Choose Cranbrook Economic Development Platform

https://www.choosecranbrook.ca/

The City of Cranbrook is proud to submit Choose Cranbrook as a leading example of marketing innovation in rural economic development. Purpose-built to attract investment, support local business growth, and promote the region’s competitive advantages, Choose Cranbrook is a dynamic and visually engaging website that serves as the central driver of the City’s economic development strategy.

We’ve moved far beyond the days of caveman paintings on walls. Today, Choose Cranbrook harnesses the power of high-quality, visually stunning video storytelling to share our community’s unique story. This modern approach transforms static, outdated messaging into immersive experiences that connect emotionally with investors, entrepreneurs, and residents alike—bringing Cranbrook’s economic potential vividly to life for the world to see.

A model for rural economic development.

Choose Cranbrook – Submission for the 2025 EDAC Marketing Awards

Overview

A model for rural economic development.

Key Features and Innovations

1. Purpose-Built Economic Development Platform https://www.choosecranbrook.ca/
Choose Cranbrook was intentionally designed as a standalone digital platform dedicated to economic development. Unlike typical municipal websites, it is tailored specifically to showcase investment opportunities, promote the local business environment, and support economic decision-making through a modern and intuitive user experience.

2. Strategic Focus Areas
The site is organized around themes that reflect the city’s core economic development priorities:

Investment attraction
Strategic land development opportunities
Partnerships with Ktunaxa and ʔaq̓am
Talent attraction and workforce support

3. Visual Storytelling and Video Integration Choose Cranbrook – YouTube
Professionally produced videos are central to the platform. These videos highlight Cranbrook’s people, landscapes, and economic potential in an engaging and credible format. They are repurposed across social media and news platforms to reinforce consistent messaging and broaden reach.

A collaborative media library was also created as part of the project, first piloted through the “Edfest” campaign. B-roll footage and media assets are freely shared with local stakeholders, supporting a unified and cost-effective approach to storytelling.

Edfest Arts and Music Festival

4. Data Visualization – The Data Portal https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/
A standout feature is the interactive Data Portal, which provides real-time access to key economic indicators. Combining public data (e.g., Statistics Canada) with proprietary sources (e.g., Telus Insights), the portal allows users to explore:

Labour force and mobility trends
Industry sector profiles
Population and workforce demographics

This tool simplifies complex datasets, enabling more informed and persuasive conversations with investors, developers, and business leaders.

5. Indigenous Partnership – Ktunaxa Homelands Page https://www.choosecranbrook.ca/ktunaxa-homelands/
The platform includes a dedicated page recognizing the Ktunaxa Homelands, integrating cultural awareness with economic development. An interactive map features key landmarks, traditional language, and development opportunities, reflecting a genuine collaboration with Indigenous partners—not a symbolic gesture.

6. Newcomers Guide https://www.choosecranbrook.ca/newcomers-guide/
A practical guide for new residents and businesses supports talent attraction and workforce development. It includes local context and essential resources, helping users integrate into the community more easily.

7. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Video Series https://www.youtube.com/@choosecranbrook/videos
A core component of Choose Cranbrook is its FDI attraction video campaign, centered on the flagship film We Are Cranbrook. The series promotes the community’s investment readiness through high-quality short-form and social media-ready videos. The videos highlight:

First Nations partnerships
Renewable energy opportunities
Local business success stories
Quality of life and inclusive growth

The campaign aligns with trends in onshoring and clean energy, positioning Cranbrook as a forward-looking and globally relevant city. All content was created with local talent and offers unlimited usage rights for stakeholders.

8. Multi-Platform Video Distribution – YouTube and Facebook Integration https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561448236871
To maximize the reach and impact of the FDI video series and other marketing content, the Choose Cranbrook campaign leverages both YouTube and Facebook as core distribution platforms.

The Choose Cranbrook YouTube channel serves as the digital home for the City’s professionally produced video content. It features full-length FDI videos, short-form promotional clips, and community-based storytelling assets. These videos are optimized for investor engagement and can be embedded in presentations, shared with stakeholders, or used at trade events.

Complementing YouTube, the Choose Cranbrook Facebook page supports ongoing engagement with local audiences, regional partners, and prospective investors through regular content updates. Videos posted to Facebook are accompanied by captions and website links, encouraging further exploration of Cranbrook’s economic value proposition.

This multi-platform strategy ensures the content is accessible, shareable, and visible to a wide audience, both locally and globally.

9. Real-Time Building Permits Dashboard https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/building-permits

Choose Cranbrook includes a real-time building permits dashboard that transforms how information is shared and used by City Council, administration, and the community. Previously, permit data was compiled into quarterly reports presented at council meetings—creating delays in visibility and decision-making.

With this live dashboard, stakeholders now have immediate access to up-to-date permit activity, enabling:

City Council to monitor development trends continuously and respond proactively rather than reactively.
City administration access to Realtime data, no more surprises and foster interdepartmental collaboration
Community members and investors to gain transparency into local development, enhancing trust and encouraging timely engagement.

