Go Jackson MO tourism brand revealed at chamber of commerce event

Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce leadership unveiled a new tourism brand and announced a promotional publication at its Business Breakfast on Friday, June 21.

The tourism brand, called Go Jackson MO, is centered on a new website — www.gojacksonmo.com — which features an extensive list of restaurants, stores, event spaces, community gatherings and historical sites for tourists to check out in Jackson. The chamber of commerce, City of Jackson and Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization websites all include links to the Go Jackson MO site.

“We see our Jackson chamber as a kind of a tourism hub where people come to our community and learn more about us here,” said Janna Clifton, the chamber’s retail and membership director.

Clifton said the tourism endeavor was based around destination marketing, highlighting Jackson as a location people would want to visit, live in, work in and invest in. The chamber even created a mission statement for Go Jackson MO.

“We embrace our hometown vibe and energy, inviting both existing audiences and growth visitors to join us in experiencing the genuine warmth and charm of Jackson, Missouri. From our rich cultural heritage to our vibrant community events, we provide our visitors the opportunity to explore and discover the true essence of Jackson, Missouri,” Clifton read from the statement.

Brian Gerau, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer, said the tourism initiative had been in the works for several years. Go Jackson MO was chosen over other ideas because of it being easy to remember and easy to put on billboards, postcards and T-shirts.

“Go Jackson MO is exactly that,” Gerau said. “We want people to go to Jackson, and it’s also sort of a rallying cry.”

The primary logo was designed to look both modern and classic, with a primary color palette of red, navy blue and white and a secondary suite of colors including yellow, black and silver.

Go Jackson MO is not a city or chamber organization, though the chamber oversaw its development in conjunction with Cape Girardeau-based Red Letter Communications, who designed the various platforms. Businesses and events do not need to be part of or hosted by the chamber to be featured on the Go Jackson MO website or social media.

“We’re going to use that for tourism. We’re going to use it for economic development. We’re going to use it for recruitment. It’s all in one,” Gerau said.

The chamber also announced a new online, print and social media publication called "Greater Jackson". It will be the city’s first print promotional publication since March 2020.

“It’s a great tool for lots and lots of things. It will be a great partner to our tourism initiative,” Gerau said.

Greater Jackson will feature a membership index and promote different people, events and businesses across the city. Gerau plans to pass it out to new residents and businesses seeking to move to Jackson. "Greater Jackson" will be distributed at the chamber’s annual banquet in January 2025.