It’s “National Character Counts Week”, and it runs from October 15th to the 21st. According to a presidential proclamation issued in the afternoon of Friday, October 13, 2006, we are all to hold ceremonies, celebrations, barbeques, etc in observance of said week. And “National Character Counts Week” is to be observed and explained throughout the public school system. From the official White House website:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 15 through October 21, 2006, as National Character Counts Week.

I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, parents, students, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Yes, zero days to prepare festivities is quite short notice, but you can’t always count on some character to give you a week to prepare.

So stop procrastinating and throw something together. Clearly, this is meant to be important.

Lately, a lot of U.S. cities and states have jumped on the slogan bandwagon in attempts to duplicate the successes of New York’s “I Love N.Y.”, Texas’ “It’s Like a Whole Other Country” and Las Vegas’ “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas”. Here are some of the results of recent destination branding efforts:

Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit
Wichita: We Got the Goods
Ohio: Build Your Business. Love your Life
Kansas: As Big As You Think
Baltimore: Get In On It
Utah: Life Elevated
Washington State: SayWA
Wisconsin: Like No Place On Earth
Maryland: More Than You Can Imagine
Colorado: Enter A Higher State

San Francisco has taken a different tack, hoping to promote the city to straight men the world over with an incredibly effective viral web campaign called “S.F. Boogie Down“. Genius.

Gearing up for November’s elections, Fox News has quietly morphed their corporate color scheme, replacing nearly all of the red with blue.

Hey, when your brand is all about championing the powers that be, being a chameleon is your only survival option. The problem with this weather vane approach to brand positioning is that over the long term, even if you can accurately forecast the zeitgeist climate change, you end up having no brand at all.

The Fox News website before the latest Gallup poll and impending elections, and now. Click on each pic for the full-size view.

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