When I first moved to the cozy little mountain town of Brevard, NC, I was struck by the incredible beauty of the place, from the Blue Ridge Parkway that weaves through the north part of the county, to the over 200 waterfalls streaming everywhere (more than any other county in the U.S.) Even more fascinating was a bunch of little critters they had here called the White Squirrels (Yes Virginia, there are White Squirrels… and unlike unicorns and leprechauns this is not some folklore) So I was a bit bewildered my first year here when the city held an event celebrating the flight of the Monarch butterfly. For this occasion they brought out two (purchased) butterflies for release. Only one made it out of the box. The other fell to the ground as the crowd of approximately a dozen people looked on. The silence was palpable.

Keep in mind that this former industrial town had just lost three major employers and was desperately looking to replace several thousands jobs. Any attempt to stir up business was laudable. But as I stood there surveying the beautiful mountains that surrounded this great city, I couldn’t help but notice the corner store on Main Street, The White Squirrel Shoppe.

That’s when the blinding bolt of the obvious struck me… “Why not have a White Squirrel Festival?” Here we were in one of the most picturesque towns in Western North Carolina and all we needed was to find that special “hook,” that “unique marketing position,” something to give people a reason to come here… and to do so in droves. Other counties could claim waterfalls, and half the country could claim Monarch butterflies. But as it turns out, only a very select handful of communities nationwide could lay claim to little known White Squirrel.

Now here’s where the power of branding comes in. With no more than a thought, a concept, the little White Squirrel, I met with the director of the Heart of Brevard. Once she was convinced that I wasn’t crazy (it took four visits) she agreed that it was a fitting idea… one that a number of individuals in the community had tossed around before, and that she would put it on the calendar for that Memorial Day weekend — only three months out.

That was four years ago in 2003. Within the next 90 days, The White Squirrel Festival was thrown together, piggy backing a music festival scheduled that weekend by John Felty of Jupiter Coyote fame. The event drew approximately 10,000 visitors, (in a town of 8,000 people) as well as generating international press and mentions on Jay Leno and Letterman.

Since that time the festival has grown in size and scope and is now the county’s number one event of the year, drawing more than 20,000 visitors this past year. It now includes a fantastical downhill gravity car event called the Squirrel Box Derby, two days of free music on Main Street, dozens of vendors, hundreds of White Squirrel sitings and thousands of visitors. Besides the obvious impact of the tourist dollars, others have benefited as well. One local resident printed a book featuring his White Squirrel photography. Another wrote a series of children’s books. And this past week, the White Squirrel Radio station (full disclosure… I joined in with 15 other locals to purchase the station) was relocated from the former owner’s garage to a storefront on Main Street.

This is all to say that sometimes when a city is struggling to define its brand, or to stake it’s claim, the pieces are right there all along. It doesn’t have to be fixed hard assets, or even geographic wonders. It can be as simple as a concept or an idea — like a bird-seed stealing furry white rodent or a funny looking cartoon mouse. So look out Orlando, Florida… here’s come Brevard, North Carolina!