The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutReport Maple Ridge Brand Review.pdf� � � ��, �7 � va* n4:� �;iy.'. y "` .�: ��-�i*��'�� ?' � ,�*'+• •�� ' � .'.�}� •��F�� '-' fyc�' .t � `_. . �.' �� ' ' �� Y'� ��' "4{',�':. �� . �..' S y y , �ry� � F{ �. 't�w- � . 'y`_` K"'� �, .Yw.;� h� ; '" � ��1 1� .F' .' 1 .� ti �` _ ,t ."� � � rx�: � i-' r, ;.,�tl � � - �, • I �� s��.��T . ,. { �� _ ---�� „iu�'•,'--`", . . '+ ', r r_�y�� * r � s 'R•. � a ' i �' } wYti Y ii ww:']ti�.I .r R S.sa S.i� __ {+ i 3 - . I I I . I : 1' I I. ' I I r *i'��fi. =-�.ti�;.r � '�' � � �.� - �. .� vl�' � : . � Y� T'� �i ar��l � �� :. . �_.."�: �.�. ��. �� - _ — �.. .. �i CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE Brand Review January 2017 MAPLE RIDGE . . British Columpia x � EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................3 OVERVIEW..........................................................................................................................................................................8 PART I- BRAND KEY FINDINGS KEYFINDINGS ...................................................................................................................................................................11 CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................................................................20 SWOTANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................................21 PART II - BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS OBJECTIVES, SUCCESS FACTORS & AUDIENCES ................................................................................................................24 BRAND ACTION PLAN .......................................................................................................................................................26 BUDGET& TIMING ............................................................................................................................................................37 APPENDICES APPENDIX A- BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW ...................................................................................................................40 APPENDIX B - BEST PRACTICES .........................................................................................................................................49 APPENDIX C- STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS .........................................................................................................59 APPENDIX D- MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY- DATA SUMMARY ................................................................................66 APPENDIX E- SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK - DATA SUMMARY ...........................................................................................74 APPENDIX F- METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY - DATA SUMMARY .....................................................................78 APPENDIX G - BRAND AUDIT ............................................................................................................................................85 � � _ ' # �` " c . � .� .a. - "•' � � - - - � � °'!�` - � - - �,. �. L "t�.:: ��.�� /..��Y��.r " � , �'- v � � � i� 1'�� µ �,� y �. �� r n; .. i, N 4 �_,. "j d �{.,. � . y .e . `��..,.�.s �y�:,.r►^f!� i ,�-- r - �� EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of Maple Ridge (the City) commissioned Illuminata Marketing to conduct a Brand Review and identify strategies and actions for enhancing Maple Ridge's brand moving forward. The objectives of the review were to: assess the strength of the brand in a local, regional and broader context, and explore how it aligns with the City's aspirations; evaluate brand management and marketing & communications practices; identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as they relate to the brand; and, identify opportunities and ways to grow the Maple Ridge brand. A"City Brand" is a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what a community represents (i.e. what a community stands for, and the values it holdsJ. A city brand is the foundation that helps make a place desirable as somewhere to live, work, visit or do business. As part of the process, Illuminata Marketing took into consideration key findings from a review of existing City documentation and data, best practices, stakeholder feedback from discussion groups and interviews, Maple Ridge resident feedback from qualitative and quantitative surveys, and Metro Vancouver resident feedback through a quantitative survey. A brand audit reviewed and analyzed current City brand components, brand management and marketing and communications practices as they relate to the brand. KEY FINDINGS Several themes and insights emerged from the research: Overall impressions of Maple Ridge are positive among its residents. Sixty-nine percent of Maple Ridge residents had a positive impression of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business. Reasons given included mentions of "like/ love it here", "hometown/ lived here long time", and "close to nature/ good outdoor environment". Further, when it comes to overall quality of life, 65% of residents agreed that Maple Ridge provides an overall high quality of life. While overall impressions among residents are positive, they could be strengthened. While 69% of Maple Ridge residents had a positive impression of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business, almost a quarter (23%) had a negative overall impression. Reasons included perceptions of crime, homelessness, drugs as well as City Hall/ Council issues. Further, Maple Ridge resident ratings are softer when compared to how Metro Vancouver residents rated their own cities. For example, 76% of Metro Vancouver residents had a positive impression about their own city, and Metro Vancouver residents reported being more likely than Maple Ridge residents to recommend their own city to others as a place to "visit", "work or look for a job" and "open up or run a business". Perceptions are mixed and a divergence in opinions can be seen. Differences in opinions were seen throughout the research. Among Maple Ridge residents, agreement on several measures varied, and were divergent in some cases - for example, while 36% of residents would recommend Maple Ridge to others as a place to "work or look for a job", 34% would not. This dichotomy was also seen on measures such as Maple Ridge having "affordable real estate and housing", being a"modern city", having a"strong and vibrant local economy that is business-friendly and employment-oriented", and the current Maple Ridge logo and tagline "Deep Roots. Greater Heights" representing Maple Ridge. Directionally, differences were also seen between newer and longer-term residents (with newer residents tending to be more positive towards the City). As well, mixed perceptions were also seen among the different stakeholder groups (e.g., staff, businesses, community organizations, developers and Council), both across groups as well as within each group. Metro Vancouver residents are unfamiliar with and have neutral impressions of Maple Ridge. There is a lack of familiarity with Maple Ridge among Metro Vancouver residents - only 9% of Metro Vancouver respondents stated they were "very familiar" with Maple Ridge, and half (55%) stated they were "not very or not at all familiar" with Maple Ridge. Further, 14% had "never visited" with another 36% only visiting once or twice (36%). And although "far/ distant/ remote/ hard to get to" was one of the first things that came to mind when thinking about Maple Ridge for 37% of Metro Vancouver respondents, 50% had a neutral overall impression of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business. There appears to be a gap between the City of Maple Ridge's vision and perceptions. There appears to be a gap between the City of Maple Ridge's vision and current perceptions of residents and stakeholders. For example, among Maple Ridge residents, there tended to be mixed perceptions and lower agreement with various brand statements related to the City's vision (e.g., close-knit community, environmentally-friendly/ green, special neighbourhoods, strong and vibrant local economy/ business-friendly and employment oriented), in comparison to other brand statements. Further, while the City's efforts in working towards its vision are not going unnoticed among stakeholder groups, perceptions are also mixed and the direction for the City moving forward appears to be unclear. Nature/ Outdoors/ Beautiful attributes of Maple Ridge resonate across all audiences. Brand statements relating to nature, outdoors and beautiful were overwhelmingly tied to Maple Ridge for Maple Ridge residents, Metro Vancouver residents and stakeholders alike. There was high agreement that Maple Ridge is "a good place for people who enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, hiking and parks" (93% of Maple Ridge residents and 57% of Metro Vancouver residents agreed) and "a beautiful, natural setting with parks and green space" (95% of Maple Ridge residents and 56% of Metro Vancouver residents agreed). These characteristics were also seen as the most important and defining attributes of Maple Ridge by residents, and were also consistently mentioned as a strength in the stakeholder discussion groups. There are other attributes and characteristics associated with Maple Ridge. While the elements of nature/ outdoors/ beautiful resonated the most, several other attributes and characteristics were also associated with Maple Ridge. These attributes can be used as additional brand building blocks to help shape the Maple Ridge brand moving forward and include "community", "friendly", "small-town feel", "proximity" and "growing". There is an opportunity to improve the consistency of the Maple Ridge brand. The City does not have a current brand strategy guiding its brand activities, and while there are efforts in place to achieve visual consistency through Graphic Guidelines, the guidelines do not provide details regarding sub-brands, tagline usage and logo placement. There also appears to be a lack of cohesive messaging throughout the materials; further, although images of nature appear to be used in many of the materials, they lack a cohesive and overall look and feel which can help set the materials apart from other communities. There are key elements required for a strong city brand. Findings from the best practices analysis show there are key elements required for a strong city brand including being aligned with a City's vision, attainable and believable, consistent, unique and long-term. CONCLUSIONS The findings from the research point to a Maple Ridge brand that does not appear to be clearly defined and that could be strengthened: ■ Perceptions are mixed and the brand does not appear to be clearly defined — there is a blank slate for the City to work with which provides a great opportunity for the City to define and shape the brand. ■ While the "nature", "outdoors" and "beautiful" elements resonate and are defining attributes of Maple Ridge, there is an opportunity to supplement these attributes with additional brand building blocks such as "community", "friendly", "small-town feel", "proximity" and "growing" to help set Maple Ridge apart from others and form the foundation of a clear and compelling brand story. ■ One of the first steps and key considerations to help set the brand up for success will be to ensure the brand aligns with the City's vision and then build from there. A clear vision will be critical to the success of the brand. ■ To create a strong brand moving forward, the brand must be carefully and consistently managed across all communications and touchpoints, both from a visual and messaging standpoint. BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS The research pointed to gaps between perceptions and the City's vision, a Maple Ridge brand that is not clearly defined, mixed and divergent perceptions, and an opportunity to extend associations beyond "nature/ outdoors/ beautiful". As such, the City should take actions to refine/ redefine the brand — a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what Maple Ridge represents. To assist with this, the following overall objective should guide the City's brand efforts: ■ To promote and enhance Maple Ridge's image and reputation through the development of a brand to attract key audiences. Further, key audiences should be taken into consideration: ■ Residents — including specific sub-groups such as newer residents to Maple Ridge, longer-term residents, families, youth, etc. ■ Businesses and investors — including both commercial and residential developers, current business owners, potential business owners of various types such as retail, restaurants, film productions, etc. ■ Visitors and tourists — both day-trippers and overnight stays, particularly outdoor enthusiasts, visiting friends and family ■ Additional audiences that help shape and influence the brand include Mayor & Council, City staff, media, key community partners and stakeholders, community groups and associations, and government. The following highlights steps in the recommended Brand Action Plan which can be undertaken by the City to enhance and strengthen its brand. 