10. GIS Storytelling – Revitalization Tax Exemption Tool https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/tours?tour=downtown_revitalization_victoria_av

Choose Cranbrook features an easy-to-use Geographic Information System (GIS) storytelling tool that promotes the City’s Revitalization Tax Exemption program. This interactive map visually highlights eligible properties and revitalization areas, making the program accessible and understandable for property owners, developers, and investors. By simplifying complex zoning and tax information into an intuitive visual format, the tool encourages uptake of the exemption and supports targeted economic revitalization efforts.

11. Supply Chain and Logistics Interactive Map https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/transportation

An interactive GIS map details Cranbrook’s strategic transportation assets, including road, rail, and air infrastructure. This supply chain and logistics tool allows users to explore connectivity and capacity across modes of transport, demonstrating Cranbrook’s role as a critical regional hub. It supports business case development by providing a clear visual of access routes, intermodal facilities, and proximity to markets, which is vital for attracting investment in manufacturing, distribution, and aerospace sectors.

12. Capital Works Project GIS Storytelling https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/capital-projects-map

The platform showcases Cranbrook’s major capital projects through GIS storytelling, providing stakeholders with detailed, location-based insights into infrastructure investments. This feature highlights ongoing and planned projects—such as utility upgrades, transportation improvements, and public amenities—illustrating the City’s commitment to building a strong foundation for economic growth. Visualizing these projects helps communicate progress, fosters community support, and enhances transparency.

13. Economic Dependencies Dashboard https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/economic-dependencies

To complement investment and planning efforts, Choose Cranbrook includes an Economic Dependencies Dashboard. This interactive tool tracks key economic indicators and dependencies—such as major employers, industry clusters, and supply chain relationships—allowing users to understand Cranbrook’s economic structure at a glance. It supports risk assessment and strategic decision-making by highlighting vulnerabilities and opportunities within the local economy.

14. Tourism Data Insights Using Telus De-Identified Cellular Data https://data.choosecranbrook.ca/tourism-insights

Choose Cranbrook integrates advanced tourism analytics through partnership with Telus Insights, utilizing de-identified cellular data to provide real-time information on visitor movements and behaviors. This anonymized data offers valuable insights into tourism patterns such as visitor origins, peak travel times, popular destinations, and length of stay.

By leveraging this data, local government and tourism stakeholders can:

Make data-driven decisions to optimize marketing and infrastructure investments
Better understand seasonal and daily visitor flows
Identify emerging tourism trends and opportunities for product development
Measure the impact of events and campaigns on visitor numbers

The use of Telus de-identified cellular data ensures privacy compliance while enabling Cranbrook to adopt a modern, evidence-based approach to tourism development and management.

This innovation shifts behaviour from waiting for periodic summaries to actively using real-time data as a strategic planning and communication tool, fostering a more agile and responsive economic development environment.

Approach to Innovation

This project represents a grassroots, homegrown approach to digital marketing and investment attraction. Key elements include:

Collaboration with GENEX Marketing, a Cranbrook-based digital agency
Video production by Lukas Nemeth Films, a local filmmaker
Active input from Indigenous partners, municipal leaders, and the business community
Ownership of all creative assets by the City of Cranbrook, with perpetual usage rights

The campaign breaks new ground by blending storytelling with economic data, creating content that is both emotionally compelling and analytically robust.

Results and Impact

Since launching Choose Cranbrook and the FDI video series:

The Choose Cranbrook YouTube channel has exceeded 10,000 views
The five FDI videos are the platform’s top-performing content
The campaign led to major investment inquiries and additional investor engagements
The content helped secure CanExport funding and launch a cross-border Economic Corridor Feasibility Study
A resulting trade mission to Washington State, supported by partners in Calgary and Spokane, is underway

Tangible and intangible outcomes include a heightened sense of local pride, stronger regional collaboration, and enhanced perception of Cranbrook as a strategic investment destination.

Choose Cranbrook was proudly recognized as the recipient of the 2025 Marketing Innovation Award from the British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA). The award—presented at the BCEDA Annual Conference in Penticton—celebrated Choose Cranbrook’s innovative, collaborative approach to economic development through its purpose-built online platform

A true testament to community collaboration, the platform brought together local talent across Genex Marketing, Lukas Nemeth Films, Cranbrook Tourism, CityViz, and municipal leadership—all converging to craft a best-in-class marketing tool for economic growth in Cranbrook

Replicability and Lessons Learned

The Choose Cranbrook campaign provides a model for other rural communities seeking to attract investment through:

Authentic, locally produced storytelling
Inclusive representation and Indigenous partnership
A multimedia approach blending video, data, and strategic messaging
Use of free-to-share creative assets to amplify reach

A key lesson is the value of aligning economic messaging with community values to build trust. Working with local creatives fostered authenticity, while a multi-platform strategy ensured broad accessibility. The success of this initiative proves that even small communities can achieve global impact with a clear vision, high-quality content, and strategic collaboration.

Conclusion

Choose Cranbrook is more than a website—it is a working tool, a shared asset, and a collaborative framework that unites the community around a common economic vision. Built by local talent, grounded in reliable data, and shaped by authentic storytelling, it represents a scalable gold standard for rural economic development marketing.

The City of Cranbrook is honoured to submit this initiative for the 2025 EDAC Marketing Innovation Award.