KENORA — The city's economic development and tourism department has received national awards for their promotional efforts
The department recently received the Marketing Canada honours at the Economic Development Association of Canada annual conference in Summerside, P.E.I.
“The recognition is great to receive and the city will certainly get some visibility as a result of the award. The real proof is what we do with the brand and avatar to increase awareness of Kenora as a destination for tourism,” said Stace Gander, the director of economic development and tourism.
The category Kenora won awards in were for brand identity and digital marketing.
Kenora’s banding represents six key elements — the lake, small-town charm, the night sky, festivals and events, the boreal forest, and culture. Each element is depicted in each colourful letter.
“If you drive down the streets of Kenora, you'll see banners on our light posts that you know, illustrate our brand. We're very proud of what we've created here, and whether you're checking us out on social media channels or coming to town itself, we're proudly displaying our new brand,” Gander said.
As the director of Kenora’s economic development and tourism department, Gander’s teams work closely with each other daily brainstorming ways to engage with the community and visitors alike.
One such strategy was the creation of a social media account for Ken and Nora — two avatars that highlight local businesses and events.
“Different people like to get information in different ways. There's always going to be those people who are going to want to use more traditional means like a municipal website to get information or even municipal social media,” Gander said.
“The use of the Ken and Nora avatars is just another method that connects with different audiences and augments those other means as a tool to create awareness and drive activity in the community. If the community is active, people want to be part of that, whether you're a local or a visitor.”
Gander said one of the keys to marketing is viewing the product — in this case, the City of Kenora — and its connection with the people to then create a campaign that fits.
When asked what advice he would give to other municipalities about marketing who are trying to reach a wider audience, Gander acknowledged that “social media is a very powerful tool if used to its fullest extent and any municipality has a vested interest in creating as much awareness as possible. So, use every means at your disposal to try to connect with people.”