1. Establish Brand Advisory Committee ■ Form Brand Advisory Committee to drive branding process and strategic direction of the brand 2. Clarify City Vision & Aspirations ■ Review the City's current vision to explore/ identify reasons for the gaps in perception ■ Undergo visioning process with external facilitator and include Council members, senior management and influential community members ■ Develop core key messages and proof-points So ct1 $20,000 to Q1 & Q2 $50,000+ 3. Develop Brand Story $25,000 to Q2 ■ Engage creative design agency to develop a strong Brand Story for Maple $50,000 + Ridge including brand positioning, key messages, tone and voice, logo & tagline, brand architecture 4. Develop Brand Guide $10,000 to Q3 ■ Develop a Brand Guide that builds upon the current Graphic Guidelines $25,000 document, but also includes brand story, positioning and key messages, graphic standards, voice and tone guidelines, imagery templates, etc. 5. Appoint Brand Champion(s) ■ Assign people to manage and oversee the implementation of the brand, work with Council and senior management to rally the organization and community at large, train internal staff, act as the advocate and liaison with community partners, enforce guidelines. and coordinate implementation and evaluation efforts $0 Q3 6. Launch Brand $0 to ■ Generate excitement, positive news and civic pride to launch brand (e.g., $10,000+ the launch might include events, training sessions, website and social media updates, FAQs, video, press release, contest, etc.) 7. Roll-Out Brand TBD based ■ Update communications and touchpoints to reflect new brand by on audit & conducting an audit, prioritizing updates and considering a phased roll-out needs to ensure a cost-effective approach assessment 8. Evaluate Brand Performance ■ Measure success of the brand strategy by looking at reach of brand promotional efforts and indicators that measure change in key strategic outcomes for the City ■ Take into consideration brand awareness; resident, tourism, Metro Vancouver and economic metrics; as well as stories and intangibles 9. Ongoing Brand Management ■ Ongoing and future initiatives are TBD $0/ TBD TBD total estimated budget for 2017 $55,000 to $135,000+ Q4 Q4 and ongoing Ongoing Future ��° ,� � = �f � �� ; _ �� , "��, �� '�' �� ;� .�"'� �. y- ,�.� h °w�: — � � -- �� e '.,�� .,�' �'+ '� �; � , ¢ . �^ � _' � � pN _f ,. _i'�� . , , t � � ''� � �--�.: �' ,�< � . � �x �.,s � � . � a. �'� :P, �� . � �,� � � `V,g`,�a �j� ,t � �qy ia' ^ 6� `� �> _ - �� . . � ��. '"'�4"� � l k . r• A � .� M1 �� r� l �� .. ""� OVERVIEW PROJECT OBJECTIVES According to the City of Maple Ridge, the community has experienced a rapid rate of growth and has evolved into a city in its own right — with a need to be recognized as part of Metro Vancouver. While the City is well positioned for further growth and development, population and employment, challenges relating to the underfunding of fundamental services remain. The City feels enhancing the profile of Maple Ridge and brand presence among stakeholders and audiences within Metro Vancouver will be key in assisting it in overcoming these obstacles. In 2016, the City commissioned Illuminata Marketing to conduct a Brand Review and identify strategies and actions for enhancing the City's brand equity. More specifically: ■ Assess the strength of the Maple Ridge brand - how it fares in a local, regional and broader context, as well as how it aligns with the City's aspirations ■ Evaluate the brand management, and marketing & communication practices as it relates to the brand ■ Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as they relate to the brand ■ Identify opportunities and ways to grow the Maple Ridge brand APPROACH Using a thorough and systematic approach that takes into consideration best practices, stakeholder perspectives and resident feedback, Illuminata Marketing has provided recommendations on how to best position and leverage the Maple Ridge brand among key audiences. � � � Illuminata Marloednp __.v__� � � � ■ Background/ Data Review — reviewed existing/ available documents from the City, including strategy documents, existing research, past reports and the like OVERVIEW Page 8 ■ Best Practices - conducted secondary research and reviewed relevant case studies and success stories among other municipalities, as well as branding best practices for cities ■ Stakeholder Research — conducted qualitative research, including discussion groups with City Council, City staff, community associations, and local businesses, as well as in-depth telephone interviews with developers ■ Resident Research — conducted quantitative survey, in partnership with Sentis Research, with 303 Maple Ridge residents (292 surveys via telephone and 10 surveys via online), and captured additional qualitative feedback through feedback questions asked online and promoted through the City website, and social media (Facebook and Instagram). The resident research took place in July/ August 2016 — the City has noted that it was a period of time with increased media coverage regarding social issues. ■ Metro Vancouver Resident Research — conducted quantitative online survey, in partnership with Sentis Research, with 400 Metro Vancouver residents ■ Brand Audit — reviewed and analyzed current Maple Ridge brand components, brand management and marketing & communications practices as they relate to the brand ■ SWOT — identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the Maple Ridge brand ■ Brand Review Report — including key findings from the above research and analysis, recommendations and implementation plan, and measures of success The Brand Review has been divided into two components — Part I: Brand Key Findings and Part II: Brand Recommendations. WHAT IS A CITY BRAND? There are many different definitions for what a brand is. The following are some ways in which a brand can be defined: ■ More than just a logo or name, a brand is a sum total of how someone perceives a particular product, service or organization. ■ A brand is a collection of your thoughts + feelings about your experiences with it. More specifically: A CI' ND is a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what a community represents (i.e., what a community stands for, and the values it holds). A city brand is the foundation that helps make a place desirable as somewhere to live, work, visit or do business. A city brand helps to convey reasons to choose a place to live, work, visit or do business. Benefits include developing a clear and consistent sense of community identity, creating a sense of local identity and pride, putting a city on the regional map and supporting local development efforts. OVERVIEW Page 9 .k�r `'�" � ti '�� T . � r�::,,_ y ,f� � � 4�� - ��J i � y r�' �L� t�•� �.�.j, F- . , ' 4 ' � k � �� ,��:'*#ti , � � � � � �� i* a +r � _ �V�� _ � �J r s. , — �.�� 1� •' � •� � *� �;, r.�4,},�* • L �r �-. •�,.� � ' � . �� . �.F :�� ae�` _ 3�� r 9r,.�.� � � �� r � ,,�y� Y. �: � . � , — �� +�,,��}� k ,� � �� {Y - �� . '��. .; �„�� .# �'��*`��rF'�r.:�r ,.� �_ # ' � � '� ti � • � ' � �— t �• � 4 '� ' * + �.r , �. , � ".� ,�y??`' � �� — �.k ; �. �� _ . i ti. M1 � �y �� ` � �'+ � •• . •+' �� 3 : .�V r ' � r - �i+�} 4j� ��... !'"'+�� . S � F � � . ' �.r ' ',r,��'. �I ` _�• _ � • ��rr ,� � L 'S } r , •�, , k� �•'.•. � � -'� +��'� � ' �o- k� ' � t y � F � �} • ' •+� : } #� �� r 1 �' � � + � _ . �•3�'•��+� + ' + 7, , r• €;.� *•+ � •�., � a Y � 1�' +r ,_ �,•I�� -¢' "- � r . 'k�: •1 � ' LT* � �'��p4 �� , ', - f, �: ' '�r �*� �*` � � :'4'� 5 t, — ' �,�� x� � � � �* �& .�� , 't 1 � �i',*s �'"� .• •��,�� +� `� , ' � 'b. � -'� �*��,� � � = r �` � i� ' � . �s'k'' � ' ' i �� ' �*� — � ''� — �� .+y�}� � ~�,�y� 1 �'�' ' • l .. _� •r � �� - � ,'j' { - { / - �;} s•�-� ! J • �' k ' �'�r � �� ., �~ � •• � 4 r•'f; �� — _ � i • � ti. ' �. � . ._ti - , .s , i+ +� . �• � - �rK�r��: • F r �,• �� . ��• . � r+ I � y f�y� � � v' r ' .� �� i, �� }.1. � � ' ' � � � �+ �i �� F -- r r • ' � � �� i � • h . . i '� -�r + . • � •- Tr ;� � . _ - _ �y _ � � � + � y • - � � ,ti�ti: . . • . . t , . - - _ ?k ti . ` — ' '� �. '�` ' � � _ . � � �r � � � L � A I! � il � " - � � ' - � � � � � � '� - • � : � . � _ : � �,�,a � . . � �� i�' PART I- BRAND KEY FINDINGS The Maple Ridge resident, Metro Vancouver resident and stakeholder research looked at overall impressions, attitudes and perceptions of Maple Ridge, and explored attributes and characteristics that define Maple Ridge. The background/ data review, best practices analysis and brand audit provided insight into the City's current brand efforts. The following highlights the key findings and themes from the research. KEY FINDINGS Overall impressions of Maple Ridge are positive among its residents. Among residents, Maple Ridge has positive aspects to its brand when it comes to overall impressions of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business, and as well as the overall quality of life. Overall impressions among Maple Ridge residents are positive where 69% of residents had a positive impression of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business. Reasons given among those holding positive impressions varied but included mentions of "like/ love it here", "hometown/ lived here long time", and "close to nature/ good outdoor environment". When it comes to quality of life, 65% of residents agreed that Maple Ridge provides an overall high quality of life. 5� Maple Ridge Residents Impression of MR as a pla�e to live, visit, ��vork andf ordo business %Total iTotai Neqative Positive zj� 6g� ■YeryNega�ive •_Somev�hatNegaiive ■NeitherNegativenorPositive ■Somet•rhatPositive ■L'eryPosi:i�re MR provides an overall high quality of life for residents %T�ta� %Total �isaqree Aqree � ............................... �9� 65� ■StmnglyDisagree ■SomerrhatDisagree ■NeitherAgreenorDisagree ■SamerrhatAgree ■SimnglyAgree While overall impressions among residents are positive, they could be strengthened. While overall impressions among residents are positive, there is an opportunity to further strengthen them — there is a proportion of Maple Ridge residents that had a negative overall impression of Maple Ridge, and Maple Ridge resident ratings are softer when compared to Metro Vancouver residents' perceptions of their "Own City". While 69% of Maple Ridge residents had a positive impression of Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/ or do business, almost a quarter (23%) of Maple Ridge residents had a negative impression of the City. This negativity could BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 11 be due in part to perceptions of crime, drugs, homelessness, and City Hall/ Council issues mentioned throughout the research. Also, when compared to how Metro Vancouver residents feel about their "Own City", Metro Vancouver residents were slightly more positive than Maple Ridge residents — 76% had positive overall impressions of their own city. Maple Ridgz Residznts Impression of MR as a pla�e to li��z, ��isit, �rorkandf ordo business i8% Metro Van�ouver Residents Impression of "Own City" as a place to live, visit, work andf or do business %Total 96 Total Neqative Positive �3°q 69hs %Total %Total Neqative Positine i34'u 76hs ■VeryNegative ■SomevrhatNegative ■NeitherNegativenorPositive ■SomewhatPositive ■VeryPositi�e Further, another overall measure asked about the likelihood of recommending the City to others on various dimensions such as "living in or moving to", "visiting", "working in or looking for a job" and "opening up or running a business". Sixty-nine percent of Maple Ridge residents would probably/ definitely recommend "living in or moving to" Maple Ridge. While this 69% is comparable to the ratings provided by Metro Vancouver residents about their own city (66% would probably/ definitely recommend), some of the other measures were softer: ■ 59% of Maple Ridge residents would recommend Maple Ridge as a place to visit, compared to 78% of Metro Vancouver residents and their own city ■ 36% of Maple Ridge residents would recommend Maple Ridge as a place to work or look for a job, compared to 52% of Metro Vancouver residents and their own city ■ 36% of Maple Ridge residents would recommend Maple Ridge as a place to open up or run a business, compared to 46% of Metro Vancouver residents and their own city ��..