promoting edmonton--national campaign ideas

[grish]

Please throw in your suggestions of what you think a campaign promoting edmonton might look like

Here's one
Theme: Great Place to... For less
How it might look:
A series of superimposed pictures with half from centres such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and the other half Edmonton with stats on the bottom.
Examples:
1. Half of a house in Vancouver and half in Edmonton with average home prices written across and caption reads: Edmonton, Great place to live for less

2. Half of a picture of a University ot Toronto and half of U of A with stats of per student research funding (U of A is way higher!)
Caption Reads: Edmonton, Great Place to Learn for Less

3. Half a picture of a business office from ? and half from edmonton with stats about office rental rates and caption reading: Edmonton, Great place for Business for Less

4. Half a picture of a business in Ontario, and Half in Edmonton (Edmonton's half displaying Now Hiring sign) with stats about unemployment with caption: Edmonton, Great place to Work for (cross out For Less) and write for More (with a stat that Average Salary in Edmonton is Higher than the National Average)

5. Half a picture with a park and people pushing strollers in ??? and in Edmonton with caption reading: edmonton, Great Place to raise a family for a lot less

one could go on...something on life-style, sports, festivals, ect..

[LindseyT]

Murman will love this.

[RichardS]

That is OK, but it also convey's a discountville mentality....

Hey, come to Edmonton, we're cheap.

That is probably not the only message we want to send...

[MylesC]

I was just thinking the same as Richard. You don't want to push the discount-ville mentality any more.

Things like the UofA and employment comparisons are a good idea, but don't spin it 'for less.'

[Titanium48]

The trick would be to ensure the images give the impression that you're getting quality for less. Show one of Vancouver's $250,000 shacks next to a well maintained $200,000 Edmonton home for example. Ask "where would you rather live?", then show the prices and the location.

[cara]

I'm totally onboard with a national campaign, but advertising ourselves with the words "for-less" makes me think of bargain basement...not what first comes to mind as a 23 yr old looking for a great place to live.

Edmonton is an affordable place to live but people already know that, it's not like the first thing that comes to mind when people hear "Edmonton" is skyrocketing prices and unaffordable lifestyle.

Let's accentuate what really motivates people to want to relocate to a new city: culture, entertainment, environment, people etc...

[IanO]

how about something more along the lines of....


"Edmonton - Commerce, Culture, Lifestyle"

"Edmonton - Seasons, River Valley, Lakes"

"Edmonton - Welcome home"

"Edmonton - We will be ready when you are"

"Edmonton - Four seasons of Living"

All a suberb image of the downtown, of the valley, or of a family enjoying a festival

perhaps cheesy, but straight forward, to the point, and hitting what we have to offer.

[CSR]

I think we need to get away from traditional style campaigns with pan shots and smiling faces and such. People tune them out and they blend together so unless you have the money of a Disneyland ( hey! Provincial government! How about a 300-400 million ad campaign? ) it will just be a peble in a stormy sea.

How about an ad that starts off like one of those hinterland who's who spots. We focus on a beaver doing his bit, some ducks near by... announcer talks about the deep canadian wilderness, then the camera pans bac to reveal the low level bridge and Edmonton skyline - "Edmonton - Different by Nature."

Maybe some Ad with a guy in a cowboy hat ( JR Ewing type ) getting dressed talking to his english butler. Saying he wants to go to the fringe then eat a tone of grub at heritage days and see all them little kids in their pretty clothes dancing then go shopping for some new duds at teh mall and try that bungie jumping, and continuing to list all he want to do and getting excited about it. Then his butler says "I'm sorry sir, you can only do all that in Edmonton." Then we look at cowboy hat as he looks crestfallen and says "Only in Edmonton? Pity."

Okay, these ideas stink, but I don't do commercials The point is to use the familiar, to co-opt peoples memories of well known ad campaigns and associate Edmonton with it ( A where's the beef - Edmonton! campaign? ) The other thing is to suprise people, and knock them out of their complacency. I find humour is one way to do that.

Standard travelogue style ad campaigns won't I don't think... the "Super Natural BC" campaign I think pretty much mined that vien clean years ago.

[LindseyT]

Maybe some Ad with a guy in a cowboy hat ( JR Ewing type ) getting dressed talking to his english butler. Saying he wants to go to the fringe then eat a tone of grub at heritage days and see all them little kids in their pretty clothes dancing then go shopping for some new duds at teh mall and try that bungie jumping, and continuing to list all he want to do and getting excited about it. Then his butler says "I'm sorry sir, you can only do all that in Edmonton." Then we look at cowboy hat as he looks crestfallen and says "Only in Edmonton? Pity."

I looooove it!!!

That commercial could be shown in the Montreal.

One showing some stuck up unemployed french guy, smoking, wishing he had a job, could be shown in the GTA.

One showing some arrogant office worker suffering from a 1.5 hour commute in the GTA could be shown in Calgary.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

An ad campaign needs to display a young, dynamic, urbane, active, sexy, fun, diverse and lively city.

Follow the lead of the Alberta Centennial TV ads, and feature some slice-of-life vignettes:

- Hot babes in skimpy attire dancing in a nightclub and on the prowl on Whyte Ave (hey, sex sells)
- Hunky construction workers oiled up and building a new home (yes, sex sells to the fairer sex too)
- business suits shaking hands with each other with City Hall in the background (very symbolic here)
- A shot of the Edmonton Queen floating by the office towers and into the sunset
- old ladies doing high tea at the Hotel Mac
- people sipping lattes on the Second Cup patio at Jasper and 112 St
- people guzzling beers on the Elephant & Castle patio on a bright sunny day
- sunbathers and volleyball players on a hot day in Hawrelak Park
- people skiing and snowboarding downhill with the skyline in the background
- rollerbladers, joggers and bicyclists along the River Valley Road bike trail
- golfers at the Victoria Golf Club
- families skating in front of City Hall
- dragon boaters on the North Saskatchewan
- a shot of the LRT crossing the river with the Legislature and High Level Bridge in the background
- crowds of downtown people scurrying past the Sunterra and through the 2nd floor of Manulife Place at noon hour
- a street performer on Whyte Ave
- an outdoor show at the Fringe
- music performances: the ESO, a live gig at the Sidetrack, DJs spinning at a rave, any hip-hop show, Folkfest
- well-dressed couples dining at one of E-town's finest establishments
- scenes from an art show
- a fashion show
- kids at the zoo
- shots of a Cariwest parade
- scenes of a market in Chinatown
- shots of old men guzzling espressos and playing chess in Little Italy
- an Indian wedding at that big banquet hall in "Little India"
- a Christian wedding at St Joe's Basilica
- South American dancers and Japanese drummers at Heritage Days
- shots of deer or other wildlife grazing on some river valley grass with the skyline in the background
- a hot dog vendor at noon hour
- hot chicks in their lululemons doing yoga outdoors with the Muttart Conservatory in the background
- serving up green onion cakes at the Taste of Edmonton
- autumn in the river valley as the leaves change color
- Canada Day fireworks over the Legislature
- northern lights over the skyline

[grish]

so, we are in agreement that edmonton should be promoted via a national campaign. yes, i guess my initial suggestion may seem as selling us for less (pun intended). all the other ideas particularly the last ones sound a lot better. let's keep the brainstorming going

[ThomasH]

Why limit the campaign to Canada when it can cover all of North America?

