The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau is currently undergoing a research process to identify Snohomish County’s best “brand” position in the tourism marketplace.

Partnering with the Tourism Bureau in this endeavor is North Star Destination Strategies. According to North Star CEO Don McEachern, at the heart of Snohomish County’s tourism brand will be its competitive differentiator — in other words, what makes the community special to visitors — so it can stand out in the marketplace.

To achieve this goal, North Star has developed a customized online community-wide survey. The questionnaire has been crafted to determine the county’s strengths, challenges and opportunities as a destination. All residents are invited and encouraged to participate in this initiative. Surveys must be completed online and submitted electronically. The survey can be found online at http://bit.ly/SnohomishCoCommunitySurvey.

“We have partnered with more than 150 communities nationwide and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of insights gleaned from community members,” McEachern said. “To learn what makes a community special, you have to go to the people who spend more than just their money and time there. You have to go to the people who have their businesses there, and the people who spend their lives there.”

The surveys will remain confidential and information will be presented in total. The Tourism Bureau only sees the information in aggregate. Surveys must be completed no later than Wednesday, Aug. 29. For more information contact Snohomish County Tourism Bureau Executive Director Amy Spain at 425-348-5802, ext. 11, or by email at amy@snohomish.org.