�...�.R,.. �.,..R.,....�.��.. 4/a Prohahlyj � °/a Prohahlyl Li�ing in or moving to [MRf Own City] Visiting [MRJ �wn City], such asto attend an e�ent, shop, see a local attraction Working in or looking fora jo6 in [MRJ Own City] Opening up or running a 6usiness in [MRf �wn City] 6g°IO GE1aI0 59% 78% 36% 5z% 36°to 46% BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 12 Perceptions are mixed and a divergence in opinions can be seen. Perceptions are mixed and in some cases divergent when it comes to Maple Ridge — different things are heard from different people. These differences in opinions were seen throughout the research. erand Statements and Attributes When Maple Ridge residents were asked about different brand statements describing attributes and characteristics of Maple Ridge, agreement levels varied. For example, when Maple Ridge residents were asked how likely they would be to recommend Maple Ridge to others when it comes to "working or looking for a job in Maple Ridge", just over one third or 36% of residents would recommend Maple Ridge, while another third or 34% would not. Maple Ridge Residents Llkelihood to Recommend -Working In or Looking fora Job In MR - 4� z� i rvoc i Remmmend Remmmend ■Don'tla�o�•� :'DefinitelyNat ■ProbahlyNot •MightlMightNot ■pra6a61y ■Definitely 34� 36� Among Maple Ridge residents, this dichotomy was also seen in other brand statements including Maple Ridge being "affordable", "modern" and "business-friendly/ employment-oriented". ■ 50% agreed that "Maple Ridge has affordable real estate and housing", 37% disagreed ■ 41% agreed that "Maple Ridge is a modern city that is current and keeping with the times", 43% disagreed ■ 37% agreed that "Maple Ridge has a strong and vibrant local economy that is business-friendly and employment-oriented", 43% disagreed Logo & Tagline This divergence in opinions was also seen when Maple Ridge residents were asked for feedback on the current Maple Ridge logo & tagline: ■ 29% agreed the logo represents Maple Ridge, 28% disagreed ■ 34% of residents agreed that the tagline "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." represents Maple Ridge, 36% disagreed MAPLE RIDGE British Colum6ia Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Agree Total Disagree 9% 20% 43% 13% i5% zg% z8% BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 13 Deep Roots. Greater Heights. Newer vs. Longer-Term Residents Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Agree Total Disagree 10% Z4% 30% 19% i7% 34% 36% As well, although directional and based on a small sample size of respondents, perceptions of newer residents of Maple Ridge tended to be more positive towards Maple Ridge. Those who have lived in Maple Ridge longer tended to be a bit more negative — some "it used to be ..." comments were heard throughout the research - for example "it used to be safe" or "I used to know everyone" Stakeholder Perceptions Overall, perceptions across and within stakeholder groups varied. Although directional and based on qualitative research, different stakeholder audiences appear to have different perceptions of the Maple Ridge brand and in some cases, perceptions within stakeholder audiences are also mixed. ■ Staff — Participants in the staff discussion group tended to have positive feedback, but perceptions about the brand were mixed and appeared to be affected by their experiences with Maple Ridge (e.g., whether they lived in Maple Ridge, how long they have lived in Maple Ridge, which Maple Ridge neighbourhood they lived in, their level of familiarity with the City's initiatives, and the City department in which they worked). ■ Businesses — Overall, business community participants had positive feedback about the Maple Ridge brand. Areas for improvement discussed related to perceptions of safety, security and the "business-friendliness" of the City. ■ Community Groups— Participants from community associations also had positive perceptions of Maple Ridge, and there was much discussion about Maple Ridge being community-oriented (e.g., high rate of volunteerism), close-knit and friendly (e.g., people say "hi" and open the door for you). ■ Developers — Among the telephone interviews conducted with members of the development community, those who had worked with Maple Ridge tended to have positive comments about Maple Ridge. Those who were less familiar with Maple Ridge or who did not currently have any developments in Maple Ridge mentioned they were looking for the right land to develop at the right price or for more clarity about the future vision of the City as it relates to development (e.g., OCP). ■ City Council — Feedback from City Council also touched on positive aspects of the City, and referenced many of the topics that were brought up by the other stakeholder groups. When asked for thoughts on what the Maple Ridge brand and personality should look like in the future, responses were mixed, with participants highlighting different things. ■ Perceptions on the logo and tagline were also mixed among the stakeholder groups — some agreed that they represented Maple Ridge, while others did not. BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 14 Metro Vancouver residents are unfamiliar with and have neutral impressions of Maple Ridge. There is a lack of familiarity with Maple Ridge among Metro Vancouver residents. From the quantitative survey among Metro Vancouver residents, only 9% stated they were "very familiar" with Maple Ridge, and 55% stated they were "not very or not at all familiar" with Maple Ridge. When asked how often they've visited Maple Ridge, 14% had "never visited" Maple Ridge and 36% stated they only "visited once or twice". Metro Vancouver Residents Familiarit�� v�rith MR ■ Not At All Familiar ■ Not Very Familiar ■ Somewhat Familiar ■ Very Familiar Visitation to MR ■ Never Visited ■ Visited �nwjTwi�e ■ Visited SeveralTimes ■ Frequent Visitor Further, when asked what first word or phrase comes to mind when thinking about Maple Ridge, 37% of Metro Vancouver residents mentioned something related to Maple Ridge being "far/ distant/ remote/ hard to get to". There appears to be a gap between the City of Maple Ridge's vision and perceptions. There appears to be gaps between the City of Maple Ridge's vision and aspirations and current perceptions of various audiences. When Maple Ridge residents were asked a battery of brand statements, agreement ranged widely - from 37% total agreement (Maple Ridge has a strong and vibrant local economy) to 95% total agreement (Maple Ridge has a beautiful natural setting). Statements relating to the City's vision tended to have lower agreement levels as well as mixed perceptions where some agreed and some disagreed, for example: ■ 61% agreed that "Maple Ridge has a close-knit community", 21% disagreed ■ 69% agreed that "Maple Ridge is an environmentally-friendly and green city committed to environmental stewardship", 11% disagreed ■ 54% agreed that "Maple Ridge has special neighbourhoods for residents to identify themselves by", 22% disagreed ■ 37% agreed that "Maple Ridge has a strong and vibrant local economy that is business-friendly and employment-oriented", 43% disagreed BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 15 Maple Rid�e ReSident5 Maple Ridge Brand Attribute5 Close-knit community $% 14% Environmentally-friendly & green ciry committed to enviromental stewardship 4� ��0 Special neighborhoods for residents to identify themselves by 8% 13% Strong & vi6rant local ecanomy that is business- friendly & employment-orientated 19% 37% 45%a 37% 24% 29% % Total % Total Disa�ree A�ree 21% 61% 11% 69% 22% 54% 43% 37% $trangly �isagree ■ Samewhat Disagree Neither Agree nar Disagree ■ Somewhat Agree ■ Strongly Agree Further, while the City's efforts in working towards its vision are not going unnoticed among stakeholder groups, perceptions are also mixed and the direction for the City moving forward appears to be unclear. For example, while Maple Ridge aspires to be business and development friendly and has recently been recognized with some awards, a gap may exist. For example, some of the comments in the stakeholder groups and interviews (although based on a small set of participants) related to "things being not that easy for businesses" or related to the lack of clarity around the OCP and the vision for development. Nature/ Outdoors/ Beautiful attributes of Maple Ridge resonate across all audiences. Brand attributes and characteristics relating to nature, beautiful and outdoors were overwhelmingly tied to Maple Ridge for Maple Ridge residents, Metro Vancouver residents and stakeholders alike. V �,i 3 � � � . (� � � , �f ��_.. . � �� , _ � H ikin � �° `r' g�� a� � � c� �°�� i �a rks �°� �L �? g.,°' �� N atu re �� U . �� '�� Q Cycling �,� � �utd��rs�'Sports BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 16 Among Maple Ridge residents, 93% agreed that Maple Ridge is "a good place for people who enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, hiking and parks" and 95% agreed it is "a beautiful, natural setting with parks and green space". Further, more than half of Metro Vancouver residents agreed that Maple Ridge is "a good place for people who enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, hiking and parks" (57%) and agreed that Maple Ridge is "a beautiful, natural setting with parks and green space" (56%). Maple Rid�e Residents %Total Aqree �ccd�:lace.'c��:eq:le::hcenjcycu:Jcc•ac:i:i:e=1i<ecyclina, � hiking & parks Beautiful natural setting with parks & green spa�e Metro Vancouver Residents 93 � 95� Good pla�e forpeople who enjoy outdoor a�ti�ites like �y�lin g, hiking & parl� 57� Beautiful natural setting t•rith parks & green space 56� ■Den"Knc:�; �:StmnglyDisagree ■SornewhatDisagree ■NeitherAgreeNorDisagree ■SomewhatAgree ■S�rcnglyrgree These nature/ outdoors/ beautiful attributes were also seen as the most important and defining characteristics of Maple Ridge by residents, and were also consistently mentioned as a strength in the stakeholder discussion groups. There are other attributes and characteristics associated with Maple Ridge. While the elements of nature/ outdoors/ beautiful resonated the most, several other attributes and characteristics were also associated with Maple Ridge. These attributes can be used in addition to the nature/ outdoors/ beautiful attributes as brand building blocks to help shape the Maple Ridge brand moving forward. �..� i �� _, �: s� i.� 1 L.I I �V Q � ��I��'t�WI� � � �C'�p � � �� . C'o `S�6 � � � . ��' �� '� �``� �� / �/ . � � �- � �`� �� /� � � �� •-� � � *`� �j (� �' � � � � � � � .c� p �ij :�� G.�� Rural � � � ¢' �� s � � �, � � � � s � � .: � Community�p/� Ua Neighbflurly I' I� u n�,[� j�� BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 17 Some of the more commonly mentioned attributes included: ■ Community — sense of community spirit, people getting involved and high rate of volunteerism, being close- knit ■ Friendly— it's "home", family, caring, people say "hello" and open doors, nice neighbours ■ Small-town feel — small-town charm and feel, peaceful, relaxing, less hustle & bustle, quiet ■ Proximity — being close to surrounding communities and major city centres (e.g., Vancouver, Langley, Coquitlam, etc.), being close to what's needed, easy access ■ Growing — the opportunity for growth and potential of Maple Ridge There is an opportunity to improve the consistency of the Maple Ridge brand. When reviewing the City's brand management practices, brand strategy and marketing and communications materials, there are a number of opportunities to improve the consistency of the Maple Ridge brand. MAP�E R16GE * "' �,- NIAPLE RIDGE BRIiISH COLUM@IA 111��?I�1�[��B.C� � -- ° '.