[Fell]

Just thought I'd copy & paste this from an AIGA document I have. It's a process worth reading over in these sorts of cases, when trying to create a creative piece of communication intended for a specific purpose. Might serve to further inspire?


DEFINE THE PROBLEM.
Articulate a clear, actionable brief. If the problem to be solved is vague, the work will be generic. Over and out. This is the point at which you either inspire or confuse your team. Be as specific as possible, as this first step has a greater impact on the work than any other step you will take. Experienced designers will help you refine the brief because they will bring to it the clarity that leads to great work.

SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DEFINE SUCCESS.
What is to be accomplished with the work you’re commissioning? Who is to be moved, and to do what? Setting clear metrics for success makes it more likely that you’ll achieve them.

DEFINE THE APPROACH.
A well-articulated strategy is not only a roadmap for reaching your objectives, but also a way to clarify all team members’ responsibilities, avoiding both redundancies and dropped balls.

ELICIT BUY-IN AND SUPPORT.
Who are the people who need to believe in the project and champion it? It is critical to build support early on rather than surprise people when it’s too late for them to contribute. They will be more likely to go to bat for you and to sanction whatever risks you need to take.

GATHER INFORMATION.
Immersion and research are critical to success. Share all the information you have with your team and let them live with you as needed to understand the relevant nuances of your customers and your business.

DEVELOP AND PROTOTYPE IDEAS.
The role of a designer is to have ideas – and to inspire them in others. Designers are adept at “seeing” patterns and developing insights, and then visualizing them so others can understand them easily. During this phase, prototypes that illustrate the idea and link it to the objectives and the audience must be developed.

ANALYZE THE OPTIONS.
This is the time to put emotion and “ownership” of ideas aside and think through the ramifications of the concepts on the table. Invest in market testing if it makes sense.

MAKE THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS.
Whether or not you believe that numbers lie, numbers don’t take the place of experience and instinct. Make the choice of direction based on as much data as you can gather, and then on gut. The most practical direction isn’t always the best one. This is the moment to revisit your objectives and remind yourself that it’s not worth the time and effort to be just like everybody else in your industry.

MOBILIZE THE TEAM.
Once you’ve chosen the solution and have buy-in from the necessary people, the execution phase begins. Everyone gets their marching orders.

PRESENT TO INTERNAL AUDIENCES.
There are undoubtedly many people who will be critical to the success of the project. This is the time to share the objectives of the project and the proposed solution with them so that they can understand and support it.

TAKE IT PUBLIC.
By now all the plans for distributing the product should be in place. All efforts have led to this moment of unveiling.

EVALUATE SUCCESS.
Gather the team to take stock of what worked and what can improve. To the greatest extent possible, measure the success and collect data. Then change what you need to, and what you can.


What you have just read (or not) is a process by which businesses can create value and market demand through innovation.

It is done in partnership with designers.

If you would like to learn more about design, please visit www.aiga.org

[murman]

Originally Posted by RichardS

That is OK, but it also convey's a discountville mentality....

Hey, come to Edmonton, we're cheap.

That is probably not the only message we want to send...

Richard's hit the nail on the head. This kind of program could easily backfire.

Discountville... the twit in me sometimes thinks of doing a little midnight sign change at the city's entrances and paper over those wonderful concrete "welcome to..." signs and change Edmonton to Discountville. Just gets it over with and out of the way. Puts the nail in it, so to speak...

How many times have you heard someone say "I wouldn't move to ____ for all the $$ in the world"...

[IKAN104]

The most important thing about such an ad is that it is memorable. I think the best way to do this is to surprise people. In other words advertise something that is contrary to popular belief about Edmonton.

Also the ad must be focused and simple. There are some good ad ideas on this page but if we try to show too much in one ad it'll be forgettable.

I just had a slogan idea too
Edmonton ... surprise yourself

On second thought, maybe that conveys the impression that we know people don't think highly of us.

[CSR]

Originally Posted by IKAN104

Also the ad must be focused and simple. There are some good ad ideas on this page but if we try to show too much in one ad it'll be forgettable.
(

Actually I like your slogan

But you have hit on one of the key aspects I fand lacking in Edmonton promotions I have seen: they try to do too much with too little.

Keep the ads simple, say one or two things. If you have more to say, make more ads. Then spend the money! You need good market coverage, and since we aren't already well known, you need even more coverage to get people's attention. Say it and say it often... it doesn't even matter that much what you say, so long as the name is there.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by CSR

Keep the ads simple, say one or two things. If you have more to say, make more ads.

That would work with the ad ideas I came up with.
I figure do several of them, each focusing on a different focus group and related aspects of the city they'd be interested in.

For young people, it would be the hot nightclubbing chicks, live bands and the Whyte Ave scenes.
For the older and well-heeled: Hotel Mac, the symphony and fining dining.
For activity junkies: the skiing, bicylists and boating.
For business types: downtown at noon and refinery row.
For immigrants: Heritage Days, Chinatown and Little India scenes.
For families: the zoo, WEM and ice skating.

[DebraW]

"Dear non-Edmontonians--we'll show you ours..."

or

"Come to Edmonton: We'll show you ours..."

This one could be done creatively as a visual montage series. You could have "Flashers" of all types i.e. an elderly person, a family with children, a business person, students, artists, medical personnel, sports people, construction personnel etc. "flashing" or unveiling a Edmonton scene(s) or highlight(s).

The variety of “flashers” is so broad that it would appeal to all sectors and genders. I see some rather “edgy” type ads that are appealing, cutting-edge but non-offensive.

This would work for print, billboard, web banners and tv advertising but would need really creative copy to transfer to radio (could be done but would need tight editing).

DJ

[IKAN104]

That's funny, interesting and probably way too risky.

Edmonton Tourism's current slogan is
Edmonton; Yours to Experience

Personally I think that as a stand alone slogan it misses the mark. It makes more sense after having seen the video, but the slogan alone doesn't give me any clue about Edmonton.

You can watch the promotional video here.
http://www.edmonton.com/categorydocu...ourism_lrg.mov

I watched this video and although it's a beautiful video I'm not sure what it's good for because it's rather long and because they tried to incorporate everything into one video I'm not sure it's suitable for a national advertising campaign. The viewer could watch the entire video, see everything there is to see about Edmonton and remember nothing.

To be fair they also have a shortened version of this video that might work better.

That's the 11.8 Meg Quicktime version. For smaller versions and other formats of this movie go to http://www.edmonton.com/page.asp?page=421.

[grish]

Come Alive! Come to Edmonton!

is this any good? I would be hesitant to "show them ours"... it has a really slimy ring to it.

[IKAN104]

I think a national advertising campaign would be more effective if we focused on individual events.

For example, create a bunch of ads about the upcoming grand prix of Edmonton, focusing heavily on the grand prix and at the same time making sure Edmonton features prominently in the ads.

Leading up to the Fringe, create similar ads promoting the Fringe and again making sure the viewer knows it's in Edmonton.

Leading up to the Heritage Festival, Triathlon events, Grey cups, Capital Ex, and whatever else we can think of.

With focused ads like that, over time, we can teach the rest of the country about Edmonton.

[DebraW]

Edmonton: We have it all...

Edmonton: Just for you...

Edmonton: More than you could ever imagine...

I like the idea of short clips instead of one large montage.

Edmonton Tourism's latest video is beautiful but unfocused--it is trying to be everything for anyone and ends up missing the mark (in my opinion.)

