A thoughtful article from Lance Carlson from ACAD
Rebranding Calgary for the future
By Lance Carlson, For The Calgary Herald April 8, 2009
The issue of the work underway to create a new and revitalized Calgary brand has been a popular topic in the media lately. The development of a viable brand for the City of Calgary is a crucial step toward sharing our vision of the entrepreneurial, creative, innovative and vital city in which we live, and that we continue to create.
The current Calgary rebranding effort is not a wholly new initiative, but rather a direct result of the 10-year economic development strategy adopted by city council in 2008.
In his comments in the Calgary Herald, Ald. Joe Connelly has perhaps inadvertently minimized such efforts by referring to a new "motto" for Calgary, which ingenuously excludes the most important components of our work to develop a new brand for our city. A brand is more than simply a motto; it includes developing and sharing our vision for our community's future, creating an icon to symbolize that vision, and developing a set of values and commitments that support this message as we share it with the world.
I was interested to read that Connelly feels he personally is able to applaud the Heart of the New West logo, however, it is clear from the extensive community consultation conducted as part of the branding effort that the current city brand is only marginally effective, and that by using it to represent our community, we are projecting an image to the world that is, quite simply, incomplete. As Mayor Dave Bronconnier has explained, our current brand, which includes the slogan and the icon of the cowboy hat, has never been fully embraced by our community as it speaks only to one aspect of our experience--that being western heritage--and although this underpins a critical part of our history that we should value, as a community we have a much more inclusive vision for our future.
Connelly is, however, correct in identifying a "place brand" as an important tool for us to communicate our vision of what makes Calgary exceptional. An authentic and effective brand is a critical element of our many different promotional efforts, and it forms a crucial ingredient of our plan to attract tourism, investment, and labour to our city. The lack of an effective brand has been identified by all of Calgary's promotional agencies, including tourism partners and city council via the economic development strategy. Though the branding initiative is vital to our future as a city, it is also an investment, and one that the Brand Steering Committee has considered very carefully.
Research indicates investing in an accurate and effective brand has been proven to increase economic growth, tourism and business development for a community. During these difficult economic times, we cannot afford to be left only looking at our history and to continue to use a tool that is not delivering the needed results. We must invest in our evolution forward as well, and create a city brand that shares the story of Calgary's present, and of our aspirations. Given the economic downturn, it might seem easy to focus our attention on what we might lose, yet now, more than ever, we need to act on the heritage value of pride of place, and look to our community leadership to move forward with courage, rather than relying on the methods of the past, as familiar as they might seem.
Although some may be content to retain our current brand, creating a new brand for Calgary will allow us to share our true vision of this city with the world, and to accurately represent our community and our values, including our heritage values that have been so eloquently articulated by the Stampede organization, among others.
The city economic strategy from which we take our charge for the rebranding project is titled "Think Big, Act Bold, Create Great." Calgary leaders frequently remind us of the exciting possibilities our city holds, and our potential to become a world-class destination for commerce, culture and tourism. We refer often to our can-do attitude, and our pioneering spirit. The work to develop the Calgary brand began with interviews and conversations designed to uncover what it means to be here in Calgary, and what the promise of this place holds. In almost all of these conversations, respondents from across Calgary identified our city as a place where you can make a difference, a place that is open to new ideas. With this in mind, why, when it comes time to have an effect and to fulfil our promises, should we disown our words and resign ourselves to the recognizable, even though it needs improvement?
Is the Calgary of today able to greet the future as well as the past, and to welcome innovation?Our city deserves the sort of leadership that embraces our values, and welcomes the possibilities that excite us all. In this, it is truly a time to act.
On some level, the discussion to engage in a rebranding of our city is not about an icon or brand at all. It is about Calgary having the courage to become the city that we envision we can be. It is about changing with purpose, and with the courage and belief that we can become a better place. It is about facing our weaknesses and mitigating them. Now is the time for the community to empower itself to create the sort of change that is healthy and fertile.
I regret that the discussion about this complex project has been positioned by some as needing to be played out in the media. I believe that no one who is truly supportive of sharing an authentic and accurate vision of Calgary would want to paint this important issue with such broad and superficial strokes. This moment, and specifically this period of economic recession, is a vital time to invest in how Calgary is viewed provincially, nationally, and internationally. Now, more than ever, we must share our vision of a great city with the world.
Lance Carlson is president and CEO of the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) and is heading up the rebranding efforts for Calgary.
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