� F �•I� ..�hlc VIs[o � �£ n.4arv.i �.i...si...�r, t' � f T �'I.�. •: osV CYP"k�[�p f� J y� ��f EIECTRICALC9N1A0Ei6AA4TWOkl£ATIOh ��'i '7 . � �f'v�:. <..,. .'� � � x ._ :^"��.,'__ y_�_ �. �.. .�' .. _ ... � � P' I..,_..... �.y.. �� ..�,,.. ' � __ I� ;� � h,54PLE �IIXi_ _ Y=� �- �^ � �� ,,.'� � -- - - ^ r . - -- I - 9'� � - j4'�y� �`,_ I �1 �- _, - -_ -- � ". .. . E:IL 3... i�'� �..'a� � M1 ' � � I�tAPLE �3�GE The City does not have a current brand strategy guiding its brand activities, and while there are efforts in place to achieve visual consistency through Graphic Guidelines, the guidelines do not provide details regarding sub-brands, tagline usage and logo placement. There also appears to be a lack of clear and cohesive messaging throughout the materials and although images of nature appear to be used in many of the materials, they lack a cohesive an overall look and feel that sets the materials apart from other communities. Further, there are several examples demonstrating the Graphic Guidelines are not always adhered to. BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 18 There are key elements required for a strong city brand. Findings from the best practices analysis show there are key elements required for a strong city brand. Aligns with City's Vision Attainable Long-term & STRONG Believable CITY BRAND Unique Consistent Align with City's Vision A city brand can only be meaningful when there is a strong and widely shared common vision for the direction the city is headed in. A city brand is an extension of a city's vision — it forms a bridge between the strategic vision of the city and its behaviours and actions. The brand is used to "amplify" the city's vision and to help convey and communicate the city's aspirations moving forward. This then guides the behaviours of the city. These behaviours are carried through to all the various "touchpoints" where internal and external stakeholders come into contact/ interact with the city which in turn can enhance their perceptions about the city. BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 19 Attainable & eelievable A city brand should be attainable & believable — it should do what it promises, and deliver on that promise. While a brand does speak to the aspirations of the city, it must be believable in the short-term to be effective. Further, branding that does not match the actual experience of a city risks weakening the brand itself, and possibly threatens the city's credibility with its audiences and stakeholders. Consistent Consistency is imperative to establishing and maintaining a strong city brand. It is not onlyjust visually and graphically — it is how a city's actions, accomplishments and communications work together so that everything is consistent. Consistency and frequency are key for a successful brand. Unique A city brand should be unique - that is, how the city is different from others and identifying what those distinguishing factors are. Unoriginal branding tends to be generic and does not provide stakeholders a reason to "choose this city" over others. As well, city brands using a"we have it all" positioning that tries to be all things to all people does not work well — the meaning of what the place really stands for is weakened. Rather, the brand should be focused on the elements that take priority and stand for something unique and compelling. Long-Term A city brand needs to be sustainable — the brand should be an enduring proposition that is relevant both now and into the future. Further, branding is an ongoing and long-term process that requires time and commitment. The assumption is that it takes three to five years for a city brand to see economic benefits. CONCLUSIONS The findings from the research point to a Maple Ridge brand that does not appear to be clearly defined and that could be strengthened: ■ Perceptions are mixed and the Maple Ridge brand does not appear to be clearly defined — there is a blank slate for the City to work with which provides a great opportunity for the City to define and shape the brand. ■ While the "nature", "beautiful" and "outdoor" characteristics resonate and are defining attributes of Maple Ridge, there is an opportunity to supplement these attributes with additional brand building blocks such as "community", "friendly", "small-town feel", "proximity" and "growing" to help set Maple Ridge apart from others and form the foundation of a clear and compelling brand story. ■ One of the first steps and key considerations to help set the brand up for success will be to ensure the brand aligns with the City's vision. A clear vision will be critical to the success of the brand. ■ To create a strong brand moving forward, the brand must be carefully and consistently managed across all communications and touchpoints, both from a visual and messaging standpoint. BRAND KEY FINDINGS Page 20 Based on the research findings and the context in which the Maple Ridge brand operates, the following SWOT analysis highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to the Maple Ridge brand. Strengths and weaknesses are used to describe the internal environment while opportunities and threats are used to describe the external environment. STRENGTHS ■ Overall, Maple Ridge residents have positive impressions and perceptions of the city ■ Nature ■ Outdoor activities ■ Beautiful ■ Community-oriented ■ Friendly ■ Small-town feel ■ Proximity / close to surrounding communities and major city centres ■ History ■ Rural and agricultural ties ■ Perceived as "relatively affordable" ■ Mayor and Council becoming involved in regional discussions and increasing regional profile of Maple Ridge ■ Some customized messaging for various target audiences in place to help raise profile of Maple Ridge (e.g., Economic Development Office) ■ Acknowledge and recognize the need to assess the Maple Ridge brand ■ Utilizing a broad range of communications channels (e.g., website, social media, etc.) which provide opportunities to promote Maple Ridge brand/ tell its brand story WEAKNESSES ■ Maple Ridge brand does not appear to be clearly defined ■ While nature/ outdoors/ beautiful resonates among all audiences, that alone may not be enough to set it apart ■ While positive, impressions and perceptions among Maple Ridge residents are soft and could be strengthened ■ Resident perceptions about Maple Ridge are mixed and in some cases, divergent — while some have positive overall impressions or associate Maple Ridge with certain brand characteristics, others do not ■ Lack of awareness/ familiarity with Maple Ridge among Metro Vancouver residents with perceptions of Maple Ridge as being far/ distant/ remote/ hard to get to ■ Perceptions of Maple Ridge lacking amenities/ activities and being "behind the times" ■ Gap between the City's vision and perceptions ■ Succinct and concise information about the City's vision, its strategies and plans are not readily available — proof-points, that is the stories/ evidence that support the vision, are not summarized and consistently communicated ■ The City does not have a current brand strategy guiding brand efforts to help build strong and clear brand (e.g., lack of sub-brand/ architecture, positioning/ messaging, etc.) SWOT Page 21 ■ Lack of a strong and cohesive visual identity - infractions to Graphic Guidelines throughout communications ■ Awareness of city branding, its benefits and its importance do not appear to be ingrained throughout the City's organizational culture ■ Sub-brands managed by the City (e.g., other departments/ services) may be disconnected with or may be diluting and competing with the overall Maple Ridge brand OPPORTUNITIES ■ Overall opportunity to communicate the City's wins and successes to generate positive impressions of Maple Ridge — e.g., talk about the wins, celebrate successes, initiatives to instill community pride, etc. ■ Continue to communicate, engage and work with stakeholders to ensure needs are being met and to help build and shape the brand moving forward ■ Opportunity to shape Metro Vancouver perceptions given lack of familiarity and neutral impressions ■ Consistently communicate the benefits of Maple Ridge — both within and outside of Maple Ridge ■ Work with media to share positive stories ■ Population growth perceived by some as presenting opportunities for investing and business THREATS • Presence of various organizations utilizing "Ridge Meadows" in their name and servicing both communities (e.g., Ridge Meadows Hospital) may impact the ability to develop a strong Maple Ridge brand, and could potentially cause confusion between Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows ■ Faces "competition" for residents, tourism, businesses, employment opportunities, etc. from neighbouring communities with similar offerings ■ Lack of public transportation/ streets, roads/ infrastructure impact perceptions ■ Social issues taking place across the Metro Vancouver/ Maple Ridge may be impacting the Maple Ridge brand ■ Social issues facing the community have been receiving increased media coverage ■ Brand operates within a municipal/ political environment ■ Sensitivities around perceptions of municipal spend on brand efforts in relation to other priorities SWOT Page 22 ' � � .��; ..v �� :y, _ • i �� ' � , � �� . . �� . �.� �� k �� . �r � ��{�� . � �. .:#�i� � ��: � ,. �� ..;�. � � � •�� . ,.,�� ti�': � ,' �� . . . . . J �rx � ry y ' t''� 'J6` . . �y�'_ :�i.a „� - � �� ' h 4 ; �." .If '�*/F�� ' .�� . � �. � �� "�� - ��- `�'��-�� . ��. �� + F ��y,t�,: _ •'�.".�y'' �� . `�,�. _�. - .� _ .. ,� _ r _ _ : � .y r�� . . ' � � :.: y . � _ � �-- '-�=Li � * � . � � J -' . � �'- _�' '� �� y, , i � - � * _ - � • �. '�: ,x �- �� Y��.. -z-� � ,. � , _. - , � � �� .� ��": _ , ,'� �� t'� .ti�. ��::� } , ; r•. : . ; ,,�+#; + . ��. . . �p r� � �~ � . . � _ f � y� ri '_� � _� . ' T � � ..��,- � 5 �' r • �� . - � . � ' .i.��iiA�i'��*r� . r i � . a }'_ilr . �f � � ' � ' �� z PART II - BRAND RECOMMENDATIONS The research pointed to gaps between perceptions and the City's vision, a Maple Ridge brand that is not clearly defined, mixed and divergent perceptions, and an opportunity to extend associations beyond "nature/ outdoors/ beautiful". As such, the City should take actions to refine/ redefine the brand — a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what Maple Ridge represents. To help guide future brand efforts, the City should develop and document a Brand Strategy that encompasses key objectives, target audiences and a Brand Action Plan that includes budget and timing. The following outlines recommendations that can be incorporated into the Maple Ridge Brand Strategy. BRAND OBJECTIVES City brand development is a long-term and ongoing process - a key component to an effective brand strategy is a core set of objectives which drives all activities. The following objectives should guide the City's brand efforts. The overall objective is to: Promote and enhance Maple Ridge's image and reputarion through the development of a brand to attract key audiences. More specific objectives are to: ■ Develop a clear and consistent identity and vision for Maple Ridge ■ Contribute to a sense of community pride and satisfaction for Maple Ridge residents ■ Support Maple Ridge's economic development efforts and promote economic growth ■ Generate positive awareness of Maple Ridge and its offerings to enhance its local and regional position CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS The following are critical to the successful development of a strong city brand: ■ Aligns with City's vision and strategic objectives ■ Requires support and commitment from City leaders and senior management ■ City acts as driving force for brand ■ Alignment and engagement among City staff ■ Consistent and coordinated messaging and marketing