Salt Lake City — Visit Salt Lake (VSL), in partnership with Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, launched a new brand that will serve all of Salt Lake. This new brand, much more than just a logo change for VSL, will serve our entire destination. It is being launched to build a stronger recovery for the visitor economy and to dramatically increase tourism and convention attendance.

Extensive research showed that perceptions of our potential visitors lag way behind the reality of our destination. Salt Lake is more modern, progressive, inclusive, and vibrant than travelers realize and VSL intends to showcase the story of its fresh, creative energy.

Visit Salt Lake recognizes this new brand is a key piece to our recovery. The “new visitor economy” is upon us and VSL is taking strategic steps to secure our place in it. Recently, Salt Lake has experienced a dramatic increase in leisure travel and business travel is picking up right behind it. There is a distinct opportunity to change misperceptions about Salt Lake and showcase Salt Lake’s incredible modern, fresh, vibrant destination that is truly inclusive and genuine.

“Together we’re building a stronger visitor economy that’s more resilient and more relevant to everyone,” says Kaitlin Eskelson, president & CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “We just launched a compelling new brand for our entire destination that will serve us as we rebuild and move toward a very bright future. We are passionate about our place and excited to educate would-be travelers about our secret gems.”

In nearly 40 years in business, this is the first true brand identity campaign Visit Salt Lake has entered into. The entire rebranding process has been years in the making. Visit Salt Lake had previously embarked on research, brainstorming, and a fact-finding mission called Project Blueprint. The trove of data from that project was included in the new branding approach.

After a robust interviewing process a new brand agency, BVK, based in Milwaukee, was chosen for their deep expertise in repositioning and telling stories of destination marketing organizations such as VSL, high-end hotels, and resorts, tour operators, attractions, airports, and airlines. Ultimately, they uncovered astounding insight about Salt Lake and those who travel here.

“As partners with Visit Salt Lake, we are certain this new direction will bring great results and enable VSL to attract more conventions, leisure travelers and visitors. The size and scope of the visitor economy is substantial,” says Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “Salt Lake County’s $4.65 billion share of Utah’s $10.1 billion visitor economy represents Utah’s eighth largest industry and provides $1,166 tax relief to each household in Salt Lake County.”

The new “West of Conventional” brand platform recognizes that Salt Lake is the intersection of many facets, where unconventional ideas make for a better world. Here in the modern mountain hub of the west, things that wouldn’t ordinarily go together blend effortlessly, creating an eclectic and creative spirit that brings better thinking and fresh ideas to the world. Our diverse cultures, pastimes and landscapes come together here. The new salt crystal design of the logo recognizes that there are many facets of life in Salt Lake and VSL will use this visually to tell the story. The new “intersection” ad campaign will run nationally.

“BVK and Visit Salt Lake are partnering in developing a strong, sustainable and unified brand for Salt Lake. Destinations need to reimagine and restructure themselves to meet the evolving demands of not just the traveler but also the local community – those who live and work here,” says BVK SVP Brand Strategy, Stephanie Barkow. “Perceptions of Salt Lake lag way behind the realities. Here, things that shouldn’t go together miraculously do. And it fuels an environment of fresh, creative energy where unconventional thinking empowers a better way forward.”

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Visit Salt Lake is a private, non-profit corporation responsible for the promotion of Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination. In partnership with Salt Lake County, Visit Salt Lake improves the area economy by attracting and providing support to conventions, leisure travelers and visitors with a strong commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the area’s natural environment. Through its sales and marketing programs, Visit Salt Lake’s impact on Salt Lake’s annual $4.5 billion visitor economy equates to $1,166 in tax relief for each household within Salt Lake County. For more information on all that Salt Lake has to offer, go to www.VisitSaltLake.com<http://www.visitsaltlake.com/visit/>.