Homegrown Regina: Building an Authentic Brand for Regina

Website: www.HomegrownRegina.com
Video: https://youtu.be/f06yzRWddiw

Purpose 

In 2021, Economic Development Regina commenced development of a unique, consistent brand narrative for Regina. Regina has the physical and economic assets to become a global hub for agriculture, food and renewable energy, and the brand was developed to articulate our unique value proposition to investors, skilled workers, and visitors.

Effectiveness 

Objective 1: Engage key community members to inform, contribute to, and test the brand

Results:

• A highly engaged 16-member Brand Advisory Committee provided vital insight throughout the brand development process
• Stakeholder sessions were held with more than 110 residents, businesspeople and community leaders, delivering critical insight for the process
• 96 pages of written feedback from attendees at the Tourism Regina stakeholder conference, which included a keynote presentation on the brand

Objective 2: Develop critical assets that articulate Regina’s brand and value proposition, and deliver key messages and digital assets that enable stakeholders to tell Regina’s story

Results:

• Produced brand guidelines, a brand playbook, online asset library, brand microsites and creative samples that allow stakeholders and partners to utilize the brand

Objective 3: Build partnerships with key community organizations to advance the brand in their own external messaging

Results:

• Built brand activations with the City of Regina, Regina Hotel Association, and Regina Chamber of Commerce and others
• Partnered with the Government of Saskatchewan on multiple international investment attraction missions that utilized the Place Brand in marketing activities
• Engaged 10+ additional community organizations to introduce and activate the brand in their activities
• Developed Terms of Reference for and identified membership in an ongoing Brand Advisory Committee

Challenges

Challenge: Broad level community engagement

Equity, diversity and inclusion were critical principles throughout brand development and marketing. The process included a “stakeholder mapping” session to identify players and how best to engage them.

Stakeholder activities:

• Destination Brand & Marketing Advisory Committee:  16 committed business and community representatives who attended four major workshops through the development stage
• Stakeholder Surveys and Interviews: Conducted 1-on-1 and small focus group discussions, remotely and in-person where possible, with100+ key stakeholders and experts
• Ongoing Outreach: Created a Brand Manager position and long-term stakeholder outreach program to ensure the brand reflects the community’s needs

Challenge: Brand development during the pandemic

While successful brand development relied greatly on engagement, limitations created by the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a virtual approach throughout much of the process. While this was not the preferred method, it created the touchpoints needed.

Target Audiences

Regina’s Place Brand is intended to be a “community” initiative. The intent is to make the brand inclusive enough that it resonates with a broad range of stakeholders who have contact with businesses, students, skilled workers and/or visitors inside and outside the GRA. Audiences include:

• Business community
• Indigenous Peoples
• Entrepreneurs and changemakers
• Visitor economy
• Post-secondary sector
• Community leaders

 Other specifics 

Regina’s Place Brand was created to provide a homegrown, authentic, and consistent narrative for the city – one that that speaks to who we are and what makes us special. In essence, it states Regina’s unique value proposition to investors, skilled workers, and visitors.

The brand is designed to support sustainable growth, particularly in the “new prairie economy,” which emphasizes new opportunities to develop a circular economy that brings together primary and value-added agriculture and renewable energy.