across all groups promoting the Maple Ridge ■ Long-term perspective ■ Ongoing measurement and evaluation ■ Focuses on wins and celebrates success TARGET AUDIENCES Page 24 TARGET AUDIENCES An effective brand is clear, compelling and concise. Given the large scope and scale of a city's audiences, finding commonalities between the unique perspectives of audiences is key in communicating in a way that is relevant and impactful. Priority key audiences for the Maple Ridge brand include: ■ Residents — including specific sub-groups such as newer residents to Maple Ridge, longer-term residents, families, youth, etc. ■ Businesses and investors — including both commercial and residential developers, current business owners, potential business owners of various types such as retail, restaurants, film productions, etc. ■ Visitors and tourists — both day-trippers and overnight stays, particularly outdoor enthusiasts, visiting friends and family Additional audiences that help shape and influence the brand that also need to be considered include: ■ Mayor & Council ■ City Staff ■ Media — including local and regional ■ Key community partners and stakeholders— including emergency services, schools, health/ social agencies, etc. ■ Key community groups and associations — including non-profits, neighbourhood associations, etc. ■ Government— including Greater Vancouver Regional District, Province of BC, surrounding municipalities, etc. Clearly understanding these target audiences and their needs will assist the City in developing strategies that meet the specific needs of these audiences. Further, creating messaging that is meaningful and relevant to each audience will help communicate the essence of the Maple Ridge brand. TARGET AUDIENCES Page 25 BRAND ACTION PLAN 1.ESTABLISH BRAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2. CLARIFY CITY VISION & ASPIRATIONS 3. DEVELOP BRAND STORY 4. DEVELOP BRAND GUIDE 5. APPOINT BRAND CHAMPION(S) 6. LAUNCH BRAND 7. ROLL-OUT BRAND 8. EVALUATE BRAND PERFORMANCE 9. ONGOING BRAND MANAGEMENT 1. ESTABLISH BRAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE As a key first step to the successful development of the brand, consider forming a Brand Advisory Committee to drive the branding process and the strategic direction of the brand. The committee should: ■ Be comprised of Key Influencers with relationships/ or who can speak to the perspectives of stakeholders (e.g., staff, local business leaders, community representatives, regional representatives, media, etc.) ■ Have clear terms of reference and responsibilities - Focus on the strategy and direction for the brand - Ensure brand efforts align with overall strategic priorities - Work closely with Council and Senior Management BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 27 2. CLARIFY CITY VISION & ASPIRATIONS As the brand is the extension of the City's vision, having a common and clear vision is critical to the success of the City's brand. With the research showing gaps between stakeholder perceptions and the City's vision, the City should review the City's current vision to identify reasons for the gap (e.g., is it clear, is it being communicated clearly, is it relevant?) and: ■ Undergo a visioning process with a third-party facilitator to work towards a focused and common vision (whether it be refining the existing vision or creating a new vision for the City): - Include Council members and senior management in the process - Consider establishing blue ribbon group/ panel of influential community members to further explore gaps with current vision and aspirations for the future direction of Maple Ridge - Vision should consider - What does Maple Ridge stand for? What should people to think of when they think of Maple Ridge? What associations should people make in the future when they think of Maple Ridge? - Review strategic priorities and identify alignment with the vision - Identify proof-points — that is, the assets, strengths, strategies and initiatives that support the vision - Develop core key messages regarding the vision which can then be used to provide a foundation for developing the brand strategy � In 7L)7,4, thc C'iCy o� 5�nt� Cl�r� under�nr��rt a pror.r�s to dc�vel�ip � netqr br�nd #h�t woul�l rravr� ��ur�t�iy �eflect ehr ��mmuni#y "#hat �xists today an�f tomorr�4v"_ 5�nta �lara adop#ed a ppsiti�ning of "'[enter of �il�con V��ley"_ 1�he Ci#y's positioning is support�d �y numerous pr�of po�nts ensueing t�e brand is credi�le and authe�rtic� �� L� ��'1��' �.,,�� 3� ar k[f •�. ��.in ��, lt:;r�� i.,� u._i�i� 5 F� c hsil l labl itlY8d4 Sial llrYr�� d5e cL�, YlY Sdr etaci reyrOiY 4 �i7� S�'�i�l� ��:�fl�d �F �.w,-r�"'w'd� r,,. c-Q,, �s.�. c�. u�b a�s�,e �a� ot,. nrt, h1� la+or Ar„r r*X �,na,rn ��e c.r�r+�a Am1 nk. k^Ch bus 4*�� arsi xkh arev,�a+�n tn�eo �� n�r..�a �� R x� .,�r la.n re,m#�u.ria o.w..ti.,�...�r I�y m reR�d4't 41►h'4 Ml�r! �aks qkr I#rl+l�d t�#i7e w, iw t W.. r�r�ia� IertQ,�. ul�e s.o.*c�.r�. ''' , f*qr *, aa1 �J►' Y►e'+' i4a�ly L�rti'Iti' ��dFslk � II t�1] " � � �xlr�K ..- t.��,.n��u,�� .t , ��u.�a rn.��.,�r�-+�,�wnr � r��.,a ��.��x�a�tna.�a�.,�� . ..,rn�wlkF� v��' �OnV^�� Ma�l�'� � ': M`�R �A�S f�'�1[�� PIIi�F� �7 k"� ��s rrn�arn[, FYorn a�# �in ��d �o�uem�nt F�rk� � .M��,�� -�,. {-,�qr�.��.��qr;„e��,�uor+� .. , R�n BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 28 3. DEVELOP BRAND STORY The City should engage a creative design agency to take the vision for Maple Ridge, key findings from the brand review research, brand objectives, target audiences and brand building blocks to develop a strong "Brand Story" for Maple Ridge. This brand story will convey the Maple Ridge brand in an engaging, inspiring and consistent manner and should include but not be limited to the following: ■ Brand Positioning — define how the Maple Ridge brand is different from competitors, and where or how it sits in the audiences' minds. Consider the following in the process: Use the five brand building blocks from the research as a starting point: •Natural setting with natural amenities •Beauty •Outdoor recreational and sports activities •Golden Ears Park •Appealing to locals and tourists •Sense of community spirit •Caring •Getting involved •High rate of volunteerism •Close-knit •It's "home" •Family •Caring •People say "hi" •People open doors •Nice neighbours •Small-town charm & feel •Peaceful •Relaxing •Less hustle & bustle •Quiet •Close to other major city centres le•g•, Vancouver, Langley, Coquitlam) •Close to what's needed •Easy access •Opportunity for growth • Potential moving forward - Add any additional aspirational building blocks that may come out of the visioning process - Narrow down the brand building blocks to two or three - Use these building blocks to develop positioning for Maple Ridge - Develop positioning that is relevant, credible, compelling, differentiated and sustainable, and focus on benefits and elements of proof that support the benefit - Consider testing the positioning concepts and engage staff, residents and stakeholders, and gather input throughout the process ■ Key Messages — develop clear, impactful phrases meant to drive reputation, awareness or action from audiences to help support the brand and support consistent communication. Consider the following: - Develop key messages that support the brand positioning (benefits and proof-points) - Develop a messaging matrix that outlines specific detailed messages for each target audience - messages should address what is important about the brand to each audience in a way that is relevant and tangible ■ Tone & Voice — determine how both written and spoken materials will consistently "speak" in a way that reflects the Maple Ridge brand, and is easily understood by all audiences. Maple Ridge should consider using a tone and voice that is: - Approachable and friendly - Active and engaging - Genuine and authentic - Knowledgeable BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 29 ■ Logo & Tagline — re-evaluate the official City logo and tagline in the context of the new Maple Ridge brand positioning: - Consider refreshing the current logo to reflect the brand and vision of the City - Consider adopting a new tagline to reflect the brand and vision of the City, and specify parameters on usage - Consider testing the logo/ tagline concepts and engage staff, residents and stakeholders to gather feedback ■ Brand Architecture - clearly define how City departments and services (e.g., sub-brands) fit within the context of the overall Maple Ridge brand (e.g., primary brand). It is a system that organizes brands, departments/ services to help audiences access and relate to a brand by providing an understanding of how various brands within the City's portfolio relate to, but are still differentiated from, one another. The City should: Outline a brand architecture hierarchy that organizes the City's various sub-brands in relation to the overall Maple Ridge brand Clearly communicate the hierarchy to audiences Consider the following when developing the brand architecture: - Evaluate the need for different logos for various departments/ services (keeping in mind potential usage, level of communication with external audiences, etc.) - Maintain consistency between the official City logo and any sub-brand logos for departments/ services to provide continuity and context - Keep the City logo as the dominant focus and departments/ services as the secondary focus (e.g., through the use of font size, colors, identifiers or bylines for the department/ service) - Naming conventions — keep naming conventions consistent between departments/ services - Provide guidelines for use with sub-brand logos (e.g., logos developed for initiatives and events), and creation of sub-brand logos �,� .i . * � _..._� ' � • ' The �ity of Kelov�+na's brand arch�itecture includes sub-brand logos used to ide�tifiy key servFces, The propartFons are designed so that th� primary brand, v�hich incl�des the u3e �� the icon ar�d the v�+ord "Kel�wna", is mare praminent and the service is a seconriary focus, ,��- -� w F� f ��f� Kel�v�rna c��„�T-�«�� 17e�[re Prim a rv Branc� �_� .. . .� ' 4� F� ;� �It�+ O� � i� ��% ��W�� Sutr brans�s +: .� �__ -x !'. .Y *4 +� *��t• F�� I�wna � :� ��ti�;:-,��,t .-ti� �� 1 M i�� OW �l � 141��710�Id1 {'�1Kk Cem�tery BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 30 4. DEVELOP BRAND GUIDE Having the right tools in place to support the successful implementation and maintenance of the Maple Ridge brand will be key. Once the brand strategy has been approved, providing guidelines for implementing the Maple Ridge brand will help reinforce consistent communication, reduce confusion and support brand recognition. The City should develop a Brand Guide to document the brand strategy and act as a reference for all staff that play a role in communicating the Maple Ridge brand. The document should build upon the current Graphic Guidelines document, but also speak to the importance and story behind the Maple Ridge brand. It should act as inspiration to communicate consistently and include the following: ■ Outline and highlight a clear direction and vision for the brand and what it stands for ■ Include positioning and key messages (including the Mission Statement, Tagline (if applicable), Positioning Statement, supporting statements) ■ Include graphic standards such as: - Official City Logo ■ Usage — do's and don'ts (e.g., only use identified colours, do not stretch) ■ Use of symbol (e.g., do not use icons/ portions of wordmark in isolation, always keep intact, etc.) ■ Placement, both for use on its own and when used with other logos: - Preferred/ default placement of the City logo on materials (e.g., top right, bottom left, etc.) - Preferred City logo placement in relation to others logos (e.g., sub-brands, secondary brands, partner and sponsor logos) - Size/ proportions, in most cases, where the City logo should be more prominent (e.g., larger, "prime placement" above others) - Usage guidelines for Coat of Arms, Flag and Crest - Protective/ clearspace requirements - Tagline ■ Tagline (if applicable) and how to use in conjunction with logo ■ Usage of tagline (e.g., usage guidelines for large formats and signage, etc.) - Colour palette - Fonts/ typography ■ Outline voice and tone guidelines to ensure both written