Enterprisers. Launch.
ENABLING A MORE AGGRESSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION
Initiative
Chris facilitated creation of a new brand for the Town, entwined with Chris’ re-positioning of a more aggressive economic development strategy.
“Live a little lighter on the pocketbook.”
“Launch your enterprise idea.”
“Fast track enterprise and lifestyle freedom.”
“Put your life on an upward trajectory.”
These new messages have something distinct to say about the Town of Bowden, located in a Highway 2 corridor between Edmonton and Calgary where many communities have a similar value proposition. So the million dollar question is: what is THE competitive value proposition for Bowden? Can that value proposition drive an economic development agenda…and even transform a downtown? The answer is YES!
Bowden has the most affordable housing in the Red Deer region. Like many small communities, its downtown has suffered as the nature of commerce shifts to bigger centres. Its Highway 2 location offers industrial opportunity, and access to the Red Deer region for those seeking a more rural and connected lifestyle choice.
Put the pieces together and an economic development strategy (visualize a see-saw with two strategic ends) with clarity emerges: 1) “It Takes Two” – Highway 2-focused larger scale industrial investment: Ag, O&G, Manufacturing, TLD, Renewable Energy, Tourism – where a key step forward is to put industrial development potential of highway land (current grazing land) on the map; and 2) “Residenterprise” (yep – we made up a new trademarked word) – a key redevelopment opportunity for downtown where commercial and residential uses blur in the form of work-live, home-based, pop-up development, smaller footprint spaces, etc. A place where the home is the castle – and with it ability to do business more freely because Bowden has done things like become “regulation-lite” with its home-based business policy.
A workhorse economic development strategy needs an aligned brand. The Town of Bowden needs to attract independent enterprisers to new forms of mixed-use development that are unique in the region for their form…and affordability. Its brand promise will be ensured by policy actions that create new residenterprising options. The Bowden brand is enterprising…enabling…has uplift. The Brand is nose to the grindstone, authentic people – the well worn jeans not the dress pants. It needs to inspire motivation that has people thinking about enabling their work and life freedom.
To accomplish this, a new visual identity is inspired by “The Archer” – the upward trajectory for enterprisers and life-lovers that Bowden will offer. Simplified and stylized symbolism that de-clutters in a world of clutter. Greens and blues of endless skies and surrounding farm fields.
Results
Brands are an investment of time and energy. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Success ONLY happens when a community’s salesmanship is aligned with what its doing as a matter of strategic direction and action.
A handful of “Quick Wins” in context of a small community with constrained resources were identified to begin what will hopefully be a generation of brand implementation: new business cards that stand out from the crowd, two new community entrance signs in the budget, and a “little big idea” to enable home-based business to be more visible – unlike most communities – by freeing up business to create eclectic, one-of-a-kind, hanging signs that create notice/conversation on their own.
And a unique opportunity to do what Google does by changing its logo every day: to use a large, electronic Pattison billboard – where the Town of Bowden gets free display time – as a muse for a variety of affordability and “enterprising” messaging.
The Future
In July, 2019 the Town of Bowden conducted a Council Strategic Planning session to articulate its strategic agenda moving forward. Several economic development and brand initiatives identified in Chris’ work with the Town have been incorporated into the Plan. Progress and transformation has begun…
