New Tourism Brand Launched for Batesville and Independence County
The City of Batesville Advertising and Promotion Commission has launched the new tourism brand for Batesville and Independence County.
Experience Independence will become the community brand of the new tourism program and visitor center located at the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce located at 409 Vine Street, Batesville, Arkansas.
The creation of the tourism program and new brand identity are the results of the IMPACT Independence County Strategic Community Plan created by community members in 2016.
The new brand was created through a series of community-led focus groups which determined the voice and visual appearance of the brand.
“The creation of a unique brand for our community has allowed us to differentiate ourselves from nearby cities and counties, which will allow us to better attract visitors. Our goal was to create something that all citizens of Independence County would be proud of and that visitors would be attracted to. I feel we have exceeded that goal and I’m excited to begin this new adventure” said Kyle Christopher Tourism Director.
The new brand launch has also been accompanied by a new visitor website www.experienceindependence.com and corresponding social media accounts.
For more information regarding Experience Independence or the Batesville and Independence County area, please call 870-793-2378 or email tourism@mybatesville.org.
About the Batesville Advertising and Promotions Commission
The mission of the City of Batesville Advertising and Promotion Commission is to market and support the assets and events of Batesville and Independence County that either directly or indirectly result in paid overnight stays that contribute to the gross receipts of the A & P tax.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.