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ViSIT Forum 090605 Paper 1 


CAIRNGORMS BRAND MANAGEMENT UPDATE 

Role of Brand Management Committee 

1. A Brand Management Committee (BMC) has been set up to manage the 
implementation of the new Cairngorms Brand, comprising representatives 
from the CNPA board and staff, Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce, 
Association of Cairngorms Community Councils and VisitScotland. 

2. The development of a Cairngorms brand was widely supported by the tourism 
industry and communities as a means of presenting a coherent visual identity 
for the area. At the same time as the visual identity was being developed, 
stakeholders were asked to comment on the criteria for use of the brand. As 
a result, it was agreed that where possible use of the brand should be tied to 
existing quality assurance schemes. The role of the Committee is to decide 
on appropriate schemes, and advise on individual cases where there are no 
appropriate sectoral schemes. 

Agreement on Criteria for Use of the Brand 

3. At a meeting on 26th April, the committee decided on appropriate quality 
assurance schemes for the tourism sector. 

4. Tourism businesses will therefore be subject to: 

• Membership of VisitScotland’s star rating system (or any equivalent 
scheme when ongoing work on common standards with the English 
Tourist Board, Welsh Tourist Board, RAC and AA is completed). 
VisitScotland plan to draft ‘code of conduct’ agreements for tourism 
businesses that do not fall into a current sectoral QA scheme and this 
would also be acceptable for use of the brand. 

• A commitment to achieving, within one year, at least Bronze level of the 
Green Tourism Business Scheme (or equivalent scheme such as Green 
Globe 21) 

5. The BMC have also received applications from tourism associations and 
community groups, which at this stage cannot comply with traditional QA 
schemes, and it has therefore been decided to approve usage on the 
websites and literature of these groups, as long as a short note of explanation 
appears alongside the brand telling visitors that those businesses promoting 
the brand had individually met the required criteria. 

Applications 

5. The management of the application process is currently being finalised 
through discussions with VisitScotland. Thereafter efforts will focus on raising 
awareness of the brand with tourism businesses and encouraging use by 
those businesses who meet the criteria agreed. 

6. In the meantime the brand has been used by the CNPA on interim entry point 
signage and visitor information. The BMC also approved the use of the brand 
on a new park-wide information guide and events listing, Park i. 

Next steps and issues for further discussion 

6. Future meetings of the brand management committee will discuss criteria for 
use of the brand in areas such as food marketing and arts & crafts. The 
ViSIT Forum will be kept up to date with developments. 

7. In cases where there is no appropriate sectoral QA scheme for tourism 
businesses, VisitScotland are planning to produce code of conduct 
agreements in the meantime, and it has been suggested that the CNP act as 
a pilot area for these. 

8. The CNPA have the brand registered as a trademark and monitoring of brand 
use also needs to be considered.