[murman]

Originally Posted by djgirl

Edmonton: We have it all...

Too easily confused with:

Edmonton: We have a mall.

That campaign is already well covered off.

[IanO]

Originally Posted by murman

Too easily confused with:

Edmonton: We have a mall.

That campaign is already well covered off.

capital murman...capital.



How about:

Edmonton - blue collar and lovin it.

[IKAN104]

How about "In Edmonton, Success is in our jeans". Get it? "jeans" "genes" it's a play on words.

It's like saying Success is in our genes, and we also have money in our pockets and we also like to wear jeans cause this is cowboy country. It doesn't get any better than that.

[DebraW]

Originally Posted by IKAN104

How about "In Edmonton, Success is in our jeans". Get it? "jeans" "genes" it's a play on words.

It's like saying Success is in our genes, and we also have money in our pockets and we also like to wear jeans cause this is cowboy country. It doesn't get any better than that.

lol, lol. lol

[grish]

I know this is the west, and western culture is a pretty neat one. i think calgary has claimed the western theme (cowboyville, cowtown, the stampede etc) i think we should let them have it. we are more of a wide range of culture centre of the province, not just the cowboy culture.
nothing to take away from a clever play on words--it was catchy!

[LindseyT]

I'd actually take that jeans thing and turn it around. I'm not sure the best way to do it but there is a good possibility at both promoting Edmonton and taking a shot at Calgary.

Something along the lines of in cowtown they wear jeans (show some stereotypical southern redneck), in Edmonton we study them (show some scientist in laboratories) then go on about the Bio/Nano/ high tech sector......

[CSR]

How about a couple of guys ( Doug & Jack ) slogging through the wilderness. Jack comments while while getting slapped by branches as Doug leads the way: " C'mon. We're 200 miles North of Calgary already! I tell there is nothing here, lets head back."

Then they burst out of the brush to see the river vally skyline glistening in the morning sun.

Cut to picture of Doug and Jack meeting friendly natives ( young attractive ones I suppose )

Clips of Doug and Jack at the symphony, City Hall, Biotech lab, business conference, Heritage Days etc etc.

We see a tired but happy Dough and Jack about to head back into the woods ( with various Edmonton souveniers like and oilers and Eskimoes penants or jersey.) :

Jack: "This is fantastic! I can't wait to tell everyone how great this place is! Everyone will want to come here!"

BANG! We Hear a gunshot and Jack falls to the ground with a very audible thud.

Doug: "I'm sorry Jack, but I can't have that. I'm keeping this one for myself."

Cut to Black screen with Edmonton in Bold White letters. After very slight pause the subscript "The secret is out."

[IKAN104]

sweet! Like discovering the lost city.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

You could even turn that into a Indiana Jones type of thing, as an adventurous archeologist searches for the fabled lost city of Edmonton. Or something from TV like "Lost" or "Survivor", where people stuck in the middle of nowhere accidently stumbles upon the city.

[IKAN104]

That could be really cool if we could get some actual cast members from Lost.

But if it ends up looking like that value village commercial where those two guys dressed up like Indiana Jones go "treasure hunting" then it would suck.

[CSR]

We could put a series of ads in the GTA with a side by side comparison:

"You have theatre - we have theatre.

You have a Symphony - we have a Symphony

You have profesional sports teams - we have profesional sports teams.

You have fine restuarants and award winning chefs - we have fine restaurants and award winning chefs

You have markets and heritage neighbourhoods - we have markets and heritage neighbourhoods

You have a 3 hour daily commute - we ... well I guess we can't have everything."

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Just going back to the Discountville theme, how about this one?

EDMONTON: Cheap, but not as cheap as your girlfriend!

[RichardS]

/\ insert yo momma joke here*

[RichardS]

Originally Posted by CSR

We could put a series of ads in the GTA with a side by side comparison:

"You have theatre - we have theatre.

You have a Symphony - we have a Symphony

You have profesional sports teams - we have profesional sports teams.

You have fine restuarants and award winning chefs - we have fine restaurants and award winning chefs

You have markets and heritage neighbourhoods - we have markets and heritage neighbourhoods

You have a 3 hour daily commute - we ... well I guess we can't have everything."

WINNER!!!

[Fell]

It's enjoyable, but the message here is 80% we're the same, and only a fraction of Edmonton is different: the commute.

If anyone wants to take a peek at the pragmatic process involved in developing such work, this is a cool read:

http://www.igorinternational.com/pro...duct-names.php

http://www.snarkhunting.com/2004/05/...ing-guide-pdf/

[ThomasH]

Originally Posted by CSR

We could put a series of ads in the GTA with a side by side comparison:

"You have theatre - we have theatre.

You have a Symphony - we have a Symphony

You have profesional sports teams - we have profesional sports teams.

You have fine restuarants and award winning chefs - we have fine restaurants and award winning chefs

You have markets and heritage neighbourhoods - we have markets and heritage neighbourhoods

You have a 3 hour daily commute - we ... well I guess we can't have everything."

A Torontonian would look at that and say Calgary also has short commute times. We need to add things that other Canadian cities don't have like a great education system, and a great river valley.

[RichardS]

It is just one spot in a series folks..

[CSR]

Originally Posted by Fell

It's enjoyable, but the message here is 80% we're the same, and only a fraction of Edmonton is different: the commute.

That's the whole point.

In this case we are looking at people that like what they have in a "big city" but hate the inconvenience. They think that is the cost of the 80% of the things they like.

We are telling them that no... you can have all the stuff you like, without the pain.

We aren't a backwoods town. We are like where you live now. Only better.

[grish]

The theme could also be We're HOT!

And the series may speak about hot economy as well as hot night life, hot sport teams, hot art scene. We're hot may contradict the notion that edmonton is colder than a witche's ... and contrast the recent It's Cooler Here theme.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

How about:

"Edmonton, Many Collars of Different Colors"

I've never been comfortable with the notion of E-town just being a blue-collar town because it pigeonholes us with Hamilton as some industrial hellhole. There's the white collar workers downtown, and whatever others to use for artists, academics, researchers, etc. Plus the different color motif would be symbolic of the city's multiculturalism that can appeal to immigrants.

[RichardS]

I like it...

[IKAN104]

I like what you're trying to say with it but it doesn't really roll off the tongue.

[Fell]

Originally Posted by CSR

That's the whole point.

In this case we are looking at people that like what they have in a "big city" but hate the inconvenience. They think that is the cost of the 80% of the things they like.

We are telling them that no... you can have all the stuff you like, without the pain.

We aren't a backwoods town. We are like where you live now. Only better.

Ahh, CSR, you have a good point then, but I'd take it a step further and play with this idea: One umbrella branded campaign, backed up by specialised ad materials for particular segments and psychographics.

Today, agencies have the capability to tailer messaging for their audiences (a magazine went out last year, I believe, with a Google Maps pic of each subscriber's house on the cover).

After reading over this material, I believe I've encountered some key points:

1. Edmonton offers excellent pockets of community and each community is excelling in areas which they embrace.

2. Our identity as a whole, however, is sorely lacking. Lacking, in the sense that the majority of external review by which we can gauge ourselves is derogatory or unflattering, and all the smaller niches within this city can't agree on the umbrella concept by which we can all promote.

Perhaps we can use that to our advantage: So, from this vantage, an overhead 'Edmonton' set of objectives would be developed. Broad enough to allow communications from all corners of the city, but unified through a well thought out "voice" or initiative, with a few key symbols to keep in mind.

