Clark County, Nevada is where sunshine meets the glow of neon lights. Known throughout the world as home of the Las Vegas Strip, the Clark County Office of Community Development (OCED) aims to promote the diverse industries in the unincorporated areas of the state’s largest county.

North Star partnered with the Clark County OCED to create the “Bright Beyond the Lights” brand and has provided ongoing marketing and public relations services. In this Q&A, we talked with Shani Coleman, Director of Community & Economic Development at the Clark County OCED, to learn how the office’s marketing efforts have helped them shape the county’s story and foster economic growth.

Shani Coleman

Clark County Director of Community and Economic Development

Over the past several years, unincorporated Clark County has rapidly diversified, attracting not just professional sports franchises but also manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and more. How did your brand, “Bright Beyond the Lights,” play a role in your efforts to diversify?  

Our brand has really helped open the global community’s eyes to the opportunities outside of gaming. The narrative and stories told through the brand have helped solidify that there is more to Clark County than the Las Vegas Strip.

Few places carry a global reputation as strong as Las Vegas, but that notoriety can be double-edged, leading some people to assume the Strip is the whole story rather than the front door to a dynamic, diversifying economy. How have you worked to expand the narrative and correct misperceptions about Clark County while still leaning into the recognition the Las Vegas name brings? What guidance would you give other communities trying to tell their fuller story without turning away from what they’re already known for? 

For economic development activities, we used to shy away from anything related to gaming and everything that made us Las Vegas, but we have realized that the Las Vegas brand provides a unique opportunity to capture outside interest. For example, once we have a captive audience, we can transition to how our primary industry is an asset to attract a global audience not just for the County’s benefit, but also for businesses that choose to operate in Clark County.

Unlike a single city with a defined downtown and a built-in sense of identity, unincorporated Clark County spans many distinct communities. How did you build and activate a brand that creates shared identity and pride across such a broad, diverse area? 

The one consistency across all of our communities is our primary industry of hospitality and gaming. So, when we say, “Bright Beyond the Lights,” it resonates, whether we are talking about Chinatown or Summerlin. These communities and many more can lean into the brand naturally by using it to share the bright opportunities that exist beyond the hospitality and gaming industry.

Clark County has been exceptional at putting “Bright Beyond the Lights” to work, not just adopting a brand, but weaving it into your marketing, content, and recruitment. What are your best practices for fully operationalizing a brand, and what advice would you give communities that want to get the most out of theirs?

Even when it seems redundant, don’t let up. You may see it all the time, but the people you are trying to reach and influence do not. Brands don’t cement themselves in the psyche of people overnight. You have to be consistent and stay the course.

Our community branding and marketing would not have been a success if…

…we didn’t have a stellar team of media professionals from all backgrounds helping us implement the plan.