ALAMOSA–May 8, was an exciting day for the Valley Initiatives Partners (VIP). The new VIP website, www.slvcolorado.org was released during a VIP meeting held in McDaniel Hall at Adams State University.

Dr. Ed Crowther welcomed the attendees, and gave a review of the branding initiative, and reminded attendees the reason branding matters. That reason is to tell the stories of the Valley, its people, and communities, depicting the valley as a place to visit, to live, and to thrive.

Dr. Liz Thomas Hensley and her students gave a presentation that detailed the findings of their marketing study. The findings included an increase in brand awareness since December 2018.   In addition, face-to-face meetings have proven to be more successful in promoting awareness and utilization than larger focus groups.   The efforts to identify key stakeholders, including federal agencies and smaller communities and small businesses are continuing.

The highlight of the meeting was the debut of the new and improved VIP website.  Thomas Hensley and her students had previosly identified and corrected weaknesses in the original site, and procured a new domain name. Furthermore, based on stakeholder feedback, the team focused the design of the new site on living in, and relocating to the San Luis Valley.

Following the presentations, attendees discussed the implications of the findings of the marketing study and the new website. They also provided insight to the VIP team about how to improve and increase brand awareness and adoption. Crowther closed the meeting by reminding those in attendance that the process of collaborating with one another in telling the story and seeking out new venues in which to tell the story is the key essence of branding.