitors to explore the region responsibly. Awarded through an international tender process, the appointment follows Lantern's similar work for place and destination brands including Visit Europe and Visit Estonia.
The coming months will see Lantern’s team engage with residents, visitors, businesses and local authority stakeholders through surveys, interviews and workshops, as well as living locally during the region’s busy August period, to get a true sense of place.
“On-location research enables us to have ad-hoc conversations with residents, business owners and tourists, to gain qualitative feedback on the spirit of the area”, says Lantern’s Founder and Director, Ryan Tym. “It provides a deeper level of understanding for our team and enables us to directly engage with the local community. By using a mix of real-world insights and desktop analysis, we’re better able to draw inspiration from the experience, culture, environment and people of the place”.
Sustainability and responsible exploration of the coastline will sit at the heart of the narrative developed by the agency.
“We see strong branding as the first step towards growing connections between protection and prosperity in this region.”
– Andrew Jamieson, Chair of Norfolk Coast Partnership
Andrew Jamieson, Chair of Norfolk Coast Partnership, adds: “The Norfolk Coast AONB is an incredibly unique area which supports a diverse array of rare and threatened species. It’s home to 20,000 residents and welcomes more than 8 million visitors a year and supports vibrant agriculture, fishing, and tourism industries. Sustainable use and enjoyment of the area is key to securing its future”.
“We see strong branding as the first step towards growing connections between protection and prosperity in this region - actively supporting resident and visitor recognition of the Area’s special qualities, supporting a sense of pride and ownership in the AONB and encouraging everyone to play their part in taking care of it”.
Project funding
This project is co-financed by PROWAD-LINK, an Interreg North Sea Region project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Local funding is provided by Norfolk County Council.
The PROWAD-LINK project explores the concept of the nature-business-benefit cycle, which seeks to deliver benefits through linking sustainable growth with nature protection. PROWAD-LINK does this by unlocking the potential of nature heritage brands as a driver for jobs and sustainable regional development while engaging small and medium-sized enterprises in nature conservation.