County Seeking Public Input For Economic Development & Tourism Brand Strategy
Haldimand County’s Economic Development and Tourism Division is seeking community input to develop its brand strategy. The brand redevelopment project, identified as a priority in the 2017 Council-approved Economic Development and Tourism strategy, has been initiated to enhance the County’s positioning as an exceptional place to live, visit and conduct business.
The branding initiative’s objective is to clearly ‘tell the story’ about what Haldimand County has to offer and why potential investors, businesses and visitors should choose Haldimand. The project will develop and deliver a defined, resilient brand identity that describes Haldimand’s competitive advantage, engages people, drives action and represents the many attributes of its unique communities.
“We would like to invite key stakeholders and members of the public to provide input and guide the brand development,” said Lidy Romanuk, Manager, Economic Development and Tourism. “It is important that we use a collaborative process to not only identify Haldimand’s unique story and competitive advantage, but to obtain support and public insight for the final brand,” she continued.
Over the next several weeks – through a series of focus groups, surveys and interviews – the County will be collecting input directly from local stakeholders including residents of all ages, business owners, local volunteers and community groups. Additional consultation will take place beyond Haldimand County to ensure an external perspective informs the final brand.
The re-branding project process will be facilitated by design and marketing firm CQNS. “CQNS has extensive experience working with municipalities and their Economic Development and Tourism organizations,” Romanuk noted. The Economic Development and Tourism Division will work closely with the CQNS team to conduct research and carry out the re-brand’s implementation.
Residents are invited to provide their input by attending a focus group or completing an online survey (open until October 12). Focus groups will be held on the following dates and locations:
Focus Group Session #1: CAYUGA
Date: Wednesday, October 3
Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Cayuga Arena – 55 Thorburn St. S, Cayuga, ON N0A 1E0 (upstairs meeting room, McSorley Hall)
Focus Group Session #2: DUNNVILLE
Date: Wednesday, October 3
Time: 6 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Location: Dunnville Library – 317 Chestnut St, Dunnville, ON N1A 2H4 (upstairs, Programming Room)
Focus Group Session #3: HAGERSVILLE
Date: Thursday, October 4
Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Hagersville Arena – 36 Sherring St. North, Hagersville, ON N0A 1H0 (upstairs meeting room, Almas Room)
Focus Group Session #4: CALEDONIA
Date: Thursday, October 4
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Caledonia Library – 100 Haddington St, Caledonia, ON N3W 2N4
Residents who wish to attend a focus group session can contact the Haldimand County Economic Development and Tourism Division at BusinessHaldimand.ca or 905-318-5392 ext. 6331 to register. Residents who are unable to attend an in-person session are encouraged to complete the survey, accessible via BusinessHaldimand.ca or directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/haldimand-branding.