Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Deciphering the code-Letter to the Editor

Yesterday somebody asked me about our new "Brand" wanting to explain it to them I found the following statement, the problem is I do not fully understand this statement! maybe it's just me but when I read the statement to the person I was discussing it with he did not understand it neither.

"What is a Brand Identity"

"Most importantly, a brand is NOT a "logo" or "Identity"

"Part of leveraging a brand is, however, the creation of an identity or logo which captures the essence of a brand. A logo or identity is a graphic representation of a brand. Logos are the entry point and a "short cut" to the brand for your mind"

It's from the February Municipal Newsletter promoting our new "Brand" unfortunately I think this was written in some sort of strange code which requires higher intellect to decipher. I guess being part of the 98% of the population that does not have a Master's degree put's us at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to understanding this kind of "forward" thinking.
Anybody that can take a few moments to explain this to me I would greatly appreciate your assistance.


Note: Further to the issue of "Branding" the following letter from David McIntyre appeared in both the Crowsnest Pass Herald and Promoter this week.

 Rebranding Crowsnest Pass, George Dawson-style

I did a double take when first exposed to Crowsnest Pass's new brand, but decided to keep quiet. I thought the community, already suffering from advanced self-destruction, might crumble if so much as touched by another form of criticism. And so, with great resolve, I promised not to touch the new brand with a 10-foot pole.
As days passed, however, the pole grew shorter. And then it vanished.
It disappeared when I noticed that the brand's subtitle, when used in newspaper ads, was not legible. 
If the community ever decides to rebrand itself, it might, for a single, defining vision, give some passing consideration to the drop-dead gorgeous, heralded power peak that, for millennia, has turned heads and punctuated the skyline - the peak that, surrounded by mountain ranges, stands alone to command supremacy amid the stunningly beautiful headwaters of the Crowsnest River.
This iconic, one-of-a-kind, quintessential landmark—the focus of vision quest sites throughout southern Canada—is so grand, sublime and strikingly unusual in form as to be instantly recognizable to anyone who's seen it, and profoundly compelling to those who have not.
Eminent geologist, George Dawson, a towering figure in Canadian history and science, travelled widely across North America during a lifetime of exposure to nature's most dramatic landscapes. Generations of international scholars have lauded his work, and countless Canadians have referred to him as a national hero. On the day of his death (1901), Dawson penned his last words. He described, from among the countless places he'd been, an 1880s trip into the Crowsnest Pass.
Dawson, valiantly searching for a "good morrow" while on his deathbed, recalled the day he camped near today's Alberta/B.C. border, witnessed a grand auroral display, then woke and headed east. There on the trail shortly after sunrise, Dawson, riding his horse Samson, ascended a ridge to a high point and witnessed "a view like no other."
Dawson's remembered "good morrow" likely placed him on the cliffs above the north shore of Crowsnest Lake. His poignantly described "view like no other" was almost certainly the sublime form of Crowsnest and the Seven Sisters, framed between the Flathead and High Rock ranges, the Livingstone Range in the distance. 
This is the brand George Dawson took to heaven.

David McIntyre

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to have some of the stuff that that person is smoking.

John Prince said...

Obviously, one of two things has happened here 1. The person who wrote this is either too full of him/her self, or it is like what Anon @12:46 said. :-)

Or, 2. "If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well."

JP

Anonymous said...

- 5 triangles
- "CROWSNEST PASS" in Baskerville font
- "Naturally Rewarding" in the wildly popular free Scriptina font
http://saynotoscriptina.tumblr.com/

I can do that in a few minutes with my drawing program. Obviously you need some fancy hype to sell it for $50,000.

"the brand's subtitle, when used in newspaper ads, was not legible."
Also the shrunken versions at the bottom of the CNP page:
http://www.crowsnestpass.com/
From the blurbs handed out at the time, it appears they were only thinking about using it in print media.

"This iconic, one-of-a-kind, quintessential landmark—the focus of vision quest sites throughout southern Canada—is so grand, sublime and strikingly unusual in form as to be instantly recognizable to anyone who's seen it, and profoundly compelling to those who have not."
David, I got goose bumps just reading that.

Anonymous said...

