CHALLENGE
Increased competition had recently placed Let’s Go’s notable heritage, unique editorial organization, and specialized focus at varying points on the brand asset-liability continuum, resulting in a brand identity crisis and plummeting sales. The youth travel guidebook also needed to radically upgrade its online presence and take advantage of the way its market uses digital channels.

SOLUTION
Through structured analysis, market research, and creative insight, Gigante Vaz brought clarity and a new strategic brand vision to Let’s Go.

GVP’s core strategic insight was that Let’s Go needed to get better at being who they already were, as opposed to re-casting themselves into some new or revised role in the marketplace. We recommended that the brand play to its strengths and focus on attributes, values, and features they could genuinely and authentically own.

Based on existing brand executions, we recommended avoiding dated, historical attributes, and focus instead on moving the brand more successfully into the digital channels. GVP conceived an immersive, interactive web site destination centered around social networking and travel planning functionality.

RESULTS
GVP’s strategic recommendations resulted in a revised design identity for the brand across all of its product and marketing assets. The youth market was recaptured, and GVP undertook a comprehensive new web site design for the brand destination online. Let’s Go implemented a significant portion of the branding and design work, and in January of 2009 announced a new publishing and distribution partnership with Avalon Travel and Publisher’s Group West.