Tourism and hospitality are facing more competition than ever. People have more choice, expectations are higher, and every destination, attraction and venue is competing for attention.
For businesses operating in this space, getting marketing and communications right has never been more important.
But effective placemaking is about more than creating a strong visual identity or launching the latest campaign. It starts with understanding what makes a place distinctive and building an authentic story around it.
Introducing Poke’s Placemaking Framework
DIB Strategic Partner Poke Marketing has developed a simple framework based on three core principles: Truth, Human Value and Shared Experiences.
Drawing on its work with hospitality venues, visitor attractions and destinations rooted in history and culture, Poke has found that these three ideas consistently underpin successful placemaking.
1. Truth
Real story. Genuine culture. Honest perspective.
Every place has a story to tell. Understanding its history, culture, character and community provides the foundation for authentic marketing.
2. Human Value
What does the audience gain? Emotional or practical benefit.
Successful places need to offer something meaningful to the people who visit them. Whether that is a memorable experience, a sense of connection, discovery or simply an enjoyable day out, understanding the value to the audience is essential.
3. Shared Experiences
Something people recognise in themselves.
The strongest places create experiences that people want to share. They give audiences something to remember, talk about and connect with others through.
Putting the framework into practice
Poke has applied this approach across a range of placemaking projects, with each one demonstrating how authenticity, human connection and shared experiences can shape a successful brand.
Port Sunlight
The project was never simply about refreshing a visual identity. It was about uncovering the stories, heritage and community that make Port Sunlight unlike anywhere else.
From a bespoke typeface inspired by its history to a design system rooted in its architecture, every creative decision came back to the truth of the place and the people who call it home.
Read the Port Sunlight case study
Knowsley Safari
Poke took a different approach with Knowsley Safari, recognising that families do not visit simply because it is a day out. They visit to make memories together.
Campaigns such as Camp Knowsley were built around adventure, curiosity and shared experiences, encouraging families to spend time outdoors while positioning Knowsley Safari as the go-to destination for a wild summer.
Read the Knowsley Safari case study
The Cillo Family Restaurants
The same thinking shaped Poke’s work with the Cillo Family restaurants.
Rather than creating restaurant brands that simply looked Italian, the team explored what authentic Italian hospitality means to the family behind the businesses.
That thinking became The Italian Experience – a platform connecting every venue while allowing each one to retain and celebrate its own personality, from Botanico and Panoramic 34 to Casa Cillo.
Read the Cillo Family case study
From promotion to placemaking
When communications are rooted in authenticity, connect with people emotionally and create experiences worth sharing, marketing becomes much more than promotion.
It becomes a tool for building stronger connections between people and places – and, ultimately, a driver of commercial success.
To find out more about Poke’s Placemaking Framework and how it has been applied across its work, get in touch with the Poke team.
