Meaford Mayor Francis Richardson, Council and the Senior Management Team are inviting all businesses and residents of the Municipality to attend a marketing workshop for a new logo and branding strategy.
There will be two meetings. One will be held on Wednesday June 2 at the Meaford Hall and the second at Woodford Hall on Thursday June 3. Both meetings begin at 7 PM and the halls are wheelchair accessible. Light refreshments will be served.
“These sessions are planned to receive input from residents and businesses. We want help to develop a new logo consistent with our new directions,” says Mayor Richardson. “The MEDS Committee has worked hard on our economic development strategies and we need to get the word out with a revamped logo and branding message.”
The interactive workshop sessions will be led by Linda Reader, a Flesherton Community Economic Development (CED) and marketing consultant retained by the Municipality through funding provided by OMAFRA”s Rural Economic Development grant.
“A branding exercise for Municipalities is different from that used in product placement strategies. It is ‘place branding’ and must celebrate all that is unique in a place be it city, town or township so that it is differentiated from its neighbours while unifying its different directions under one banner. Not an easy task in some communities to be sure,” offered Reader.
A number of research documents have been completed already says, Reader. “Part of the session will review their findings and present recent trends in economic development and tourism branding.
“Then, I am looking for ideas from the community,” said Reader
A community brand is fundamental to a successful economic development strategy. In a December 2008 EDAC (Economic Developer’s Association of Canada) white paper on branding it was stated:
“True branding must be derived from your core strategy for economic development. A strong brand is absolutely critical to successful economic development.”
In Reader’s opinion, the existing logo has represented Meaford very well with its image of the apple, shorelines and vistas but the challenge now is to incorporate the past with the new directions proposed for the entire community.
“There is much to learn about Meaford that only local businesses and residents know and one local resident said it best in a recent survey,” she said.
“The Meaford brand already exists, it is not something that has to be created or modified from the top down, but driven from the bottom up. The reason we all like Meaford is the essence of the brand itself. Market what we all know and love about the Municipality and overcome the barriers along the way and the end product will be the ideal that we are striving for. I hope everyone will participate in this open evening of discussion sponsored by the Municipality“, adds Reader.
