http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/001102/4795993.html
> Thursday 2 November 2000
> Brand new city, brand new brands
>
> Michael Prentice
> The Ottawa Citizen
>
> Within a few months, the new City of Ottawa will be "branded."
>
> It will likely be branded as a place where living is relatively
> cheap, good jobs are plentiful, and where getting around is
> easy compared with, say, Boston, Washington, Toronto or
> California's Silicon Valley.
>
> Perhaps Ottawa's trump card, it is expected to be branded as a
> place to live that is a short distance from ski slopes,
> white-water rafting, hiking trails, vast forests and wilderness,
> and four of North America's most beautiful recreational rivers --
> the Ottawa, Gatineau, Rideau and St. Lawrence.
That's all well and good, but what we really need is a new logo.
> Now, when outsiders think of Ottawa at all, they usually think of
> it as a government town.
>
> That fact won't be overlooked in the branding, since people
> considering Ottawa as a place to live or invest usually like the
> stability, prosperity, and livability of a government town.
>
> Branding is the key to Ottawa's future growth and prosperity,
> according to those studying how to "brand" the city in a way that
> attracts skilled high-technology workers, venture capital and
> businesses.
>
> The branding -- an attempt to create a positive image of Ottawa
> to outsiders -- is separate from efforts by the Ottawa transition
> board to create symbols for the new, expanded Ottawa, which will
> be born on Jan. 1.
>
> The transition board has approved two logos, a flag and a slogan
> for the new city.
Excellent!
> "Branding" may include the creation of an icon, intended to sum
> up what Ottawa offers to outsiders, according to those working on
> the branding project.
>
> The branding initiative is a joint effort of The Ottawa
> Partnership (TOP), grouping the region's political and business
> leaders, and the Ottawa Economic Development Corp. (OED).
> Together they are spending $150,000 in private and public money
> to determine how best to brand Ottawa.
>
> Research into how best to brand Ottawa should be completed by
> early next year, says Brendan Hawley, the OED's vice-president of
> marketing. That will be followed by a marketing drive, aimed at
> selling Ottawa to the world, he said.
>
> Mr. Hawley said in an interview yesterday he already has a good
> idea of what might "sell" Ottawa to outsiders. He cited the
> results of a study released early this year on how to attract
> people and high-tech businesses to Pittsburgh, a city with
> similar aspirations to Ottawa's.
>
> The study's key finding: "Amenities and the environment --
> particularly natural, recreational and lifestyle amenities -- are
> absolutely vital in attracting skilled workers and in supporting
> leading-edge high-technology firms and industries."
>
> Mr. Hawley said he expected branding would emphasize that Ottawa
> is more than a high-technology centre.
>
> "We have government, tourism and professional services here," he
> said.
>
> "What is most attractive here is the quality of life."
>
> Some members of the Ottawa transition board advisory panel on
> symbols for the new city are concerned the branding initiative
> may lead to creation of a logo that competes with those approved
> by the transition board.
>
> Mr. Hawley agreed his group might decide to adopt an icon,
> incorporating a slogan designed to sell Ottawa to the world. If
> so, he said, this would be aimed at people from outside the
> capital region, with a different purpose from the city's logos
> and slogan, Shaping our future together.
--
Gerald Oskoboiny <
[email protected]>
http://impressive.net/people/gerald/