and spoken materials are consistent ■ Include language, style and terminology guidelines — ensure consistent terms/ names are used (e.g., when to use City of Maple Ridge, or Maple Ridge, or the City, department names, etc.) and ensure language, punctuation, capitalization, etc. are all used consistently throughout communications ■ Include imagery guidelines regarding look and feel (e.g., types and "look and feel" of images to incorporate — e.g., a variety of nature, outdoor, glamour shots and when to use these types of images) ■ Other guidelines might include templates for advertisements, posters, brochures, etc. ■ Circulate the Brand Guide to all staff involved in developing communications materials. Given that all City employees are ambassadors of the Maple Ridge brand, consider developing a brief/ summary or presentation version that is made available to others employees and or stakeholders/ partners/ sponsors, etc. BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 31 5. APPOINT BRAND CHAMPION(S) Now that the brand has been developed, it will be important to assign the right people to manage and oversee the implementation of the brand moving forward. Consider including a champion from the Communications department as a"brand manager", as well as representation from other departments with larger roles in communicating with the public such as Economic Development and Recreation. Ideally, the individual(s) would be involved in the brand process from the outset. Roles and responsibilities of the Brand Champion(s) might include the following: ■ Work with Council and senior management to rally organization and community at large ■ Integrate brand efforts with corporate communications/ marketing strategies and efforts ■ Provide training on the brand to internal staff, and provide advice and assistance to staff inembers relating to brand guidelines ■ Act as advocate and liaison with community partners regarding the Maple Ridge brand ■ Enforce the guidelines outlined in the Brand Guide — act as the brand police; update as required ■ Coordinate implementation and evaluation of brand efforts ■ Brand responsibilities should be formally recognized as part of individual(s) job description — so that it is not "corner of the desk" BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 32 6. LAUNCH BRAND With the brand strategy in place, rolling out the enhanced/ new brand to the community can help generate excitement, positive news and generate civic pride. However, throughout the course of the brand development process, it is important that the City remain connected to the community and its sentiments, and be sensitive to potential concerns about the City's brand development efforts. The following are possible activities and channels the City could utilize to rollout the brand - the City may want to consider a pragmatic approach taking community sentiment and fiscal responsibility into consideration: ■ Introduce new/ enhanced brand to Council, including the brand story, launch and roll-out plan ■ Introduce new brand to staff in celebratory manner with highlights of brand story and how all staff play role, feature an article in the employee newsletter ■ Conduct targeted sessions for marketing/communications-related staff to outline key messaging, identify brand champion(s), tools (e.g., brand guide, etc.) to help them incorporate and use the brand ■ Ensure the City's website and social media channels (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) are updated and incorporate the enhanced/ new brand — both visually and from a messaging standpoint ■ Leverage the city's Facebook with posts and Twitter with tweets introducing the Maple Ridge brand ■ Develop FAQs and key talking points about the brand, the development process, taking into consideration various audiences ■ Consider developing a video to highlight the Maple Ridge brand, positioning & key messaging and success stories ■ Reach out to media contacts and issue a press release about the new brand, focusing on key messages and positive aspects (e.g., brand objectives, how it will help the community, etc.) ■ Consider holding a launch event or utilizing existing events to introduce the new/ enhanced brand to the general public and stakeholders ■ Consider holding a contest (e.g., via social media) to increase awareness and engage the community (e.g. Maple Ridge trivia) BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 33 7. ROLL-OUT BRAND The next step will be to go through the process of updating communications and touchpoints to reflect the new brand. Maple Ridge should work towards a consistent application of the brand, not only visually but also from a messaging standpoint: ■ Conduct an audit to identify all City communications and touchpoints requiring an update (e.g., signage, stationery, uniforms, vehicles, marketing and communications materials, online, etc.) ■ Consider a phased roll-out to ensure a cost-effective approach ■ Prioritize updates taking into consideration high visibility and high impact touchpoints and balance them with cost, resources and timing ■ Take into consideration remaining inventory levels (e.g., print materials) and replacement schedules (e.g., facility and permanent signage) ■ Work with community partners and sponsors to update materials accordingly z a �.. a , I: . - ..4" 41+h�n the Ci#y of �vlis�issauga rebran�ed in 2�1�, a br�nd launci� and implernent�#ion ptar� +�v�s de�+eloped to ir�troduce and buil� ativareness �f the brand among tesidents an�i key audierr�es. The roil•out �f the r+ewv �ity �f�� W�S �Q �� Gdffl�� OUFir1 d pE1�5�� dppr4�CF� YI� d f�FUI�I•year plar� The "ger�eral a+reare�ess" �hase vaas starte� in ��4 and included C�al�i�g brand la�+nch ��+ents with stakeh�lders, g�n��ati�rg medfa awafeness, develaprn�nt of �rar��f �+idea� ��d brochures, creati�n af a k�rand gui�e an�a�pdatir�g ofmarketing materials to ref�ect #h� ne+� I�ok & feeL � �1��k7� � � � BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 34 8. EVALUATE BRAND PEFORMANCE Critical to the ongoing success of the City's brand efforts is evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the different initiatives and actions supporting the Maple Ridge brand. For brand metrics to be truly meaningful, they should be rooted in the City's overall strategic objectives and closely related to specific desired outcomes These metrics can be analyzed to gain insights for future planning and decision-making. Brand evaluation efforts should: ■ Monitor the success of brand efforts with key audiences ■ Measure the effectiveness of branding and marketing activities over time ■ Use brand metrics that are standard and consistent over time ■ Use brand metrics in conjunction with economic and community development metrics The following brand evaluation metrics can be utilized by the City in measuring the success of its brand. The metrics are a combination of indicators that measure the success and reach of brand promotional efforts and initiatives, and indicators that measure change in key strategic outcomes for the City. The list can be expanded and modified as the brand continues to grow and evolve over time: Brand Awareness Metrics ■ Brand Reputation Survey— conduct online survey ■ Website Traffic - Visitors to the brand page of Maple Ridge website - Views on YouTube brand video(s) - Click-thru for online advertisements ■ Number of instances of favourable media coverage of brand efforts Resident Metrics ■ Citizen Satisfaction Survey—also incorporate key brand measurements ■ Number of new residents to Maple Ridge, home sales Tourism Metrics ■ Tourist visits to Maple Ridge ■ Average days spent by tourists ■ Number of major festivals and events (regional, provincial, national, international) Metro Vancouver Metrics ■ Increased awareness, visitation, familiarity of Maple Ridge Economic Metrics ■ Number of new businesses opened ■ Business satisfaction with City of Maple Ridge as business partner Stories & Intangibles ■ Success stories of municipal staff, residents, investors/ partners that support the Maple Ridge brand and inspire and engage the community and its stakeholders BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 35 9. ONGOING BRAND MANAGEMENT As a brand requires a long-term commitment, continue managing and implementing the brand beyond the initial launch and roll-out. Consider the following: ■ Evaluate the need for overall brand campaign to promote and communicate the Maple Ridge brand to key audiences through marketing and communications channels ■ Evaluate the need for customized and targeted campaigns for priority audiences (e.g. attracting new businesses) ■ Revisit the brand strategy on an ongoing basis to ensure it is on track and current/ relevant ■ Communicate the brand story and messaging into all communications and touchpoints moving forward ■ Share success stories and movement on brand metrics with City leaders and senior management ■ Continue to highlight the importance of the brand, and continue to make brand a high-profile effort across the organization — e.g., provide brand information for new employees BRAND ACTION PLAN Page 36 The following outlines the total estimated budget and timing for carrying out the Brand Action Plan as outlined above. Budget Assumptions: . Figures exclude taxes, are approximate and are intended for budgeting purposes only Assumes certain activities (as identified) can be carried out via internal staff resources - should this not be the case, the budget will require increases in expenditures to account for additional third-party/ outsourced support ■ Budget estimates are presented as ranges — the actual cost will depend on type of third-party firms engaged and City priorities Timing Assumptions: The Brand Action Plan has been designed to work in a sequential manner It is estimated that most of the execution of the Brand Action Plan will take place in 2017 1. Establish Brand Advisory Committee ■ Aside from staff resources/ time, no additional costs are anticipated 2. Clarify City Vision & Aspirations ■ Cost for consultant/ external facilitator for City visioning process ■ Budget for this would likely be associated at the corporate level/ not specifically a brand-related budget item 3. Develop Brand Story ■ Estimated cost for engaging creative design agency to develop Brand Story including positioning, key messages, tone & voice, logo & tagline and brand architecture ■ Costs can range widely depending on size of agency utilized (e.g., small independent firm vs. large firm) $0 Q1 $20,000 to Q1 & Q2 $50,000+ $25,00o to Q2 $50,000+ 4. Develop Brand Guide $10,000 to ■ Estimated cost for engaging creative design agency to develop Brand $25,000 Guide that provides guidelines on communicating Brand Story ■ 2 versions — Full and Summary ■ Digital and Hard Copy 5. Appoint Brand Champion(s) $0 ■ Aside from staff resources/ time, no additional costs are anticipated ■ Assumes responsibilities can be taken on by current staff, and does not account for any new/ additional staff that may be required 6. Launch Brand $0 to $10,000+ ■ Activities are designed to work together in a coordinated manner ■ Actual budget will depend on amount of focus the City would like to place on launching brand Q3 Q3 Q4 BUDGET & TIMING Page 37 ■ Costs to update website, social media, press release - assume staff resources/ time ■ Estimated costs for producing events and video will vary depending on scale and scope 7. Roll-Out Brand ■ Assumes audit of communications and touchpoints will be conducted internally ■ Actual budget will depend on approach in updating communications materials and touchpoints (including signage), remaining inventory and priority/ timing for updates, quantities required ■ Potential costs include graphic design, copywriting and printing/ production costs 8. Evaluate Brand Performance ■ Assumes measurements will conducted internally using existing tools (e.g., Citizen Satisfaction Survey, online surveys, etc.) 9. Ongoing Brand Management ■ Ongoing and future initiatives are TBD Total Estimated Budget for 2017 TBD based on Q4 and audit & needs ongoing assessment $0 Q4 and ongoing TBD Future $55,000 to $135,000+ BUDGET & TIMING Page 38 �� S ' + % , 4 � � � � �- � ij ` �' � �� ° z� ` ��`. �'�� . ��, ��h_ s � • h: tk �.�� [�- �. . � '� s .� �� h_ . 