The image of the city could be amplified by this approach: We're composed of many groups and cultures. There is a lot of autonomy throughout the city. Unified in our vicinity. Something for everyone (rather than one overall arch-message, as those in one sector tend to not see eye-to-eye with another, their message will indeed be limited to one perspective).

If this process was deliberated properly, and it set in the minds of Edmontonians, the commonality of the idea would lead, I believe, to Edmontonians themselves addressing the niche divides. The schisms would solve themselves as the issue itself is defined and made publicly aware.

It almost serves to kill two birds with one stone…

[grish]

I hear that several ethnic, religious, and regional communities are developing their own strategies for attraction and retention of people. they set-up their support networks and assist in finding work, finding a place to live, etc..
edmonton's strategy could involve helping each such ethnic community with advertisement in their newspapers and websites promoting edmonton's multiculturalism as well as encouraging people to move here and work.
this type of advertisment may cost less, but be very effective.

[murman]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

How about:

"Edmonton, Many Collars of Different Colors"

I've never been comfortable with the notion of E-town just being a blue-collar town because it pigeonholes us with Hamilton as some industrial hellhole. There's the white collar workers downtown, and whatever others to use for artists, academics, researchers, etc. Plus the different color motif would be symbolic of the city's multiculturalism that can appeal to immigrants.

Hmmmm. the thought of a rainbow colour could have so many connotations to it...

[Fell]

grish,

That is interesting. I agree, it may be in the City's best interest to develop a programme to assist and work with these inter-city initiatives in order to aid them to do the best that they can. Why pretend to be everything at once, when you can take those already networked and in the know and give them the tools they need to make a real splash!

Benefit: As Calgary makes its splash as a municipal attractor and powerhouse, taking an original approach more akin to open source licensing and marketing would allow Edmonton to bolster the specialises voices that already exist here. Since they're competing with similar neighbourhoods in all these other cities, City support and budgeting for them would allow them to out-market their competition on their respective levels.

This wouldn't be city-to-city competition, but arming ourselves for strategised neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood competition. i.e., Whyte has always been superior to Calgary's 17th, and Garneau or elsewhere could be related to areas in Vancouver and Toronto. This approach makes much more sense to me!

Speaking of which, thinking back, it's often not entire cities that are focused on in the media, films, or even in magazines such as Wallpaper*, it's neighbourhoods. I remember reading about a neighbourhood in Winnipeg in Wallpaper* once because of the amazing arts going on there. Again, a year later, I get to read about some of the fantabulous architectural design going up in new areas under development in Vancouver.

When marketing Edmonton, you market Mill Woods and Castledowns as much as you market downtown and Belgravia. Makes more sense to take the business leaders and the people really making it happen in the truly representative neighbourhoods and give them the budgets and let their voices be heard, in order to let their affluence and style and brilliance shine far and wide.

[Fell]

Further, this aritcle, via Reveries Magazine, really inspires some thinking in regards to the above concept of promoting the more exotic and specialised features of Edmonton in the face of mounting national and international competition.

I believe this also compliments my past comments on limiting the number of franchise businesses in developing neighbourhoods. Don't get me wrong, all the power to fair competition, and I believe many businesses here need to get with the times, but this is a good piece to take into consideration and can be applicable in many fields:

Wal-Mart is “the nation’s largest food retailer,” but it’s the smaller, fancier supermarkets that are changing the face of grocery shopping in America, suggests an article by Maria Puente in USA Today (4/17/06). “Shoppers now are willing to drive to experience something they feel brings them value, and not just in the monetary sense,” says Michael Sansolo of the Food Marketing Institute. “For some it’s Wegmans; for others it’s Wal-Mart,” he adds. Or, as Laurie Demeritt of the Hartman Group notes, for some it’s both: “They might go to Wal-Mart to stock up … And when they want to buy hormone-free milk, they’ll go to Wild Oats.” Or they might go to a Wegmans, like the “135,000-square-foot store in Fairfax, Virginia,” which is “jammed on the weekends with people tasting, cooking, sipping, watching, dining or listening (and buying).”

Some shoppers, like Blossom Zell, “drive nearly an hour” to get to the Wegmans in Hunt Valley, Maryland, because she can get things like “kosher products, Chinese food, fresh clams” and a “zillion” different kinds of cheese that can’t be had in her hometown of York, Pa. Wegmans has “71 stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia” and it is not alone. Several other, “smaller, more agile, risk-taking companies, such as Stew Leonard’s (Connecticut and New York), Whole Foods (32 states), Trader Joe’s (19 states), Lunds and Byerly’s (Minnesota), Wild Oats (24 states), Bristol Farms (Southern California) and Central Market (Texas) are also growing, in some cases explosively.” Says Andrew Seth, co-author of Supermarket Wars: “They’re making shopping more aspirational and pleasurable,” “They show customers they care about them, and they give them great food.”

They also show their employees they care about them, which seems to be a common characteristic of these retailers: “Both Stew Leonard’s and Wegmans have been on Fortune magazine’s list of best companies to work for; last year Wegmans was No. 1 of 100 companies.” And those that are family-owned get an edge from their independence: “We don’t mind starting something and losing money for up to a year,” says Stew Leonard, Jr. “We saw a tortilla machine in a Central Market and brought it back. Customers love it, but we’re trying to figure out how to goose up sales . Maybe we screwed up. But it’s not hurting (us), and I don’t have to report anything to anyone.” No such luck for traditional grocers like Albertson’s and Safeway, which as Phil Lempert notes "are losing money and shoppers. They’re searching for a new identity," he says. ~ Tim Manners, editor

[sean]

Fell, personally, I think your starting to get abit too technical.

Has anyone seen that Calgary Living magazine?
Great photos and makes Calgary look like freaking Beverly Hills or something. The great marketing aspect of that is the fact it doesn't outright promote the city so much as the lifestyle, which is the same sort of approach we should be looking at.

Side by side comparisons look needy unless your selling bounty brand paper towel. Promotion of individual events such as the Grand Prix definately help, and getting the name Edmonton mentioned benefits better than anything else.

Name recognition is still the most important thing.
Anything else are just associated attributes that help build an internal mental image one can associate with. I think the technical term is 'fluff'.

Travel Alberta is really responsible for alot of the way our image is percieved since they've overlooked us for so long.

Check out their link from google:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...+alberta&meta=

Note the meta title: Canada's Rocky Mountain Getaway
This doesn't help us one bit, nor does the fact that Calgary has a nice little micro site linked off the travel alberta site, while we don't have one at all.
http://www.tourismcalgary.com/

Oh, i did find this lovely little gem:
http://www.edmonton.com/tourism/page.asp?page=700

We hurt ourselves apparently. 'Edmonton, It's cooler here', while showing a dark, snowy & desolate image. Yeah, that'd really make me want to visit. Not to mention the crappy design.

Not only that, but that link turns up from here if you click on a picture of carribou: http://www1.travelalberta.com/Edmonton/

Carribou. How far north do they want people to think we are?

How about this link: http://www.edmonton.com/tourism/page.asp?page=576

'SPECIAL OFFERS', as large as you can muster, like it's the A & N shoe sale, along with quite possibly the worst photo of the city ever. This is a horrible image and goes to show the amount of respect we give ourselves, and that apparently others offer us, and we accept without complaint.

