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A first look at re-branding Fort Smith Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, November 7, 2011
A Nov. 23 workshop will be held on the re-branding and marketing strategy. "It's open to the public, but we're specifically asking the business community to attend so that they can have a look at the draft strategy and provide input," said Mayor Janie Hobart. "We want to engage the business community as much as possible because it's important to the economic development of the community to encourage more visitors to come to Fort Smith." Hobart said the workshop will include drafts of a new logo and slogan. "Council has not approved this strategy yet because they wanted this workshop to happen first to ensure the business community had further input," she said, noting there was a previous public meeting in June. Hobart said the opportunity for change still exists, but the workshop will focus on how to effectively implement the strategy. "What we're really focusing on is how to now market, and what campaigns we're going to be using to further encourage people to visit Fort Smith," she said. The workshop will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 23 at Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre. The town has never had a true brand, just informal representative images and the slogan 'The Garden Capital of the North'. The re-branding project has been undertaken by Yellowknife's K2 Communications, which won a tender for the work in the spring. The town has invested $41,500 in the re-branding strategy, plus there will be more money spent in the future for campaigns based on the new initiative. The strategy will target tourists, business travellers, sports/festivals, potential new residents and students attending Aurora College. The town's informal brands and slogans have never been used in a co-ordinated manner. They included the town crest, the mascot Muffaloose (a mythical half buffalo/half moose creature) and the town's motto 'Perseverance,' - which will all remain.
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