3 � � �_ � �y', �� ..� �y� .i'1 'y�k'S.a:`-r�,�.ix: ' . F �.�� F � Fh' F!r �2 +{� ihA � `C i°:�` `� F`� � t`S t� .'; i � � � � �� y .h /+::�.h - l� -:h 1c +S'- b'�Y' . �� ,'�'�:. � �.. . � � r�i � �.. �� ,� ��. � sJi �, Y��.. 1 � � � � `' r " � �� ` � � �+� `�__ ��- � ,4 �� . E.� , � �=�' �.; ��: � ��i P �� ` c ��.'c i 1 �_ ,,, r '', � ry�.. � T;5 �-- � �� ,. t � �, �, a �� , - 1 � �� `. �'� � � + , � — -.� � : � � � �i�.* =<- s��'�'` � . - � � . ♦\ �-�i–�� .:� `. - f�.., �i� �..��++ i _ _ �� i 1 I � rs.��'� �, � a;� s ` . 'v��a 3 f � + � _ �: k ' } � � � . � � ��L � �� l � I° 1 ' � V � Y 1i � �1n'�i•,n '• .f. , �� ` � � � �... �:C' � �� . _ �. � � ' �� '� ,� t ' j '— �= � � W�'� �.� ��, { �, e . I ��'' � , i , �d � : i. ' �,.� �' , � ,�' � J` - � c,v:.3: �'� 1 '�::,. >;.,4 _ " � .� � a_ � � �, ,_.__– ��, � � Y � I Vl–{ — '– — _ p� ��. � Il.i i �i ��ec+[ 4 "' � � �1 � ' ` — _ ._`9 ,� F��.. APPENDICES To gain an understanding of the City of Maple Ridge, its goals and its brand, Illuminata Marketing conducted a review of available background information and data. The following summarizes findings as they relate to the City and its brand based on the following sources: ■ Corporate Business Plan 2016-2020 ■ City of Maple Ridge Corporate Strategic Plan 2007 ■ City of Maple Ridge 2015 Annual Report ■ City of Maple Ridge 2015 Citizens Report ■ Arts & Recreation Guide (Summer 2016) ■ 2014 Citizen Satisfaction Report ■ 2015 Parks & Leisure Survey ■ 2004/ 2005 Brand Review & Strategy documentation ■ Performance Reporting Scorecards ■ Fact Sheets ■ Various policies including Social Media ■ City Social Media Channels including Facebook and Twitter ■ Site/ Facility visits by Illuminata Marketing FINDINGS City Vision, Mission, Values The City's vision, mission and values are referenced in several different documents: VISION "The City of Maple Ridge is among the most sustainable communities in the world. As a community committed to working toward achieving carbon neutrality, residents experience the value of a strong and vibrant local economy and the benefits of an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and creation of stable and special neighbourhoods. Maple Ridge is a world leading example of thoughtful development and a socially cohesive community, especially as it relates to the use of leading edge "environmental technologies', social networks and economic development. Other municipalities consistently reference the City of Maple Ridge for its innovative approaches to dealing with seemingly intractable challenges." [Vision 2025 — Corporate Strategic Plan] "The District will strive to protect its Community Values into the future, as it becomes more vibrant and prosperous, offering residents a strong local economy, stable and special neighbourhoods, thoughtful development, a diversity and respect for the built and natural environment. " [Official Community Plan Overall Vision Statement] "To build the most liveable, sustainable and affordable community in Metro Vancouver, where our residents will have opportunities for economic growth and where their children will make their future homes." [Economic Development Vision] APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 40 "A safe, liveable and sustainable community for our present and future citizens" [2015 Annual Report and Corporate Strategic Plan] "Deep Roots. Greater Heights" [City of Maple Ridge] "mapleridge.ca" [Graphic Standards] I� COBEORAZE�LQLLLESICTE�E�LTS I "Leadership: To encourage innovation, creativity and initiative Service: To be fair, friendly and helpful Reputation: To stress excellence, integrity, accountability and honesty Human Resources: To recognize that our people are our most valuable resource Community: To respect and promote our community Stewardship: To consider the long-term consequences of actions, think broadly across issues, disciplines and boundaries and act accordingly" [2015 — Citizens Report & 2015 Annual Report] The City of Maple Ridge Brand The following outlines information about the City's brand gathered from various documents: Logo The current logo has been in use for approximately 10 years. According to the Maple Ridge Logo Story outlined when the logo was developed and launched throughout the organization, the logo is a reflection of core elements of the community: waves — rivers, lakes and streams, Golden Ears Mountains and Bridge, green open spaces and agricultural history. Leaves were selected to connect to the past logo and maple trees that shape the City's heritage and name. APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 41 .. MAPLE RIDGE British Columbia Deep Roats Greater Heights MAPLE RIDGE British Colum6ia � � � � • "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." - The Maple Ridge Logo Story states that the deep roots refer to the deep roots in the land that is part of Maple Ridge's agricultural history, and those "deep roots", much like those of the maple tree, provide the strength of a solid foundation upon which Maple Ridge may grow to "greater heights". It appears that in some applications, this tagline has been replaced with "mapleridge.ca". Graphic Standards The City recently updated its Graphic Guidelines to help facilitate a consistent visual identity across communications and materials. It covers logo usage, colour palette, typography, stationery, marketing collateral, print ads and vehicle application. It also includes guidelines for consistent written communications (e.g., language, abbreviations, addresses and dates). The City's Communications Department reviews advertising and promotional materials on an ongoing basis to ensure graphic and grammatical standards are adhered to. Maple Ridge Sub-brands & Identities The Maple Ridge brand co-exists among several other brands, logos/ visual identities. Some are managed by the City (e.g., the City seal, Ridgeview Online Mapping, Freetown Wireless, Invest Maple Ridge) or work within the City (e.g., Maple Ridge Fire), while others have been created for initiatives undertaken in partnership with other organizations or municipalities (e.g., True North Fraser, Invest North Fraser). Further, there are brands such as Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Parks & Leisure Services and Tourism Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows which will transition or have already transitioned to being managed by the City (i.e., these services and functions are no longer being offered in conjunction with Pitt Meadows). Below are some examples of logos and visual identities relating to Maple Ridge that can be or have been seen throughout the community over the past 10 years: APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 42 �, MiARLEMRIdGE Maple Ridge Ivg�s �� ,ai7� � izro�� r� Nr Ky n Maple Ridge f::5'..RF' �Pitt�Meadw�s i7mine Ma n • � � � �� NqRtli FRASE�t �l]fyS�71f1X..�-.�- `' �Ut' AC7WXl � � � *� mapleridge.ca i� FREETOW N WIRELE55 MAPLE RIOGE u �o-,+. � MAPLE RfaGE MqP�E RIaGE *Provided by the City of Maple Ridge Economic Development Department At the time of the analysis, brands that the City of Maple Ridge plans continue to utilize include: ■ Maple Ridge Parks & Leisure (moving from Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows' joint offerings to Maple Ridge only) ■ Invest Maple Ridge (currently being used as the name for the City's Economic Development office) ■ Maple Ridge Tourism (the tourism portfolio was recently integrated into the City's Economic Development portfolio) ■ True North Fraser (currently looking at being utilized by Maple Ridge's agricultural community) 2006 erand Development Project In 2006, a brand development project was undertaken by third-party consultants and recommendations were based on a review of key documents and past surveys, competitors, input from stakeholders, and took into consideration the City's assets and goals. A brand strategy was developed and formed the foundation for the creative development of the current City logo. APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 43 Example Key Messages Various key messages about the City of Maple Ridge have been used in different communication pieces and touchpoints, and to different audiences. Some examples include the following: Maple Ridge (City website) Maple Ridge/ Pitt Meadows (Tourism Guide) Guide to Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Invest Maple Ridge Maple Ridge Tourism ■ Discover small wonders ■ Show some pride ■ Believe in heroes ■ Have some fun ■ Engage your city ■ Welcome to our world ■ Take the time ■ Beauty without borders ■ Beautiful beyond measure (Mayor's Message) ■ This is my Maple Ridge. Strong, passionate, determined and beautiful beyond all measure ■ An exceptional Metro Vancouver investment opportunity ■ It's time to invest in one of Canada's best real estate markets ■ Explore why this is the best place in Metro Vancouver to grow your business - Available and affordable land, access to markets, lower taxes and affordable housing - Access to Markets - Skilled Labour ■ Community Profile - Affordable, accessible Maple Ridge - Start here, go far ■ Industrial Profile - Experiencing unprecedented growth - Most affordable industrial land in the region - Labour force of 800,000 within 30-minute commute - Growing population - $1 billion of new bridge connection to Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley ■ New Business - Maple Ridge is a great place to start a new business - A rapidly growing population, high family incomes and the most affordable real estate in Metro Vancouver ■ Lifestyle/ Residents - A remarkable place to live, work and play close to nature - Known for its natural beauty, mild climate and high quality lifestyle - Outstanding quality of life, at an affordable price - Family-oriented community with magnificent parks, a vibrant local economy and affordable real estate - Urban meets rural - Sustainable economic growth ■ Great destination for active lifestyle ■ Place where people can unwind and enjoy the best of what nature has to offer, with a sophisticated urban setting close by APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 44 Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and "Ridge Meadows" There are several brands, logos/ visual identities, initiatives and organizations that service both Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows and use both "Maple Ridge" and "Pitt Meadows" in their brands. Examples include the following: ■ School District 42 — Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows ■ Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council ■ Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Chamber of Commerce ■ Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News Others utilize the term "Ridge Meadows". Examples include: ■ Ridge Meadows Hospital ■ Ridge Meadows RCMP ■ Ridge Meadows Seniors Society ■ Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey ■ Ridge Meadows Minor Lacrosse ■ Ridge Meadows Recycling Society Citizen Satisfaction A city's brand is closely tied to resident perceptions. The results from the Citizen Satisfaction Survey in 2014 indicated that residents were fairly satisfied with their quality of life in Maple Ridge, and had qualities they liked most land least about Maple Ridge. ■ The Citizen Satisfaction Survey last conducted in 2014 indicates that over 8 in 10 residents (84%) were somewhat (50%) or very satisfied (34%) with the quality of life in Maple Ridge — this was the highest level seen since 2003. ■ Residents enjoy living in Maple Ridge because of its small community "feel", recreational offerings, natural environment and parks. Those under 35 were more likely to mention the natural environment and recreational activities/ facilities while those 55 and over were more focused on the small-town feel and rural character of Maple Ridge. ■ On the flip side, homelessness/ poverty, crime and drugs and the local economy (e.g., lack of shopping) were areas of concern, along with traffic congestion and transportation, where younger residents were more likely to be concerned about the crime rate and those over 55 more likely to mention traffic congestion as an issue. ■ Many residents saw the need to attract new businesses and employers as important - only 22% gave Maple Ridge a positive rating on this measure. City