Headspace kills two birds with one stone for Lunenburg Region… figuratively of course
0
Posted under: Headspace News
Two articles have been written about Headspace and our work for the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg. We’ve been engaged in an ongoing brand strategy, identity re-design and naming project, managing to convince an entire committee to buy into it. We’re very pleased with how it went, and how surprisingly open the committee has been to our work, thanks in part to the diligence of our client lead, Dave Waters.
The following are excerpts from the articles written in the South Shore News:
Municipality of Lunenburg adopts tourism strategy
“The Municipality of Lunenburg has been branded with a birdhouse.
That, along with the moniker Lunenburg Region, will form the logo to pair with future tourism initiatives such as a website and magazine ads.
“The birdhouse says rural and comfortable and over time, will become a recognizable aspect of the region,“ said Kyle Racki of Headspace - a company specializing in strategic branding, print and web design - during a recent committee of the whole presentation.
Jennifer Faulkner of Headspace said a common example of branding is why many people choose Coke over Pepsi.
“I’m a Coke drinker and we all swear there is a taste difference, but really, the difference is slight, it’s really about branding … it’s all about the feeling you have when you interact with that brand.“
In terms of tourism, that’s an emotional promise made to visitors.
“It’s about finding a compelling message that you want to communicate to people, then interpreting that in many ways. Your brand is how people should feel about the area with every interaction - whether they’re on the phone, reading brochures, speaking to an operator or looking at signage - everything.“
She said a brand will also help define the municipality from its competition.
Marketing firm recommends municipality alter name
COUNTY - What’s in a name?
For marketing purposes, apparently quite a bit.
“Sometimes you have to say ‘your baby is ugly,‘“ said Jennifer Faulkner of Headspace - a company specializing in strategic branding, print and web design - during a recent committee presentation to the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL).
“Your name is lengthy, it’s confusing and it’s really not sexy, to be honest. That’s where ‘your baby is ugly,‘“ she laughed. “It’s really a political term.“
Therefore, the MODL plans to bill itself as the Lunenburg Region in future tourism initiatives.
“You need something you can market and recognize,“ said community economic development officer Dave Waters.
“When I met with tourism agencies and groups in the area, the biggest difficulty I ran into was people don’t recognize that the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is not part of the Town of Lunenburg.
“One of the things we wanted to do was find a name that was simple, not complex and something that would represent the area as a whole, and not a specific part.“
He said Lunenburg Region does that while differentiating itself from the town, but not too much.
“Although we’re trying to say we’re not the Town of Lunenburg, it would be suicide for us to ignore the town, because they’re the draw. We’re not a tourism destination, we’re a diversion. Having the name Lunenburg in there ties in to what we want to do.“
Councillor Martin Bell said the name also allows a more open invitation for partnerships with other municipal units that want to market the area.
“That was a real selling feature for me. We weren’t just raising our own flag, we were raising a flag for the region and capitalizing on a name that is recognized internationally.“
The Lunenburg Region moniker is expected to be used in context with marketing initiatives such as advertisements and brochures.
“It’s just a vessel to help carry the message,“ said Ms Faulkner.
That message is expected to be delivered primarily to people in the Halifax area and beyond.
“This will not replace our municipal name or logo,“ said Mr. Waters.
“This is strictly for tourism purposes only.“
“That doesn’t mean you have to compete with other people, it just helps to define you so people actually think about you. We know people are thinking about Lunenburg and Mahone Bay. How do you get them to think about you at the same time?“
Part of that strategy will involve marketing a natural, rural experience.
“That’s what people want,“ said Ms Faulkner.
“They’re not looking for the Disney World experience. That has its place, but people want to have a real experience and interact with the community.“
She said among the region’s many selling points are diversity of heritage, unspoiled nature, unique communities with their own identities and local cultures.
“This is a big tourism trend now. People aren’t just going places to see something,“ said Ms Faulkner.
“They want to experience local culture, and you certainly have that here - even local language - the terms and phrases you use or the charming accents some people have … it’s something unique and interesting people from away will remember and tell stories about when they go back home.“
Four attributes will be the keys for this marketing initiative - genuine, fresh, charismatic and eclectic.
“What happens with this brand is you take these four attributes and use them as pillars. You use them to communicate your message. As long as you’re true to these four attributes in how you do your logo, your ads and all your other materials, you’ll always be on brand.“
We’re excited to showcase the brand and two websites within the next month or so. Stay tuned.
