Flin Flonners and visitors alike can sum up their experience in the region in five words: the water and the wild.
This is the tagline for Flin Flon’s new place brand, which was unveiled on the newly built stage at the Flin Flon Campground on Sept. 4.
Representatives from Travel Manitoba, which headed up a branding process that has been in the works for Flin Flon since early 2018, and McKim Communications Group, which created the brand itself, presented the brand to about 50 people at the event.
“It is indeed a great pleasure to be in Flin Flon, which I have declared on numerous occasions as one of the most beautiful communities in this province,” Colin Ferguson, president of Travel Manitoba told the crowd as they awaited the unveiling.
“We want to attract more people to this community and to other communities who have identified themselves. We know [visitors] are going to spend more money … really, this is to drive the businesses in town. And the ripple effect is great. If you’ve got Americans coming up to go fishing, they’re also eating in your restaurants, buying stuff in your stores, there’s a really strong ripple effect. We also believe it has the ability to change impressions people might have.”
Ferguson gave some background on the branding process, which included in a place branding session in February that saw significant attendance from community stakeholders. A creative brief was formed from that session to guide the creation of the brand, and representatives from Travel Manitoba and McKim Communications Group made several trips to the area to research for the brand.
Brent Morrisseau and Carey Pradniuk of McKim Communications Group presented the brand to the audience, one element at a time.
The pair explained that the project goal was to invite outdoor enthusiasts to explore one of Manitoba’s most pristine wilderness settings in Flin Flon and the surrounding areas.
In developing the visual aspects of the brand, they looked at the two main audiences for Flin Flon: anglers, and “those seeking pristine wilderness experiences set against captivating backdrops.”
“So what is the main draw in common for both of these groups and many others?” asked Morrisseau.
“Well, it’s the water. The water always seems to be the destination within the destination. The wild and rugged rocks are definitely cool, but you always seem to want to make your way down to the water. It has that irresistible drawing power.”
The brand’s word mark features “Flin Flon” in an entirely custom handcrafted script that Morrisseau described as feeling “natural, free and artistic.”
“It references your fun, quirky and creative side without losing sight of the beauty and serenity of the place and its connection to water,” said Morrisseau.
“There are some references to natural elements, water, trees in letter forms…it really lets the mark stand on its own in a memorable way, especially when it’s layered over the breathtaking photos of your region.”
Pradniuk spoke to the tagline of the brand.
“For the tagline, we want it to be memorable, inviting, and highlight the most distinctive aspects of your community. We want it to be romantic but adventurous.”
Appreciative comments could be heard throughout the group as the tagline was unveiled.
“Clearly, the water plays a huge role in Flin Flon, and most communications, as you’ll soon see, feature lakes, rocky geography and the idea of water as clean, crisp and inviting,” said Pradniuk.
“We believe the wild part of the tagline speaks to just about everything else about the place. The history is a little wild, the people who live here – their creativity – as well as a literal interpretation of a town amongst true beautiful wilderness.”
Other aspects of the brand included sample print ads, billboards and digital ads, meant to be a jumping off point for implementing the brand.
Ferguson noted that content will be key in the implementation of the brand.
“The better the content, the more you’re going to have to market and the better the quality of the product,” said Ferguson, who added that Travel Manitoba will continue to be a support throughout the implementation process.
“We want this to be hugely successful. We want not only Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach to be extremely proud of how they are portrayed as a community, we want to hear about the successes of increased revenue generation, and more visitation…we’re really proud of this one. We’re proud of all of them, but this one really stands out.”
Now that the brand has been unveiled, stakeholders must conceive ways to implement it. The City of Flin Flon has committed $10,000 per year over the next three years to implement the brand. Glenna Daschuk, municipal administrator for the City of Flin Flon said the city is in the beginning stages of putting the brand to work.
“This is something that will now be available as a tool on a regional basis, with all the different organizations, companies and municipalities within the region to work with and develop other things,” said Daschuk, adding that the monetary commitment from the city is flexible and did not come with strings attached.
“We do have some flexibility in how we use the $10,000 that we have committed.”
Daschuk noted many stakeholders have equal right to use whatever comes out of the branding and develop their own programs around it as well. She said the brand could be used for tourism, as well as economic development.
“We would definitely be considering that, mainly because we have already formed a regional economic development committee, and because tourism has always worked regionally here,” she said.
“Everybody is quite excited about it. They all want to get programs developed quickly…we don’t want to wait on this.”
