Goal
“Development of a strong branding program that provides a unified message to increase community interest and investment, and create the tools needed to establish and promote the identity of the community.”
Target audiences included existing and potential residents, commercial and industrial businesses and investors, land developers and home builders, and visitors interested in historical tourism.
Situational Analysis
Recognizing magic in their small town, yet aware of the fact that most people would consider (if they were to consider it at all) the Town of Bentley, Alberta to be little more than a sleepy bedroom community for the more busting Lacombe and Red Deer Regions, Council and staff sought development of a robust Brand Strategy (incorporating tourism and economic development, and internal and external communications strategies).
Unfussy Recommendations
Brand Strategy must be a workhorse for pursuit of an ambitious community development vision preserving what people most appreciate about Bentley—small community feel, quaint, quiet, friendly, charming—while ensuring it is seen in the future as a vibrant place with local job opportunities and a high quality of life:
Bentley is the model small town re-imagined; an affordable, family friendly community that has enhanced its quaint charm with unique recreational and business opportunity, including tremendous potential to be the Red Deer Region’s dinner table as an agri-food investment hub.
Output
- Strategic Community Direction development (with Economic Development and Tourism considerations)
- Community / Place Brand development
- Internal and external communications strategies
- Messaging Platform development
- Visual Identity (logo) system creation
- Targeted advertising and marketing communications campaign conceptual development, design, and production
- Ongoing marketing collateral design and development
- PR Strategy development
- Community signage and pageantry design and production
- Brand Standards (Playbook) / visual identity guidelines development
- Videography services
- Website design and development
Designed to enhance community image, pride, and the sense of “salesmanship” needed to better connect with existing residents and potential newcomers and entrepreneurs, visitors, and business and industry investors, the rebrand initiative was fed by extensive internal and external research, including Council, staff, and key stakeholder workshops, SWOT, and discovery sessions, and significant community engagement in the form of online surveys and PR / social media engagement.
Outcomes
The Brand is an authentic representation of Bentley as a modern re-imagining of wholesome, small town living, where living whole means living large. With convenient access to major transportation routes, urban centres, essential amenities and provincial attractions, and a no limit approach to all season recreational adventure or the enabling of entrepreneurial and enterprising vision, the Town of Bentley is not a dot on the map, but a checkmark off the bucket list. A place where residents, visitors and investors can experience a true kaleidoscopic life of vividly hued, lifestyle-defining moments worth basking in. Ever unfolding patterns of connectivity and community, affordability and opportunity allow us to take a progressive foot forward powered by traditional values to reach for our dreams and hobbies quicker, buy a new home or launch a new business sooner, raise our families better, and retire with comfort earlier.
Vibrant, compelling visual identity, imagery, and messaging urges the viewer to take another look — because this is the Bentley we know can come to be, for all who choose to gain new perspective and focus on the things that matter most. The things that take our words away and allow us to simply be. And it’s the word Be that’s key. As in: Bentley is a place to truly belong, and Bentley is the place to be. In fact, this simple word is so fitting that it even appears in our name, at the very beginning of it all in fact — hidden in plain sight, just like the Town itself. Until now that is…
Testimonial
“Branding projects are complex, and unless you get community buy-in to the brand, you’re dead in the water. This project was very successful for Bentley and that is because of the expertise of Cynthia and Corey. They encouraged excitement from those that were involved in the project, and everyone felt included and involved. This is the recipe for successful branding.
I found Unfussy amazing to deal with. They are an “all in” marketing firm that strives to be proud of what they do. Some people do work for the sake of work and getting paid, but Unfussy is invested in their projects from start to finish. They deliver what is expected and more, because they care about what they do. We have attracted million-dollar investments as tangible results to show that the marketing direction and rebranding is working, and we continue to see the positive results in our community. To this day, we are extremely happy with Unfussy and the work they did for us.”
Marc Fortais
CAO, Town of Bentley, AB
