Counties and cities spend big money creating a slogan to sell their area. But how can they ensure that it’s money well spent?
Herpreet Kaur Grewal
Counties and cities spend big money creating a slogan to sell their area. But how can they ensure that it’s money well spent? Herpreet Kaur Grewal reviews examples from across the UK and asks their instigators, economic development professionals and branding experts for their views.
ANTRIM
Slogan: “Antrim … the Jewel of the Lough”
– Karen Steele, visitor servicing development manager at Antrim Borough Council – “The aim of this slogan is to highlight Antrim’s significance on Lough Neagh. The borough occupies an important strategic location in Northern Ireland. It is a key gateway, as Belfast International Airport is located within the county.”
– Jon Sawyer, managing director of consultancy Eye – “It draws attention to the pretty and sometimes unknown parts of the area. It makes the borough sound undiscovered, and plays on this sense of mystery. However, I am not sure it constitutes a natural way to get investors more involved.”
– Nigel Markwick, senior consultant at brand consultancy Wolff Olins – “The word ‘Lough’ (meaning loch or lake) may not be familiar to everyone outside Northern Ireland. It’s too geographical. The area may have beautiful scenery, but so does Scotland. They have played it safe with this slogan. What makes the borough different? We would look for something engaging and simple that would make the area sound distinctive.”
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
Slogan: “The natural place to live”
– Susan Neal, communications officer at Dumfries and Galloway Council – “The slogan is supposed to convey that we are a rural area. We want to make the most of our natural environment.”
– Iain McKinnon, managing director of public policy consultancy Iain McKinnon Partnership – “It suggests that a person might get several square miles to themselves, but the number of people who would get excited about that is limited. It would be an attractive idea to some people and may appeal to some firms, such as design consultancies, but not to most businesses that are looking to relocate.”
– Rikard Svendsen, creative director of advertising agency Fhlame Branding – “It evokes nice countryside, but it also implies isolation. Will people want to move there if they feel that jobs and leisure facilities are far away? The council should think carefully about all the ways it could be interpreted. Slogans mean different things to different people, and this risks passing people by.”
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Slogan: “Let yourself grow”
– David Randall, director of brand and marketing at economic development agency Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited – “It took 18 months to develop this brand. We wanted to come up with something meaningful, not just a catchy slogan. The message is that Northamptonshire is a place where you can grow and develop, whether you’re a business, a person looking for a short-term break, or moving to the area.”
– Anthony Barbar, economic development consultant at Focus Consulting – “It is simple and catchy and fits in with the regeneration work going on in what is a designated growth area. It is general enough to target anyone, but it will particularly appeal to inward investors.”
– Graham Hales, chief marketing officer at branding firm Interbrand – “The words combine the logical agendas of inward investment agencies, local authorities and tourist boards quite neatly. But it does feel like the sort of thing local authorities are bound to tell us. It risks being something of a lowest common denominator and may therefore lack impact and intrigue.”
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Slogan: “N”
– Professor John Heeley, chief executive of tourist board Experience Nottinghamshire – “The big ‘N’ design is just a logo and says very little. But it is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how we promote ourselves. The key to effective branding is to secure widespread adoption of the logo by the local public, private and voluntary sectors. Nearly 200 organisations are using the logo.”
– Ian Page, economic development consultant – “It would not have a direct impact on its own. It seems to convey that Nottinghamshire is a unified place that’s working together: the different parts that make up Nottinghamshire are not being precious about their own image because it’s all being conveyed by one logo.”
– Michael Levy, managing partner of branding firm Corporate Edge – “It’s not really a slogan; it’s a vessel into which they are trying to pour meaning. When you see the ‘N’, you know it’s referring to Nottinghamshire. It’s a different approach: not everyone needs a slogan. It’s a diverse place and a slogan could have been a straitjacket in expressing that diversity.”
PETERBOROUGH
Slogan: “Growing the right way for a bigger, better Peterborough”
– John Peach, leader of Peterborough City Council – “We are in one of the Government’s growth areas, but we wanted to say that we are not growing for the sake of it, but in the right way. We have great buildings and iconic designs: we’re not just a concrete new town. We are a relatively low wage economy and we want to raise our stakes and attract jobs in areas such as IT and commerce.”
– Jim Coleman, economic development consultant at Regeneris Consulting – “It’s not immediately clear what it means. It’s not something that strikes me as conveying a message. It seems that it’s more about motivating the local authority and partners, rather than enthusing an outside investor.”
– Clay Gill, media strategist at agency BLM – “It’s not bad, but it sounds like a slogan to motivate people in Peterborough rather than anyone outside the area. The other thing is that it doesn’t sound very unique. I’ve heard that sort of line before. Remember, the target audience is always asking themselves: ‘What’s in it for me?'”
YORKSHIRE
Slogan: “Alive with opportunity”
– Victoria Wilkinson, senior press officer for regional development agency Yorkshire Forward – “The ideas incorporated in the slogan are the diversity of the region as well as the positive characteristics of its people: their welcoming nature, strong work ethic and determination to succeed.”
– John Nolan, economic development consultant at consultancy SQW – “In my view, Yorkshire has a reputation for small rural communities and industrial towns. Maybe the reason the slogan includes the word ‘alive’ is to suggest that it is actually a vibrant and dynamic place with lots going on. ‘Opportunity’ also suggests it has more potential to develop and become more successful and attractive in the future.”
– Michael Hayman, chief executive of branding firm the Communications Group – “The slogan is positive and inviting, but not memorable enough.”
Regeneration & Renewal’s Long-Term Regeneration Through Rebranding conference takes place in London on 19 February. For details, visit www. regenrebranding.com
5 STEPS TO GOOD PLACE-BRANDING
How inward investment agencies, councils and tourist boards can most effectively introduce a place-branding slogan.
1. Get all parties to agree a strategy. Often, organisations in an area can have different perceptions and ambitions. Councils, businesses and residents must agree on something that unites all of their interests, otherwise the finished product risks having little impact or being unrepresentative. Rikard Svendsen of Fhlame Branding says: “Everyone has to be a part of it and believe in it, otherwise it will not work.”
2. Talk to brand professionals. Branding experts can help organisations focus on the purpose behind a slogan or logo. Consider factors such as where it will be used, and whether it is aimed at inward investors, tourists, potential new residents or all three. Settle on an idea that appeals to whichever audience you’re targeting.
3. Make it unique, catchy and inspiring. Whether it is a slogan or a logo, it must be distinctive. There is a risk that an idea that pleases everyone may be too generic. Does it capture a distinctive ambition in the local area? What will organisations do to fulfil that ambition so that the slogan rings true for people in years to come? Michael Hayman, chief executive of the Communications Group, says: “You need to have a brand identity that stays in people’s minds.”
4. Design a strategy for how the slogan will be displayed. Ensure that the branding is displayed in the local area through shops, council buildings, transport hubs and general advertising. Logos can be put on everything from hoardings to letterheads.
5. Use a variety of media. Viral marketing, using online social networks, video clips, text and email messages, can be used to disseminate the slogan. Individuals are likely to forward messages that appeal to them, and this immediately increases the number of people reached. Organising events will also help with communicating the message of the brand.