NIPIGON – The Township of Nipigon have launched their new brand promise and identity to the community with a public event at the Legion Hall. The launch was the result of an eight month long community engagement process which gathered the community’s ideas of what makes Nipigon a unique place to live, work and play in Northwestern Ontario.
The process of engaging the community reflected in the end product which was positively accepted by the people who participated in the launch event Tuesday.
Mayor Richard Harvey was enthusiastically looking ahead. “This is an exciting step as we move ahead in growing and marketing our community,” commented Harvey, “This has come from the people, reflecting who we are and where we are going and will help us connect with the world”.
In early 2012, the Township of Nipigon initiated this branding exercise in order to identify and establish a single Nipigon Brand that would clearly communicate the Nipigon experience. The advantages of having a strong community brand are many; promoting competitive advantages, increasing tourism, recruiting and retaining talented people, attracting new business and encouraging economic development, building local pride and enhancing marketing outreach.
The results of this project are brand guidelines which promote integrated, consistent and high quality messaging and visual identity. The community now has a framework which will guide current and future marketing efforts for the Township of Nipigon, its residents and businesses.
“I am very pleased with the results of our branding exercise and am excited to roll out the new brand,” said Charmaine McCraw, Economic Development Officer for the Township of Nipigon. “The process of developing a single identity for Nipigon has been challenging as our community is well known for many things. However, a predominant natural edge is consistent in many facets of our community, including: business, our natural features and our physical geographic location at the crossroads of Canada”.
The brand promise of ‘A Natural Edge’ incorporates the essential natural element that exists within the community, it meets the community’s past ‘nature’ with its modern future ‘edge’ and it communicates the fun, active and adventurous personality of Nipigon.
The concept of edge appeals to business and investors because it has a modern, competitive and progressive connotation. This slogan identifies the success which comes naturally to Nipigon and that it is a confident and proud community.
The logo offers a modern, abstract design style. In its basic interpretation, it depicts the natural green scenery, water and sunshine elements of Nipigon while capturing the message of Nipigon’s edge. However, in this abstract design, the viewer can see various key physical and experience elements of Nipigon contained within the logo from multiple perspectives including: cliff edges, water, a highway or corridor, a river, sail boats, panoramas and accessibility etc. The letter ‘N’ also appears within the graphic. The more one looks at the design, the more images one can see; very much like the discovery experienced by those who live in or visit Nipigon.
“I have to say I was part of the Land of the Nipigon brand process and I liked that brand,” said local resident Gwen Nyman, original Land of the Nipigon Waterways committee member “But I think the new brand is fantastic.”