Launch Of A Destination Brand For Kuala Lumpur To Create  A Distinctive Advantage Trading On Its Contrasts And Diversity

April 26, 2016

Launch Of A Destination Brand For Kuala Lumpur To Create  A Distinctive Advantage Trading On Its Contrasts And Diversity

KUALA LUMPUR, 25 April 2016 – The Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, YBhg. Datuk Seri Hj Mhd. Amin Nordin bin Abd Aziz today launched the Kuala Lumpur Brand and Positioning at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. This is the very first time the city of Kuala Lumpur is given a destination brand with the goal to drive more travel and tourism into Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur’s destination brand and positioning is a summation of the city’s key attributes. The contrasting history and heritage, from the early days of the small tin mining trading town to the metropolis city it is today. The colonial influences added to the landscape of historical and the contemporary architecture visible side by side in the city. The traditional Malay houses at Kampong Bahru with the world’s tallest KL Twin Towers and the city skyline as a backdrop, the century old Sultan Abdul Samad building at Dataran Merdeka surrounded by modern structures.

The multi ethnic composition of KL adds to the city’s diverse attractions, the culinary options in the city are endless, from the street food available at every corner of the city to the array of charming fine dining restaurants of international standards. The range of shopping options and the variety of attractions in the city completes the diversity that the visitor will experience.

The contrasts of the multi ethnic festivals that bring color to the city’s soul and cultural experience, the Malay festivities, the Indian celebrations of Thaipusam and the Chinese Lunar festivals are all extremely different in its religious and cultural contents.

Kuala Lumpur, the premier city of Malaysia has a variety of attractions ranging from culture, heritage & places of interest, shopping, entertainment, nature & adventure, luxury travel, sports, business & events, medical & wellness, and education all showcases the city’s contrasts and diversity.

The Brand Identity and Proposition – A City of Contrasts & Diversity.

It focuses on the distinctive advantages of the city’s contrasting heritage, multi-cultural society and religion, the diverse attractions and metropolis which is the essence of KL’s destination brand.

The Brand Process: Strategic Brand Research

The KL Brand development was inspired by the research and findings of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015 – 2025. The 10 year strategy was developed to chart the long-term future of the city and fully harness the potential of Kuala Lumpur in becoming amongst the best capital cities in the world. The selected initiatives have been designed to act as a catalyst for growth in international tourism arrivals.

The Brand Process: Brand Identity Development

The KL brand process started with a deep dive to understand what makes KL distinctive and the basis that the city’s identity was built on its history, people, and traditions in the arts and culture. A century later, the city, now a metropolis yet has retained her fundamental identity. This creates the image and brand values that will excite, surprise and entice our visitors to discover more. The KL brand vision is to bring it to the next level, in line with the KL’s vision towards the world class city by 2020.

The KL Brand: Way Forward

Strategies are in place to gradually increase The Brand profile in the global tourism market. The initiatives crafted require strong leadership, partnerships with major private business stakeholders, and support from various government agencies, politicians and community engagements.

The KL brand will also be communicated through communication channels. These channels range from prints to online marketing efforts and social media engagement, all aimed at specific target markets.

KL Brand Identity Design Rationale

The KL positioning is of a variety proposition. The KL Brand Identity with the metallic finish symbolizes the heritage of the city when it was founded and grew as a major tin mining and trading centre. The descriptions tagged on to the Brand name summarizes the city’s unique attributes – exciting experience at every point, surprising in many ways as features of the city are discovered and enticing the visitors to experience the variety of attractions, culinary delights, cultural experience and accommodation.

Some interesting Facts and Figures regarding Kuala Lumpur as a travel destination;

Kuala Lumpur is on the lists of Top 10 City Destinations in the World by Euromonitor International
Kuala Lumpur is ranked as no 4 after New York, Tokyo, and London in the World’s Top Shopping Cities by CNN
3 of World’s 10 Largest malls are in Kuala Lumpur
Top 10 Popular City for Travellers 2015 by CNN Travel
Top 10 World Shopping Destinations and Top 10 Asia Pacific Area Destination by MASTERCARD 2015 Global Destination Cities Index
Brickfields is Ranked no 3 on the list of 16 Hottest Neighborhood to visit in 2016 by CNN Travel