With the unveiling of Flin Flon’s new brand a mere six to eight weeks away, the region has some important questions to answer and some shaping up to do.
Travel Manitoba’s place branding session on Feb. 21 saw a strong turnout in terms of numbers and representatives from the surrounding area. Under-represented, notably, were indigenous organizations and the under-40 crowd – arguably two of the most important demographics when considering the future sustainability of the area, which, realistically, is what the push for tourism is all about.
That push is going to take a whole lot of buy-in, and while the enthusiasm was apparent at the R.H. Channing Auditorium during the session, as Travel Manitoba representatives pointed out, there is more work to be done.
The brand is the beginning of the region’s concentrated, collective foray into the tourism industry, not the end of it.
A person with a specific set of skills will be needed to get the brand off the ground and create content to help market it. The City of Flin Flon has put up the required $10,000 per year for three years to help launch the brand, but to retain someone with the required skills who will put in the necessary work could reasonably
cost more.
Beyond the person who will launch and maintain the marketing aspect of the brand, the community will have to learn to live and breathe it – not just in the beginning, while it is fresh and exciting, but for the long haul. The city may have put up the funding for it, but the brand is about everything the area has to offer. It isn’t simply a logo or some content or product – it’s everything the region does, from customer service to the experiences available to the way our main street looks. Maintaining all aspects of that brand is what will make it strong.
During the branding session, some points were made about Flin Flon’s lack of self-awareness when it comes to its weaknesses.
As locals – particularly locals with a vested interest in tourism – Flin Flonners can be great cheerleaders for the community and
the area.
But Flin Flon is also a bubble, and what may be pumped up to seem top quality on a local level has the potential to appear mediocre to those travelling here for the first time.
The issue of volunteer burnout was also raised, specifically concerns around the lack of younger volunteers, and the reasons behind that lack.
Hint: When someone of that demographic tries to tell you why their peers aren’t volunteering, listen to them and adjust accordingly. That demographic and their willingness to contribute will be instrumental in the brand’s success if deterring factors are limited. This initiative can’t afford to move forward without them on board.
The make-or-break factor may come down to collaboration between stakeholders. Promoting and maintaining a brand over the long term will take continuous communication between all of those involved, and the more who become involved and buy into the brand,
the better.
The turnaround on the brand creation is quick, and it will be unveiled before we know it. The sooner stakeholders can come up with a plan to implement it, the faster it can be put to use.