Really, the biggest problem we have is not standing up for a quality image, and we see this through all aspects of our city from run down streets, to the fugliest ad campaign. It's not that hard to fix, it just costs money. Make things nice and people will stand up for that. Calgary was a dump before Klein came in and now it's ranked 25th in top cities while Edmonton isn't even on the board yet. We have to take some pride in our city and the benefits it offers rather than letting small negatives takeover and further hurt our image.

We need to stop caring about Calgary, become insular in our promotions and just be ourselves. Push Edmonton's friendlier and more 'real' identity of carefree easy living and strong economy.

[IanO]

"We need to stop caring about Calgary, become insular in our promotions and just be ourselves. Push Edmonton's friendlier and more 'real' identity of carefree easy living and strong economy."


amen...


Edmonton is one of the most under marketed, under known, and under appreciated places on earth. It is a wonderful city that all too often is the back end of jokes and the national media.

We MUST publish something that changes people's minds..

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by murman

Hmmmm. the thought of a rainbow colour could have so many connotations to it...

If that entices more gays to live in E-town, all the better. They would certainly increase the diversity factor here, despite the efforts of certain provincial and municipal politicians.

[Fell]

Originally Posted by sean

Fell, personally, I think your starting to get abit too technical.

Sean, I 110 per cent agree with everything you posted there!

As for me being "too technical," it's what I do, I am a designer. My job is not aesthetics; I spend my time articulating problems.

There is no luck in any of this, it all has to do with process. If the City of Edmonton is not willing to embrace innovative new processes, it is destined to ride on the coattails of other more pertinent cities.

A publicating such as Calgary Living would be a an excellent idea for Edmonton, but I can attest to the huge lack of quality when it comes to production for that sort of work here. We definitely deal in brain-drain when it comes to technical talent. There are a few such photographers that have homebase here, but most young talent relocate. This might have something to do with the fact that very few businesses feel it necessary to excel in their promotions, design, or communications, thus the city is overrun with half-wit advertising and lacklustre aesthetics. We're very used to being just-so-good, that the vicious circle creates no demand for their services. I know a whole new generation of photographers that are working and doing well, studying out of Toronto and abroad, and still located here. They just need to be utilised. If they don't, then there is no one to actually produce a proper magazine to excel at promoting Edmonton. In contrast, however, Alberta Venture does an excellent job of producing a high-quality publication.

Too many businesses here are hesitant to truly be innovative. Too much of the community here is comfortable with being second-rate. To quote Darrel Rhea, one of America's leading strategic design consultants, this is applicable both to business as well as the City itself:

“Unless there is alignment and commitment throughout the senior management team,” he says, “the culture will undermine innovation. Being successful at innovation requires a transformation of culture, and without this, hiring the best consultants won’t guarantee anything.” This means starting at the top of the organization and helping them master what innovation really requires — which Tony understates as “a significant leadership challenge.”

Also, having worked on some publication projects here before, I can attest to having heard editors from the major papers here laugh at the quality of writing that is prevalent in this city. There is very little journalism worthy of praise. (Not knocking the ones worthy of respect, but the crappy ones are the standard, from what I hear.) Is this because our world class U of A and the excellent writing programmes at MacEwan can't produce exceptional writers, or is it deeper? Do people here, the majority of people, buy good journalism?

This is part of the process. Everyone here can knitpick, but this is also a small, select few people that all have a common interest. This forum will do a lot of good, I believe that, but it doesn't represent the average Edmontonian. The process to understand this city as a whole is through statistics, psychographics, and through a good consulting and market research firm.

I tend to focus on the "negative" because I am taught to have a technical process by which to address these issues and fix them. It's what I get paid for. There is no such thing as no design, there is only good design and bad design.

It's not enough to say, "Edmonton is the best!" According to whom? Where is the proof? Even just saying that is the marketing equivalent of an unexperienced used car salesman trying to pitch you something — the natural reaction is to leave the lot, close your door, or leave the website for someone who acts like the best, not just claims it.

As groups, C2E and other initiatives around the city must really push our leaders to make the innovative step forward. Globally, much of the best innovation is coming from design thinkers and strategic consultants. In the meantime, I believe that empowering the neighbourhoods themselves to do what they know best is a strategic solution that is worthy of further discussion (off-forum, if it ever came about).

And to end on a positive note, you do have a great post there. This site has been great, and I do like everyone's ideas! It's a great incentive by the people of this City and I look forward to it's affluence in bringing new topics and change to the region in the future. I don't think many cities have citizens that care as much as Edmonton's!

[CSR]

Originally Posted by Fell

Ahh, CSR, you have a good point then, but I'd take it a step further and play with this idea: One umbrella branded campaign, backed up by specialised ad materials for particular segments and psychographics.


1. Edmonton offers excellent pockets of community and each community is excelling in areas which they embrace.

... The image of the city could be amplified by this approach: We're composed of many groups and cultures. There is a lot of autonomy throughout the city. Unified in our vicinity. Something for everyone (rather than one overall arch-message, as those in one sector tend to not see eye-to-eye with another, their message will indeed be limited to one perspective).

If this process was deliberated properly, and it set in the minds of …

Of course.

I feel that we should be targeting our marketing, golf to the golfers, business to the coporate sector. We know there are people that want what we have, we need to go and tell them. And I find people pay more attention when you are speaking directly to them, with regards to their interests in their publications.

As to your second point, again I agree completely. It is the problem I have with "branding" Edmononton and one of the reasons I wouldn't want to live anywhere else... for it's size, you will find no more diverse and complex city in the world in my opinion.

So why don't we market our diversity?

Well, by targeting niche groups we are in effect doing that... but as our "Image" as a city? After all this is where Heritage started, this is the sity that gave birth to the term "Multicultural"...

The problem is that slogan and attitude has been adopted by the whole nation. It is, to a great extent how Canadians define themselves as a nation ( which is fitting, as I have always felt Edmonton is the most canadian of cities. ) To try and brand ourselves with such diversity of culture, economics and interests would be akin to an American city trying to promote itself as more American than any other.

Our "brand" has been stolen, or at least made ubiquitous. Like "Aspirin" it has become part of the general culture.

I would be leery of attaching ourselves to closely to a brand image in anycase, lest it become an albatross around our neck that we cannot shake... look at McDonald's, or even Calgary, that is now trying to portray itself as centre of arts, culture and academia after becoming synonymous with "Yee-haw"

[ThomasH]

Originally Posted by Fell

Sean, I 110 per cent agree with everything you posted there!

As for me being "too technical," it's what I do, I am a designer. My job is not aesthetics; I spend my time articulating problems.

There is no luck in any of this, it all has to do with process. If the City of Edmonton is not willing to embrace innovative new processes, it is destined to ride on the coattails of other more pertinent cities.

A publicating such as Calgary Living would be a an excellent idea for Edmonton, but I can attest to the huge lack of quality when it comes to production for that sort of work here. We definitely deal in brain-drain when it comes to technical talent. There are a few such photographers that have homebase here, but most young talent relocate. This might have something to do with the fact that very few businesses feel it necessary to excel in their promotions, design, or communications, thus the city is overrun with half-wit advertising and lacklustre aesthetics. We're very used to being just-so-good, that the vicious circle creates no demand for their services. I know a whole new generation of photographers that are working and doing well, studying out of Toronto and abroad, and still located here. They just need to be utilised. If they don't, then there is no one to actually produce a proper magazine to excel at promoting Edmonton. In contrast, however, Alberta Venture does an excellent job of producing a high-quality publication.

