MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Calgary...Laying Pipe

Sign me up to be part of that energy!

[D as in David]

We should have asked Andrew Mangiapane to do a logo for Calgary before he left.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

I had a much longer response but I figured an image should do it. This is why branding for cities is important:

Is it though? how many cities have you visited based on their branding and slogan?

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Is it though? how many cities have you visited based on their branding and slogan?

I believe you took a E=NG joke way too seriously.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Is it though? how many cities have you visited based on their branding and slogan?

You’ve probably visited more cities based on their branding than you thing. The logo and slogan are small parts of a bigger whole.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

I had a much longer response but I figured an image should do it. This is why branding for cities is important:

Is the E rounded to represent one of their curved urinal sinks?

Made this last year, but held true again this year! They’ve got a three year streak going now!

[GGG]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You’ve probably visited more cities based on their branding than you thing. The logo and slogan are small parts of a bigger whole.

What would be an example of a city you visited because of branding?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by GGG

What would be an example of a city you visited because of branding?

Nashville, Vegas, Austin, Portland, etc.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

What would be an example of a city you visited because of branding?

Churchill is "the Polar Bear Capital of the World" and I wouldn't be surprised if that helps them out. Vulcan, AB?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Churchill is "the Polar Bear Capital of the World" and I wouldn't be surprised if that helps them out. Vulcan, AB?

Drumheller could probably be lumped in there

[Ozy_Flame]

When it was "Be Part of the New Energy", you really have to be Calgarian to understand the nuance of that phrase.


If I was an outsider, I'd be like "oil and gas theme park?"

[GGG]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Nashville, Vegas, Austin, Portland, etc.

Aren’t you going for the things that are there not the brand.

I realize that the brand is based on what’s there so maybe it doesn’t matter.

[The Fisher Account]

Let's be serious, at the end of the day this is just a new multi-million dollar PowerPoint template

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Nashville, Vegas, Austin, Portland, etc.

Aside from Vegas, which probably has the most recognizable branding, and Nashville, which has done well with promoting their music scene, I wouldn't know any other cities brand and it would be the last thing that I base my travel decisions on.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Aside from Vegas, which probably has the most recognizable branding, and Nashville, which has done well with promoting their music scene, I wouldn't know any other cities brand and it would be the last thing that I base my travel decisions on.

Vegas and Nashville's brand stays consistent also. Their branding is moreso about the culture of the city than a slogan. That would be the same for all the high interest places in the world such as New York, LA, Miami, Paris, etc. Is there any formal branding campaign slogan those cities are running with?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by GGG

Aren’t you going for the things that are there not the brand.

I realize that the brand is based on what’s there so maybe it doesn’t matter.

Sometimes, and sometimes it’s a chicken/egg scenario. Is broadway what it is and as well known as it is without Nashville leaning into that “brand”? Maybe, probably not, but maybe. But everything is connected in some way. The brand provides a direction to development and how they push tourism, while also providing a sense of the place to outsiders.

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Aside from Vegas, which probably has the most recognizable branding, and Nashville, which has done well with promoting their music scene, I wouldn't know any other cities brand and it would be the last thing that I base my travel decisions on.

You very likely have made your decisions on the “brand” of the city, whether you consciously knew it or not.

As I said earlier, the logo/slogan are just small aspects of place branding. Thinking that’s where it ends is like looking at a title page of a 100-page report and saying “they spent all this time on just a title page?”

It goes far past the surface level stuff. Brands aren’t just logos and catchy phrases.

[Table 5]

Like every product or company, every city has a brand, whether it's formalized or not. Having said that, the most successful city brands are the ones where the messaging is simple, and consistent. Nashville works because it went all into the music, Vegas works because it went all into sin and entertainment. They have one simple brand message and don't muddle things up by trying to be everything. I'm sure there's lots of other things going on in those cities too, but they take their most valuable characteristic, and go all in.

I think this new logo is fairly mediocre, but then again I think the whole "Blue Sky City" thing is mediocre. Not because it's ugly or I dislike like the fonts (although I can't say I love them)....but because as a brand this package doesn't distinguish us in anyway way. Worse, it throws away the things that do...things that other tourism boards of other undistinguished mid-sized cities like Edmonton or Cincinnati would kill for. Western/Native heritage, the energy sector, and the Rockies....that's what we're known for and that's why people come here. The older logos and tagline may not have been award winners, but atleast they spoke to these defining characteristics.

I don't think a city brand is just for tourism, but when it comes to attracting visitors, you need to stand for something, or you stand for nothing. Nobody wants to hear about your city's diversity or how you're great at everything, because that just translates to a generic muddled up experience. People travel to places for specific experiences.

[PepsiFree]

^to Table 5

I agree. Like businesses, there are cities that have great brands and are just able to stick with them. For smaller/lesser established ones, that’s where you run into never ending cycles of rebrands or direction refreshes. Everyone is just trying to gain some sort of competitive advantage. When one doesn’t stick, on to the next.

I like the design because it does pull in that indigenous aspect of Calgary, and I like the slogan because it really appeals to that way of thinking that startups and younger entrepreneurs covet.

Overall though, it’s just nice. It’s not cohesive, which is a problem, and doesn’t stand out in a way that people can really say “yeah, that’s what it’s all about.” Most cities aren’t unique, but when you think of cities, you usually think of cities that nailed the branding better than the ones who didn’t.

Calgary has two options, imo.

- Embrace the western/indigenous heritage, like you said. Take the Stampede and make that your entire identity. Country music and the best country bars in Canada, rodeos, blah blah blah.

- Embrace the gateway aspect. Be the place that is one step away from the mountains, from Banff, from outdoor sport and all those tourism aspects. Lean into that mountain town away from the mountains idea.

The first option is what I would’ve pushed. You can still be progressive, fresh, and appeal to young people while embracing that “Stampede city” mentality year round. The longer Calgary tries to run away from or outthink what Calgary really is, the longer they’ll come up with these things are fine but ultimately doomed to fail.

[Fuzz]

In the end, though, I think Table 5's avatar captures Calgary better than any other slogan and logo we've ever had. No words needed.

[Table 5]

Pepsi, I fully agree...although going against my "keep it simple stupid" line of thinking, I don't think those two things are so mutually exclusive, that you have to do one or the other. There is some natural overlap to the heritage and outdoor gateway characteristics that I think they can be woven together.

And yeah, we are extremely lucky to have actual things that set us apart. You talk to most German tourists, they come here to live out their Wild West fantasy. You talk to most Americans, it's all about the Stampede and the Rockies. People from Asia mostly come for Banff and Lake Louise. Obviously we need to update it to a more modern experience (ie the western heritage aspect needs to put more emphasis on the indigenous experiences, which I think only makes the story more interesting) but atleast we have some very definable characteristics. Most cities of our size don't, and the reality is that nobody wants to travel to a town just because they have some great restaurants, or it has some great little ethic neighborhood. All cities have that. People come for the big defining features (and can be pleasantly surprised by the other things along the way).