Squamish Brand Enhancement and Marketing Action Plan Project

View the Brand Enhancement and Marketing Action Plan, and other resources. 

The Squamish Brand Enhancement and Marketing Action Plan Project was undertaken in 2014.

The Squamish community got its first glimpse into the brand direction in April 2014. Check out this preliminary presentation showcasing an early draft of the new brand.  Check out the slideshow and video from the presentation.

Brand leadership team

The volunteer Brand Development Committee transitioned to a Brand Leadership Team and helped create and edit the 50+ recommendations in the Brand Action Plan before providing it to Council and the community in September. Read all about the Brand Leadership Team.

The art of branding a community: the power of narrowing your focus

Branding is the art of setting yourself apart from everyone else, and making you the destination of choice for investment, business opportunities, and as the place to live and visit. 

The entire idea behind branding is to import more cash into the community than you export when locally earned money is spent elsewhere. 

All of the rules in this handout apply to business as well as to the community. Download your copy of "The Art of Branding: the power of narrowing your focus" handout.

Squamish brand enhancement process:

Destination Development Inc. (DDI) are experts that facilitated the process to build the plan WITH us, not FOR us. It was a truly collaborative process. Over several months, we went through the process to come up with the brand direction - including the development of a full complement of Brand Graphics - and brought champions on board to implement it. Best of all, the outcome came from us - not an outsider.

• Brand Enhancement & Marketing Plan Project Launched January 8, 2014
• A Brand Development Committee was named: Read all about it here.
• Interview Groups (small group discussions: Recreation, Business, Arts & Culture, Tourism & Hospitality, Squamish Residents) - January 9
• An Online Survey was available January 8-31. Thank you to all 1,143 people who completed the survey!
• A 13-Step/14-Week Process followed - click here for details
• #thisismysquamish campaign launched March 27 to further engage the community in the process.
• Read the March 27th blog update from the Brand Development Committee.
• Brand Leadership Team announced August 12, 2014
• Launch date September 30, 2014

Project background:

In May 2011 District of Squamish Council adopted the Outline for Economic Development Activities as a framework to guide Economic Development. Phase III of the framework calls for the creation and implementation of a marketing program aimed at attracting new businesses to Squamish. The awarding of the provision for branding services will develop the story, tools and action plan required for a coordinated community marketing program.

The brand enhancement and marketing action plan will engage the community to:

• Define the story to tell the world who Squamish is, what the community has to offer and ensure efforts are telling the story that Squamish wants to be told.
• Describe brand identity, provide graphic images, and marketing messages that combine instantly to showcase Squamish, reach target audiences, and tell a compelling story to close the sale.
• Provide a marketing action and development plan with graphic tools to communicate the story such as gateway signage, way-finding systems, websites, brochures, guides, marketing materials, posters, billboards, and pole banners.