Too many businesses here are hesitant to truly be innovative. Too much of the community here is comfortable with being second-rate. To quote Darrel Rhea, one of America's leading strategic design consultants, this is applicable both to business as well as the City itself:

Also, having worked on some publication projects here before, I can attest to having heard editors from the major papers here laugh at the quality of writing that is prevalent in this city. There is very little journalism worthy of praise. (Not knocking the ones worthy of respect, but the crappy ones are the standard, from what I hear.) Is this because our world class U of A and the excellent writing programmes at MacEwan can't produce exceptional writers, or is it deeper? Do people here, the majority of people, buy good journalism?

This is part of the process. Everyone here can knitpick, but this is also a small, select few people that all have a common interest. This forum will do a lot of good, I believe that, but it doesn't represent the average Edmontonian. The process to understand this city as a whole is through statistics, psychographics, and through a good consulting and market research firm.

I tend to focus on the "negative" because I am taught to have a technical process by which to address these issues and fix them. It's what I get paid for. There is no such thing as no design, there is only good design and bad design.

It's not enough to say, "Edmonton is the best!" According to whom? Where is the proof? Even just saying that is the marketing equivalent of an unexperienced used car salesman trying to pitch you something — the natural reaction is to leave the lot, close your door, or leave the website for someone who acts like the best, not just claims it.

As groups, C2E and other initiatives around the city must really push our leaders to make the innovative step forward. Globally, much of the best innovation is coming from design thinkers and strategic consultants. In the meantime, I believe that empowering the neighbourhoods themselves to do what they know best is a strategic solution that is worthy of further discussion (off-forum, if it ever came about).

And to end on a positive note, you do have a great post there. This site has been great, and I do like everyone's ideas! It's a great incentive by the people of this City and I look forward to it's affluence in bringing new topics and change to the region in the future. I don't think many cities have citizens that care as much as Edmonton's!

My job and passion is graphic design.

Am I under utilised? Yes.

Do I want to improve Edmonton's image through excellent design? Yes.

Great posts Sean and Fell!

[IKAN104]

Those are some very deep thoughts guys.

Let me just sneak in here with another slogan idea. Well, I don't know if it's really suitable as a slogan but it does embody how I feel about Edmonton.

Edmonton, the strong silent type.

[Fell]

Originally Posted by CSR

So why don't we market our diversity?

Well, by targeting niche groups we are in effect doing that... but as our "Image" as a city? After all this is where Heritage started, this is the sity that gave birth to the term "Multicultural"...

The problem is that slogan and attitude has been adopted by the whole nation. It is, to a great extent how Canadians define themselves as a nation ( which is fitting, as I have always felt Edmonton is the most canadian of cities. ) To try and brand ourselves with such diversity of culture, economics and interests would be akin to an American city trying to promote itself as more American than any other.

Our "brand" has been stolen, or at least made ubiquitous. Like "Aspirin" it has become part of the general culture.

I would be leery of attaching ourselves to closely to a brand image in anycase, lest it become an albatross around our neck that we cannot shake... look at McDonald's, or even Calgary, that is now trying to portray itself as centre of arts, culture and academia after becoming synonymous with "Yee-haw"

Yeah, very good points. I agree.

Good to get this stuff down, in order to build a foundation for further discussion.

Off to brunch, will talk more later!

[sean]

I'm all about the aesthetics.
Well not quite. I'm more of the form + function school of thought where both are equally important.

Does anyone know where I can find the old city brands?
I seem to remember one from the 70's that was kind of a cool typeface.

“the culture will undermine innovation. Being successful at innovation requires a transformation of culture, and without this, hiring the best consultants won’t guarantee anything.”

This is exactly the most important point.
And it comes down to using abit of a psychological understanding and manipulation. Case in point, the whole Iraq thing.
Propaganda really. You say something enough times and people will associate with that eventually.

Call me jaded but Edmonton's design and arts community is really lacking. I love the SNAP gallery and was just taking a little etching course and it annoyed me to see how underappreciated & underused both SNAP and the red strap market are.
Location is a huge factor there however since it's surrounded by the law courts, pawn shops, and hookerville.

Even that Edmonton flyer that was sent out last week could have been done abit better productionwise. Good graphics sometimes take precidence over good writing sometimes and vice versa, but even those things technically should compliment each other.

Really, it's just marketing and catering your message to your audience. That thing was a nice little supplement, but the printing quality defeats the message of vitality and growth by presenting it poorly.

Quality is what we need to display. Granted, it costs abit more, but it's worth it. We're so used to settling for less that we barely recognize quality when we see it. Our city is full of run down and dated design and architecture. What we do have is willing minds in power who are advocates of good aesthetics, and their shifting attitude would be reflected in the business sector.

Heh, if any of you guys know any firms hiring, could you let me know as i'm not doing enough designwise and it's driving me nuts. I'd hate to have to go back to Calgary. It bugs me there, but there is alot more work for designers i've noticed (even though it's starting to get better).

[canucklehead]

What is really hurting the cities marketing efforts is the lack of mythology that other cities have. To just about everyone we are vanilla, a blank slate of a city. In order to market Edmonton, we need an identity. You can't really create a marketed image though that really doesn't exist. Its really tricky...

Anyway, my ideas would be for a very simple campaign using shots of the city, and simple slogan. I kind of like the idea of marketing the city via a teaser campaign. I also don't think Edmonton should shy away from its traditional role as being THE gateway to the North. After all we are the most northernly major city in the Americas (and no Anchorage doesn't count!)

It also depends on which niche we are marketing to since there are so many different groups with different interests.

Personally I also like the idea of having a symphony created for the city that would use all local musicians and composers, sort of like the Alberta 100 centennial song contest. I'd love to hear something that uses the ESO, chinese violins, indian drums, dulcimers, and other ethnic instruments in conjuntion with classical music as sort of an urban soundtrack.

[ralph60]

I agree that a national campaign promoting Edmonton is a great idea. However I think we could get a better bang for the buck by promoting to our natural market, the north.
All of Alberta North of Red Deer, and The Peace Region of B.C. trades out of Edmonton. I travel as far north as Fort Nelson B.C. and throughout this area they watch Edmonton T.V. and read the Sun and Journal. The area north of Edmonton, not counting the territories has around 250,000 people. Most of which is within a 6-7 hour highway trip. ( I know that sounds long, but up north a long ride like that isn't out of the ordinary)
I would like to see a promotional campaign aimed at this area.
A campaign to get these people to spend one more weekend a year in "The City" would be a very effective use of promotional efforts. Package Hotel/Dinner promo's, Eskimo Games, The Horse Races, even casino vouchers and other coupons from Edmonton Businesses. Have a 1-800 ph number so people up north can request a "Go To Town" package. We could advertise with newspaper inserts, radio or even on the T.V. Listings Channel. All of which are cheap, effective ways of reaching this market.
This area is full of young people and families with good incomes. The closest big city is Edmonton. The people here don't hesitate to spend money on 4x4's, quads and snow mobiles, we could target the women here with the opportunity to get even with a weekend of shopping, (yes the dreaded mall) shows, and fine dining. (balanced with sports and the casino and the guys will go for it too)
If we could convince just 5% of this market to spend one extra weekend a year in Edmonton it would mean more than 20,000 room nights more business for Edmonton Hotels.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by ralph60

