Canadian Town Issues Branding RFP
Town of Shediac in Canada is seeking a branding agency to provide brand consulting, design and public engagement services as part of a brand development project. Target groups to be engaged will include the local community at large and stakeholders such as the cultural, multicultural, not-for-profit, tourism and business communities. Creating an exciting, new, evolutionary, progressive and transformational brand positioning for the Town of Shediac, New Brunswick that conveys the identity, energy and ambition of the community is what this vitally important project is all about. A brand positioning for Shediac is largely the development of what is known as a “place” brand – importantly, and most visibly, it gets captured by a logo, and maybe a slogan but it is so much more than just these elements – it is the collective expressions that connect people from right here and from away, that help drive the commitments behind fresh investments in the community’s business and tourism sectors – that embraces Shediac famous natural spaces, entertainment options and local cuisine – its generously shared quality of life and the richness of its diverse social experiences and seasons.
Shediac is also a community that strives to advance its economy locally as well as being attractive and competitive regionally and internationally with world-class talent and skills. The TOS is working on these exciting and progressive challenges and is ready, willing and able to consult with businesses, not-for-profits, governments, visitors and citizens on this brand renewal which will support an enhanced and more contemporary image for the Town.
To help capture the mix that has been expressed somewhat anecdotally by both the business community and the public, Shediac Town Council directed the town’s staff to explore and develop options for an evolved or new brand that is authentic, distinct and reflects the community’s strongest and best attributes looking ahead to future generations.
Scope of Work
1) Key Project Deliverables:
Solicit and capture input from the local community, general public and stakeholders and weave into an exceptional brand platform proposal, including the following tasks:
– Conduct research into best practices and examples at other municipalities.
– Develop an engagement program delivery and logistics plan that can achieve the engagement objectives within the project timeline.
– Design, coordinate and deliver consultation sessions focused on identifying key attributes and gaining public and key stakeholder feedback (options on the cost for consultation approaches and sessions should also be included in the submission).
– In conjunction with TOS staff, develop engagement materials, presentations and marketing collateral required for this stage.
– Document and consolidate results from all public/stakeholder consultation sessions, surveys and other proposed initiatives into report(s) and draft for review of the engagement process.
– Draft/co-author key messages;
– Draft key initial differentiated marketing strategy and positioning;
– Propose social media or other high value tactics;
– Integrate activities into online engagement presence or microsite that engages the public.
– Meet with the TOS project leads on a regular planned basis prior to, during and after the consultation sessions, as required, to develop, execute and finalize the presentation and to review ongoing work and results, and to coordinate team tasks and strategies to carry out concurrent TOS corporate engagement activities.
2) Brand Creative Phase
Translate the Brand Strategy into key brand elements including logo design and the creation of a comprehensive brand presentation.
The Scope of Services includes formalizing the TOS’s visual brand identity within both a printed and online Brand Standards Manual in both official languages. The Manual will incorporate all elements of the TOS’s visual identity – including any slogan/brand identity recommendations – comprehensive brand visual standards – logos, colors, language treatments, on-line, signage, promotion and advertising applications – that can form the core of the brand standards guidelines document and online site that acts as a central resource for a new TOS brand, as itemized below:
• acceptable logo variants (color, black and white, reverse, transparency);
• logo file formats;
• acceptable logo usage and spacing;
• inappropriate logo usage;
• a suite of corporate fonts and their acceptable uses;
• a corporate color palette (including Pantone colors);
• supporting design element(s);
• identification of sub-brands and use;
• imagery guidelines;
Some of these elements may be provided to the Contractor for incorporation; whereas other elements will have to be developed by the Contractor (for example, color palette and supporting design element) or improved by the Contractor (for example, logo variants, file formats and sub-brands).
The Manual will guide the organization on how to use these elements in the full range of the TOS’s communications. Optional proposals will also be accepted from Contractors willing to develop some or all of the following companion materials and/or templates to be guided by the Brand Standards Manual:
• corporate stationery suite;
• marketing suite;
• presentation suite;
• brand-based merchandise;
• facilities signage;
• operations signage;
• fleet identification; and/or
• online and multimedia suite.
Due Date:
Proposal is due on June 18 to:
Town of Shediac
Attention – Réjean Godin cpa cga
290 Main Street, Unit 300
Shediac, NB
E4P 2E3
PR firms in Canada include Shift Communications and APCO Worldwide.
