"What do you think 樱桃视频should say to the world?"
Some of the answers to that question at an all-day public meeting Saturday (Jan. 15) included "We live here, you don't," "Our outdoor experience is different," "We're the little town that did," and "We are the re-creation capital."
The 樱桃视频Economic Development Office held the "branding exercise" at the Sea to Sky Hotel, attracting around 40 people.
"The focus was to help people understand the importance of brands and branding and marketing," said Economic Development Officer Lee Malleau.
"We all have a brand. Every community has a brand. Your brand is your community identity. Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room.
"Your brand has to be authentic. You are what you are."
Malleau said 樱桃视频is a community that embraces outdoor recreation as a brand.
However, how the district markets the 樱桃视频brand is evolving. "We need to own the brand, but not the statement," she said.
She compared Squamish's use of the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada to a corporation like Nike. Nike is the brand, "just do it" is the slogan. In Squamish, outdoor recreation is the brand; Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada is the slogan.
The idea and brand stay the same, but the slogan could potentially change, she said.
Feedback from the meeting will go to a team of marketing experts, who could potentially come back with several marketing statements sometime in the middle of February.
樱桃视频already has more than one brand, Malleau said. Having several brands is important to make 樱桃视频applicable to different sectors like investment companies, or tourism companies.The slogan is about the audience, and it has to appeal to different audiences, Malleau said.
After presentations covering marketing, branding, positioning, visual identity and key messages at the meeting, there was a review of current 樱桃视频material. Participants then filled out a survey that the marketing team would review.
Small groups were formed, and they compiled their questionnaires for presentation. One of the questions covered was "what should Squamish's internal brand mantra be?", prompting the responses mentioned above.
The questionnaire also asked what sort of identity and personality 樱桃视频wants to portray in 2008. The groups came back with similar answers. They want 樱桃视频to have smart growth, to be livable, peaceful, transformed, united, non aggressive, sustainable and confident.
The session also acknowledged there would be barriers to achieving identity goals. Those included drug problems, run-down homes, dying primary industries and violence.