I agree that a national campaign promoting Edmonton is a great idea. However I think we could get a better bang for the buck by promoting to our natural market, the north.
All of Alberta North of Red Deer, and The Peace Region of B.C. trades out of Edmonton. I travel as far north as Fort Nelson B.C. and throughout this area they watch Edmonton T.V. and read the Sun and Journal. The area north of Edmonton, not counting the territories has around 250,000 people. Most of which is within a 6-7 hour highway trip. ( I know that sounds long, but up north a long ride like that isn't out of the ordinary)
I would like to see a promotional campaign aimed at this area.
A campaign to get these people to spend one more weekend a year in "The City" would be a very effective use of promotional efforts. Package Hotel/Dinner promo's, Eskimo Games, The Horse Races, even casino vouchers and other coupons from Edmonton Businesses. Have a 1-800 ph number so people up north can request a "Go To Town" package. We could advertise with newspaper inserts, radio or even on the T.V. Listings Channel. All of which are cheap, effective ways of reaching this market.
This area is full of young people and families with good incomes. The closest big city is Edmonton. The people here don't hesitate to spend money on 4x4's, quads and snow mobiles, we could target the women here with the opportunity to get even with a weekend of shopping, (yes the dreaded mall) shows, and fine dining. (balanced with sports and the casino and the guys will go for it too)
If we could convince just 5% of this market to spend one extra weekend a year in Edmonton it would mean more than 20,000 room nights more business for Edmonton Hotels.

Why advertise to people who are already coming to Edmonton?
I don't get it.

[SAL]

Sonic Death Monkey wrote:

Why advertise to people who are already coming to Edmonton?
I don't get it.


You advertise to people already coming because those are the people who are most likely to extend their stay, come more often, look for more things to do in Edmonton. You know they are coming so you can identify or develop tourism product especially for them. You must also ensure that they are not lured away by the much larger tourism budgets of BC or Calgary.

[CSR]

You want to acknowledge and nuture your core client base. Jasper business made this mistake by focusing on the lucrative international market... and then when international travel took a dive they complained loudly that no one from Edmonton was supporting Jasper and their rooms were empty. Don't take your friends for granted.

At the same time however, advertising to the people who already know about Edmonton and come to Edmonton isn't going to do much raise our image nationally and globally, which was the intitial focus of the thread.

[RichardS]

Yes, this thread is about a national and international campaign, but we so cannot forget to service our northern friends. We need to be designing the fun events for them, as we have the critical mass of people to host major events and amenities.

It is a delicate balance, but I think we can plan/design for the world - just make sure we also send the very same ads to Dawson Creek et al...

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Or how about Calgary and Banff? We see tourism ads for both places here in Edmonton. It's high time that the tables are turned.

I do like the idea of, say, a Fringe package or a Grand Prix package that includes hotel, restaurant dining and passes to said events.

[Fell]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

I do like the idea of, say, a Fringe package or a Grand Prix package that includes hotel, restaurant dining and passes to said events.

That is some good thinking, my friend! Definitely worthy of campaigning for.

[Fell]

This was interesting, cuz it got me thinking about how brands evoke passions in their fans. Many cities bring out such cultural loyalty among its citizens, as does Edmonton. But when it came down to it, would the cultural creatives be willing to define themselves through their city and fight for it, as, say, Apple fans do of the revered brand, or those that live in NYC and abroad, like this artist here (I'm presuming) from Brooklyn:



And yes, BROOKLYN has the same number of letters as EDMONTON, so it would fit.



At the heart of this message is the most important and potent sort of marketing: word-of-mouth marketing. It's the most potent because it's also the most trustworthy and carries with it all the undertones and respect of the people talking about it. And thus far, I've seen a lot of debate about just how people refer to Edmonton. This element definitely lies at the heart of what an Edmonton campaign would have to tackle.

[IKAN104]

I'm not seeing the picture that you posted. A typo in the link maybe? Try posting it again? I'd like to know what you're talking about.

[RichardS]

Fixed...

I copied and pasted the link into my browser, so I know it is good. I fixed some of Fell's syntax in the img post, and it seems to be working now...

[IKAN104]

hmmm.... I grabbed the url from the image

http://www.cpluv.com/www/medias/dcsi...41d150a42f.jpg

and when I post it in my browser it says I do not have permission to access that document.

[RichardS]

browser or security issues...are you at work or behind a firewall?

[IKAN104]

It's interesting to note also that this guy with the Brooklyn tattoo is obviously fiercly proud of his city despite the fact that the city ... lacks certain esthetic qualities .... shall we say.

[ShermanT]

browser or security issues...are you at work or behind a firewall?

It's an issue of the site not allowing hot-linking I think. I copied and pasted the URL into my broswer and it worked... I clicked on the link and it didn't.

[IKAN104]

Actually, I just got home and it does work now. I can see the image and the link works fine too.

[RichardS]

I can see it...

[Sonic Death Monkey]

check this out:
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/pdf/Edmonton.pdf

[RichardS]

Now THAT'S good. I think we have a basis for the Edmonton FAQ/Ask Ed section with this as a sticky - for now.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I'm seeing more and more advertising here that are promoting Calgary, the Maritimes and Victoria. Question is, is Edmonton reciprocating in kind?

And am I the only one who is bothered by that one local media-marketing company who are running TV ads featuring plugs by the City of Calgary and SAIT?

[IanO]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

I'm seeing more and more advertising here that are promoting Calgary, the Maritimes and Victoria. Question is, is Edmonton reciprocating in kind?

And am I the only one who is bothered by that one local media-marketing company who are running TV ads featuring plugs by the City of Calgary and SAIT?

yes i wonder about the increased advertising on other cities....

[Fell]

Originally Posted by IKAN104

It's interesting to note also that this guy with the Brooklyn tattoo is obviously fiercly proud of his city despite the fact that the city ... lacks certain esthetic qualities .... shall we say.

If any subculture has been truly prevalent in Edmonton, let alone the Prairies, and what we're known for in more artistic circles, is that Edmonton is through and through a punk and rockabilly city. Much of this city's music, art, and a majority of the culture of Strathcona was defined by punk, folk, and skate rock. And if Edmonton has one definitive cultural ave to walk, it's Whyte.

It's funny how the disparity in perspectives make us look at Edmonton totally different. I see punk and rockabilly as a major founding culture of the voice of this city. Personally, I view it as one of the most genuine aesthetics this city has. One that has bled and wed well with blues, jazz, metal, country, folk — more recently, electro and hip hop — and really it's the attitude that built the Whyte Ave of the '80s and '90s. Unfortunately, the root of the punk scene in the Prairies has never sided well with corporate and government cultures.

The more generic arts and cultures that prevail in almost all cities in North America do nothing to define them. To me, his aesthetic is the one that reflects one part of the Prairies I am most proud to still see flourishing today.

Heck, one of Canada's better known pieces of pop culture — the phenomenon known as Hard Core Logo — was spawned by Michael Turner's novel, inspired a movie from one of Canada's most beloved directors, was turned into a graphic novel, garnered a tribute album from leading rock acts in the '90s, and inspired the name of award-winning punk darlings Billy Talent. The story follows a famous punk band leaving out of Vancouver and their misadventures across the Prairies, with the climax set in Edmonton after a troubling scene at CJSR. The movie was subsequently released in the U.S. by none other than Quentin Tarantino himself.

