To prepare for a marketing push that would help establish a true personality for Tyler, Texas, we developed a series of one-on-one interviews with decision makers and thought influencers throughout the city. These individuals were recruited due to either their position in their company, or in local governmental circles. The most common thread for the recruit was the number of people under their direction, which made it a fairly unique group of individuals.

The interview guide was constructed to help us understand three key questions of living and working in Tyler, Texas:
1. What was the perception of Tyler before these individuals moved to the area?
2. What is the perception now, and how does it differ?
3. How long did it take for that perception to change?

What we uncovered at the most basic level was a surprise at how cosmopolitan each individual thought Tyler was in comparison to the rural town they had expected. While no one could define a timeline for the shift in thinking, everyone pointed to a ‘glue’ that bound the community together. A glue that also created a bond the interviewees couldn’t release.

This glue was developed into the theme of “Get here fast. Stay here forever.” This theme became the central point for all communications pieces.