Welcome to the City of Fort Saskatchewan's Brand Review Project
The City of Fort Saskatchewan is excited to explore our City's branding, identity, and reputation through the eyes of our residents and industry partners! This process is crucial in capturing the true essence of our vibrant community, and ensuring our brands, marketing materials, and other assets accurately reflect who we are.
What does this include?
This Brand Review project entails a thorough audit of Fort Saskatchewan's branding, including the City's corporate identity (logo, fonts, colours, photography, etc.), and its other brands (sub brands) which include cultural, recreational, and economic development brands, among a few others. Your input will inform us about the City’s current reputation and perception locally, regionally, and internationally.
What is a brand?
Municipality brands are its unique identity, reflecting its character and values. The term “Brand” encompasses a variety of elements like the logos, fonts, colours, photography, website and social media channels, the overall image we present through community events and external media, and much more. It’s how we answer the phone to the uniforms we wear. Essentially, it's how our city is recognized and remembered.
To learn more about brands, check out this helpful YouTube video below:
Results and Next Steps
The Brand Review project is complete, resulting in the 2024 City of Fort Saskatchewan Brand Review Report, detailing project findings and administration's recommendations.
Next steps will focus on preparing a master brand strategy, updating essential creative and marketing assets per the review's recommendations, and streamlining internal systems to strengthen the communications and marketing department's effectiveness.
Why Now?
In the ever-evolving landscape of branding and community identity, timing is everything. Here’s why the City of Fort Saskatchewan needs this comprehensive municipal brand audit now:
A Decade Past: It’s been 10 years since our last full brand audit.
Fiscal Prudence: Maximizing the value of every branding dollar spent.
Reputation Safeguard: Ensuring our brand truly reflects our city's esteem.
Imminent Updates: Cohesive branding for Harbour Pool's transition and our website refresh.
Best Practices: Staying at the forefront of branding excellence.
Community Connection: Ensuring our brand resonates with our residents.
Maintaining Relevance: Keeping our brand current and memorable.
Our brand isn't just an image—it's our City's legacy and future. Thank you for being part of this important journey!
Branding is complex, which is why the City engages with branding professionals to shape and manage our City's brands. Here are essential brand terms you might encounter during this Brand Review project, provided to clarify the project's purpose and components.
- Brand: A brand identity represents the identity of the City of Fort Saskatchewan, encapsulating its values, personality, and the experiences it offers, making it recognizable and distinct from others.
- Brand Colour: Brand colour refers to the specific hues selected to represent the City of Fort Saskatchewan, playing a crucial role in creating visual consistency and evoking emotional responses associated with the brand.
- Brand Fonts/Typography: Brand fonts or typography are the specific styles of text used in the City of Fort Saskatchewan's visual communications, chosen to complement the brand's personality and ensure readability across all materials.
- Logo: A logo is a symbolic design or emblem used by the City of Fort Saskatchewan to aid and promote instant public recognition, often incorporating brand colours and typography.
- Sub Brands: Sub brands are secondary brands that fall under the main brand's umbrella, catering to different segments or services within the City of Fort Saskatchewan while maintaining a connection to the parent brand's identity.
- Brand Story: A brand story narrates the history, mission, values, and unique aspects of the City of Fort Saskatchewan's brand, creating an emotional connection and deeper understanding among its residents and visitors.
- Brand Assets: Brand assets are the visual and verbal elements associated with the City of Fort Saskatchewan's brand, including logos, colours, fonts, taglines, and imagery, which collectively convey its identity.
- Brand Photography: Brand photography consists of images specifically created or chosen to represent the City of Fort Saskatchewan's identity and values, used consistently across marketing materials and communications.
- Collateral: Collateral refers to the printed or digital materials used to promote and inform about the City of Fort Saskatchewan, such as brochures, business cards, flyers, and websites, all designed to support the brand's marketing strategy.
- Brand Reputation: Brand reputation is the public's perception and trust in the City of Fort Saskatchewan's brand, shaped by past experiences, communications, and the quality of services offered.
- Brand Image: Brand image is how the City of Fort Saskatchewan's brand is perceived by its audience, influenced by its visual identity, communications, and actions, reflecting the brand's character and values.
- Marketing Materials: Marketing materials are items used to communicate and promote the City of Fort Saskatchewan to its target audience, including advertisements, brochures, websites, and social media content, designed to highlight the brand's benefits and values.