The trick is, as they've done in some other major centres (NYC and Australia come to mind), how does Edmonton, the corporation, develop a method to work with the debutantes and cultural creatives in order to make a city attractive to the classes they're readily aware that they're losing to other centres?

[grish]

How about a bill-board that says:
Edmonton, wikipedia all our best kept secrets or something like that

I have seen edmonton content there--it is pretty good. shows us as computer and tech savvy city and gives a lot more information if people were to actually follow that advice and look us up.

[Brentk]

With all the buzz about Calgary (which is great) how can we create buzz about the lower cost in Edmonton for companies? It is now that Edmonton can attract companies over Calgary due to resources and lower cost of business. I think our advertising campaign should focus on Edmonton as a valuable, rich city for all business types.

I think also advertising needs to be placed on our assets while places like Whyte get cleaned up to the next level of trendy and cool. Put in nicer features along Whyte Ave and Jasper Ave (ie unique sideways made with cobble stone or something, lighting that is unique, art ...,since they are one of the cities high focal points.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Originally Posted by Brentk

With all the buzz about Calgary (which is great) how can we create buzz about the lower cost in Edmonton for companies? It is now that Edmonton can attract companies over Calgary due to resources and lower cost of business. I think our advertising campaign should focus on Edmonton as a valuable, rich city for all business types.

But like others have said, we don't want to sell ourselves as a "discountville".

Originally Posted by Brentk

I think also advertising needs to be placed on our assets while places like Whyte get cleaned up to the next level of trendy and cool. Put in nicer features along Whyte Ave and Jasper Ave (ie unique sideways made with cobble stone or something, lighting that is unique, art ...,since they are one of the cities high focal points.

How about advertising some of the cool local developments in other cities, such as the ICON? I constantly see ads here for developments in Victoria, Kelowna, Vancouver and Calgary.

[Brentk]

Agreed, I personally feel that you can do value in a way that doesn't sound like "discountville". If you can present it in away that makes logical sense, while presenting things like housing/building/entertainment cost that are slightly lower than Calgary why not? For example:

Company A is looking for a relocation package. Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton are the options. Calgary has the mountains, good workforce, but low vacancy rates with rising cost, Vancouver Ocean and Mountains, but high costs, Edmonton has Jasper, Northern escapes, and cultural events, with rising cost, but higher vacancy rates, and reasonable cost of living. Overall Edmonton has advantages that can be presented in an affordable not cheap presentation to attract business.

I like you idea about promoting office buildings like the ICON. I wonder though what incentive the builder has if the project sells without much advertising outside of the greater Edmonton region.

[ChrisD]

The 'discountville' label does more harm than good for this City imo. We learned that back in the late 90's. But if you approach it in a way as mentioned by Brent, it can work in our favour.

Re: Icon - I've heard from a number of people in the industry that there have been a number of investors from outside Alberta (Toronto, Vancouver, New York) that have inquired about the Icon and Edmonton market. The word is out there, trust me on that...this city is finally raising eyebrows.

[Brentk]

I think Edmonton is about to shock this country. It has been overlooked, yet it is at a point it is prime for major investment and growth. There is nothing wrong with Edmonton, it has so much going for it. It is cleaning up very nicely and soon, very soon I agree it is going to be a major focal point.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

http://edmsun.canoe.ca/News/Edmonton...05583-sun.html

Boosters to sell us
Edmonton passes the pitch

To avoid any more embarrassingly amateurish attempts to market Edmonton to the world, city council is handing the job over to another agency.

Rather than trust city staffers to sell the city - as they did with a questionable schemes last summer - the city will set aside $500,000 and let the pros handle the job in 2007.

During budget meetings yesterday, council charged the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation with making our city look sexy to outsiders.

In July that job fell to the city's communications department, whose marketing brainchild was a travel contest, offering free Edmonton vacations to other Canadians.

The scheme narrowly avoided creating a national embarrassment after 25 people turned down the offer before three takers were found.

A second bizarre marketing campaign saw yo-yos promoting Edmonton distributed in Washington, D.C.

"The city didn't do such a great job (selling itself)," Mayor Stephen Mandel said yesterday, before council voted to entrust Edmonton's image to the EEDC.

The corporation is expected to have a marketing proposal before council by Feb. 27. Money set aside for the project will only be released when council approves the plan.

"If the EEDC program is no good, (council) is going to wear it," Mandel cautioned his fellow councillors.

Councillors Kim Krushell and Mike Nickel argued that the commission should be given $2 million, as was originally proposed.

Krushell called the $500,000 marketing budget "pathetic" and said Edmonton does a poor job of attracting people.

"Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Quebec City spend millions more than we do, and they enjoy the economic benefits.

"The goal here is to attract people to live and work in Edmonton. If our labour force can't keep up with the economic boom, we will no longer be competitive. We will lose out while cities like Calgary move ahead."

Kenn Bur, communications director for the EEDC, was encouraged by council's decision to set aside the half-million.

"We will consult with local businesses and professional marketers to draft an effective plan," he said.

I agree, that's a pittance for marketing.

[m0nkyman]

That's not a marketing budget. That's how much you should pay a marketing firm to come up with your marketing plan.

Our teeny weenie little business spends almost 100,000$ annually.

The city of Victoria takes heat for spending only 3$ Million on their marketing.

500,000$? Laugh or Cry.... ok, maybe the kind of nervous giggle when you see somebody do something so embarassing that you feel really sorry for them... yet are so uncomfortable to have witnessed it that you would prefer to be somewhere more pleasant like a middle eastern torture chamber...

[IKAN104]

Obviously $500,000 is not nearly enough. If we want to be serious about promoting Edmonton then we need to put some serious money behind it.

The article doesn't mention how $2 million became $0.5 million. Who proposed this budget cut and who agreed with it?

This is even worse when you consider the city is wasting $5 million to block everybody's driveway with snow and ice. Take that $5 million and spend it on something useful instead.

[Glenco]

I would like to post a little pop multiple choice quizz.
1) Which city do you think of when I say festival city?
a) Montreal
b)Winnipeg
c)Stratford Ontario
d)All of the above


2)Which city do you think of when I say fringe?
a)Edinbrugh
b)Toronto
c)Saskatoon
d)All of the above

3)Which city do you think of when I say muticultural?
a)Vancouver
b)Toronto
c)Montreal
d)All of the above

4)Which city do you think of when I say high tech?
a)Toronto
b)Kitchener/Waterloo
c)Vancouver
d)All of the above

5)Which city do you think of when I say NANO technology?
a)Calgary
b)Toronto
c)Montreal
d)None of the above

6)Which city do you think of when I say industrial centre of western Canada?
a)Winnipeg
b)Calgary
c)Vancouver
d)None of the above

7)Which city do you think of when I say hub/crossroads of the major north/south & east/west transportation routes to Canada's north and the west coast?
a)Winnipeg
b)Calgary
c)Saskatoon
d)None of the above

My point being someone from eastern Canada would guess the first four questions correctly and the last three incorrectly and never once think of Edmonton.
Heck we are not sure what we are all about. For instance Canada is a muticultural country. Telling everyone that we are, will come as no great surprise to anyone and I am certain it will not be enough to attract a major industry to this region. Knowing we are THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE in western Canada.... would.
Don't get me wrong being muticutural with nice festivals is a very attractive aside but is not memorable.