Yes David, thank you for expressing in words what a lot of us feel. I had noticed the "brand? logo? not brand, logo?" that you had designed for the Conservation Society. Why didn't they approach you for some advice? I'm afraid they really got sucked in on this one. (Well, come to think of it, one of many!)

Anonymous said...

This is what happens when you “farm out” everything to out of town consultants and then have a "by invitation only" brand launching party.
No one explained that weird manoeuvre; this is a small town, not a Calgary or Edmonton. Perhaps our councillors are used to working only with a convinced and agreeable crowd. No wonder everything is “running so smoothly.” This is a clear result of the two man agenda committee, (how do you get a quorum with two people, one of whom is a clear superior?).
They could have donated the $50,000 to our local high school and had some positive community buy-in into this branding process. Plus the high school could have used the $50,000 to better ends. Perhaps we could have even gotten some good press for the branding?
All they did was marched the $50,000 right out of town.
And was the wine and cheese worth this fiasco. Seems they like to farm out “all the thinking” to paid consultants.
Unfortunately - we have been misled during the election with all the efficiency talk hogwash.

Anonymous said...

So....

"Many community members participated in the process and provided valuable insight and understanding."

What the?!

I remember a little survey that was quite cryptic. Was that our participation, insight, and understanding?
Oh, wait a minute, there was that open house thing that about 5 or 10 people went to. That was surely helpful.

I don't know, but $47,000, divided by 5 months, comes out to about $9,600 a month. Let's see, estimate about 22 working days a month, that's $436 a day, (and that's being generous on the amount of days in a month, seeing as the holiday season fell in there,) now, divide that by about 8 working hours in a day, and that comes out to about $54.00 and hour. Really!

I believe it probably took about 1, maybe 2, pushing it 3 hours to come up with this "brand." The rest of the time was probably spent playing "Farmville" at the office!

Anonymous said...

Best thing to come out of David M in a long time. Anyone who cannot visualize what David is describing re George Dawson, hasn't taken the time to see the vista in person. But then, many of us who live in the Crowsnest Pass are oblivious as to what is happening.

The new Brand is a disaster and an example of just how they have screwed up the place. Really, trying to explain this bunch of triangles and wavy lines, when the true spirit of the Crowsnest is in front of our eyes just shows why our education system is so screwed up. Thank You Mr. Mayor and Merry Men.

Anonymous said...

I heard Myron say at one of those public events (after the invitational Gala), the reason they needed a new logo was that they discovered they didn't OWN "Mountain Freedom".

Obviously, it wouldn't do to have a logo they can't totally own and control.

My neighbour Bob remarked "You can't own freedom".

Crowsnest Pass Home said...

11:07 Mountain Freedom was developed in conjunction with Community Futures. There is no patent or copy right on the "mountain Freedom" so where would there be any impediment to anybody using it.
It was always made clear that the brand was available for anybody in the Pass to use. Community Futures, Chamber of Commerce, some businesses, even my fellow blogger uses it.

Anonymous said...

Council Minutes March 1 2005

Marketing Consortium, Lynette LaCroix and Krista Peters
Ms. LaCroix and Ms. Peters presented the newly-created logo “Mountain Freedom Crowsnest Pass,” and requested Council’s endorsement in order that the logo can be registered by the Marketing Consortium. Ms. Lacroix provided a detailed marketing plan to Council.


#1316-05 Councillor J. Ham moved to endorse the logo as presented by the Marketing Consortium and
that it be registered.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Just a little more Information

Anonymous said...

There is a newly developed Crowsenst Pass digestive cookie that will become big seller soon, and it will be marketed as: Crowsnest Pass Digestives – Naturally Rewarding. Should be a hit.

Peter Rosner said...

George Dawsons description of his discovery of the Crowsnest Mountain and the seven sisters is what i see every day. Often when hiking around the hills taking in our scenery i ask myself why do people always want more. Sadly our greatest resource is not being taken advantage of by the vast majority. David McIntyre and many of your commentors have got it right when they describe their appreciation of the area. Our "BRAND" was spelled out for us and has been expanded upon by committed volunteers. Unfortunately those in charge had neither the vision nor the hindsight to see it.