Arrived in Vancouver yesterday to find a copy of Bill Baker's new book, Destination Branding for Small Cities, waiting for me (thanks Bill!).  I wish all my clients had read this book.  In fact, I wish Bill had published it about four years ago so that I could have read it then.


Here are four reasons why it's genius:

• It's a step by step guide to creating a destination brand, covering everything from basic principles to the brand creation process to marketing;
• It's full of real-life examples illustrating the ups and downs along the way;
• It's an easy read unlike a lot of the more "academic" texts in this area; and
• While Bill's been very savvy in focusing on "Small Cities" (an under-served segment in the destination branding world), the ideas and lessons in the book are just as applicable to large centers, regions and even national tourism marketing organizations.
  

One of the many features of the book I like is the Brand Performance Scorecard (p. 176) -- measuring the impact of a destination brand is something marketers often struggle with and Bill's provided a very practical solution.

I'm also really proud that Bill references pieces from the Brand Canada Blog in several chapters.  It's a real honour to be included in a book that I think will become a must-read for anyone involved in tourism marketing and destination branding.