Brookville

When You’re Tired of Being a Best-Kept Secret

Brookville, Indiana. Population: 2,596. Located 45 miles northwest of Cincinnati, OH, just south of Brookville Lake and nestled between the East and West Forks of the Whitewater River, the city of Brookville boasts quaint historic charm and abundant recreation activities—but only for those in the know.

The Brookville City Council approached idc in 2016 with a challenge: while the lake just to the north of them attracted scads of seasonal fun-seekers, downtown Brookville, with all it had to offer, missed out on a lot of tourism potential. How could the town rebrand itself to pull more visitors downstream?

With a new tagline, “Discover the Rush of Relaxation,” and street banners and a website that unpacks this slogan, Brookville amplified an identity that was already there: the relaxing yin to the big lake’s full-throttle yang, downtown Brookville afforded a restful escape after a raucous day on the water.

More importantly, the city’s new website functioned as a vacation planning hub for local businesses to lure out-of-towners, listing outdoor activities, restaurants, shops, places to stay and city evens all in one place.