Social Media Channels In August 2016, a preliminary review of the City's social media channels was conducted. At that time, the City had the following Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube metrics: Facebook: 5,397 Likes Twitter: 3,054 Followers Instagram: 305 Followers YouTube: 57 Subscribers APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 45 Commentary on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube has been somewhat minimal to date. The following is based on a preliminary review of the City of Maple Ridge's Facebook page commentary as of August 2016. Comments posted over the past two years have been primarily in direct response to the City's posts. Some of the more positive comments have been in response to images of the Maple Ridge (particularly nature photos), and affirmations about how scenic or beautiful it is. Other positive comments have related to the City being responsive on Facebook. Less positive comments relate to the lack of big businesses and the dependence on residential taxes, homeless shelters/ homelessness and drugs, the lack of schools and sidewalks, and other services such as the shortage of ambulances. As of August 2016, the City of Maple Ridge received an average rating of 3.3 out of S stars on Facebook (based on 50 reviews). When taking a look at the comments from those who provide a star rating, comments about the City of Maple Ridge range in topic — some are positive in nature, while others are negative. It is important to note that this review only takes into consideration comments on the City's official Facebook page. There may be an opportunity to further explore commentary on related social media sites that are managed by external parties. Positive comments relating to Maple Ridge: ■ Being a beautiful city with great views, amazing sunsets, "awesome surroundings", a view of mountains, rivers and lakes ■ Being a friendly community with the "best people", "everybody and ready to help out", a great/ lovely community with great people and friendly neighbours ■ Having a great mall and restaurants ■ Caring and growing ■ Having a collaborative team of service providers ■ Being responsive (e.g., City workers out to clear blocked drains quickly) ■ Being a good place to raise family ■ Being affordable Some verbatim responses include: "Maple Ridge is a beautiful place to raise a family, full of friendly people and one of the best communities" "Maple Ridge is a hidden gem in the outer skirts of Vancouver with affordable house pricing and great community' "Lovely community, with great people, awesome surroundings" "Best place to blow some time off and watch amazing sunsets" Negative comments relate to Maple Ridge: ■ Catering to real estate developers, experiencing urban sprawl ■ Lacking schools/ school funding ■ Needing services including road improvements, landscaping, facilities at parks, traffic lights, police funding, road systems, school buses ■ Lacking a job market ■ Having housing prices that do not match average wages ■ Having homeless/ drug addicts ■ Lacking businesses/ stores and needing more/ better shopping, a better shopping plan (nothing for a family with kids) APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 46 ■ Lacking industrial or commercial tax revenues ■ Having increasing/ high taxes ■ Having crime/ thieves in the city ■ Needing improved customer service ■ Picking and choosing bylaws to enforce ■ Needing to make it an urban place Some verbatim comments include: "Maple Ridge is a community that seems to pride itself on heritage, and not enough on its own economy, or public safety." "l love how friendly all of my neighbours are, but sadly am not looking forward to the urban sprawl of new houses being built ... I left North Van 4 years ago to get away from the hectic pace, but fear my tranquil days in Maple Ridge are numbered thanks to the greedy land developers." "Maple Ridge needs to build more stores so that its residents don't have to constantly be going to other towns to purchase things for their families." "1'm a 27- year resident and saddened by the urban sprawl, homelessness, high taxes, lack of school funding, lack of local stores...l used to be proud of this town." "Maple Ridge is behind the times...they need to get with it and make it a(n] urban place just like other major cities to attract good solid businesses as well as real estate investors ..." Community Composition/ Population & Demographics The following summarizes population and community characteristics from various sources including the 2015 Citizen's Report and Community Profile which includes data from Statistics Canada/ BC Stats, and FP Canadian Demographics 2012. Population Growth According to the City of Maple Ridge's Citizens Report 2015, between 2001 and 2011, the City's population grew by 20% - from 63,169 to 76,052. The Maple Ridge Official Community Plan projects a population of 118,000 by 2041. Population by Age In 2011, according to Stats Canada, the median age for Maple Ridge was 40.2 years and the 2031 estimated median age is 44.6 years. Further, the following shows the population broken down by age: Ages 0-14 Ages 15-24 Ages 25-34 Ages 35-44 Ages 45-54 Ages 55-64 Ages 65-74 Ages 75+ 18% 14% 12% 15% 17% 12% 7% 5% APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 47 Income According to FP Canadian Demographics 2012, average annual income in Maple Ridge is as follows: Average Household $91,126 Average Family $99,910 Average Per Capita $33,503 Employment According to the 2011 Census, the employment rate in Maple Ridge was 64.2% (vs. 59.5% for BC). APPENDIX A— BACKGROUND/ DATA REVIEW Page 48 To gain insight into branding best practices for cities and success stories among other communities, Illuminata Marketing conducted secondary research by compiling and analyzing documentation and research from sources including: media and trade publications, company/ organization websites, business/ marketing journals, periodicals, industry and association reports. WHAT IS A CITY BRAND? There are a lot of different definitions for what a brand is. The following are some ways in which a brand can be defined: ■ More than just a logo or name, a brand is a sum total of how someone perceives a particular product, service or organization. ■ A brand is a collection of your thoughts + feelings about your experiences with it. More specifically: A CITY BRA� is a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what a community represents (i.e., what a community stands for, and the values it holds). A city brand is the foundation that helps make a place desirable as somewhere to live, work, visit or do business. OBJECTIVES & BENEFITS OF A CITY BRAND The overarching goal and objective of a city brand is to: Promote and enhance a city's image and reputation through the development of a brand to attract key audiences. Further, the benefits of a strong city brand include: ■ Creating a common vision for the future of the community and its aspirations ■ Developing a clear and consistent community identity ■ Creating a sense of local identity, pride and satisfaction for residents APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 49 ■ Drawing in new populations — both as residents, and labour force ■ Increasing tourism ■ Supporting local economic development efforts and attracting new businesses ■ Enhancing its awareness and position, at local and regional levels ■ Shifting perceptions of a community that may be suffering from a poor image among both internal and external stakeholders ■ Shedding unfavourable stereotypes that may be associated with community and make it more appealing CREATING A STRONG CITY BRAND In order to create a strong brand for cities and to gain support and traction amongst audiences, there are a number of key elements required for the brand to be successful. Aligns with City's Vision Attainable Long-term & STRONG Believable CITY BRAND Unique Consistent Align with City's Vision A city brand can only be meaningful when there is a strong and widely shared common vision for the direction the city is headed in. A city brand is an extension of a city's vision — it acts as a bridge between the strategic vision of the city and its behaviours and actions. The brand is used to "amplify" the city's vision and to help convey and communicate the city's aspirations moving forward. This then guides the behaviours of the city. These behaviours are carried through to all the various APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 50 "touchpoints" where internal and external stakeholders come into contact/ interact with the city which in turn enhances their perceptions about the city. Attainable & eelievable A city brand should be attainable & believable — it should do what it promises, and deliver on that promise. While a brand does speak to the aspirations of the city, it must be believable in the short-term to be effective. Further, branding that does not match the actual experience of a city risks weakening the brand itself, and possibly threatens the city's credibility with its audiences and stakeholders. Consistent Consistency is imperative to establishing and maintain a strong city brand. It is not only just visually and graphically — it is how all of a city's actions, accomplishments and communications work together so that everything is consistent. Consistency and frequency are key for a successful brand. Unique A city brand should be unique - that is, how the city is different from others and identifying what those distinguishing factors are. Unoriginal branding tends to be generic and does not provide stakeholders a reason to "choose this city" over others. As well, city brands using a"we have it all" positioning and try to be all things to all people do not work well — the meaning of what the place really stands for is weakened. Rather, the brand should be focused on the elements that take priority and stand for something unique and compelling. Long-Term A city brand needs to sustainable — the brand should be an enduring proposition that is relevant both now and into the future. Further, branding is an ongoing and long-term process that requires time and commitment. The assumption is that it takes three to five years for a city brand to see economic benefits. APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 51 � . - � � CASE STUDY - BARCELONA �, �� '? I�� i �!!��`' ��11� � Over the past 20 years, Barcelona has successfully positioned itself among the top � ��'° '"` �'�;k� � cities in the world with a strong brand. It is associated with creativity, culture, sport, and gastronomy, high quality of life, and a main tourist destination in Europe. . �� , Align with City's Vision: In 2010, the Strategic Metropolitan Plan of Barcelona — Vision 2020 was developed after research suggested Barcelona was not globally recognized on various attributes including businesses, services and innovation, and there was a need to strengthen its position. From there, the new municipal government at the time took this strategic plan, which contained over 30 mentions of "brand", and together with public and private stakeholders created and implemented a new brand strategy. Attainable & Believable: To support the future direction of the city, a number of actions and initiatives were created coming out of the strategic plan. For example, a new economic development strategy and the Barcelona Growth program were established to focus on creating employment and promoting investment. Also, Barcelona Global, a private, independent non-profit association was created as a citizens' platform for ideas and action with the mission to "actively contribute to making Barcelona one of the best cities in the world for attracting talent and developing economic activity." Consistent: It has not been the visual identity and tagline that have made Barcelona a strong and powerful global city brand, but the continued and consistent effort to communicate and demonstrate its successes — its proof-points. The Barcelona city council makes frequent references to the brand in council publications, press releases and parliamentary debates. Unique: The Barcelona brand has a combination of unique and differentiated elements that are part of its identity — history, culture, language, cuisine, location, landscape and climate. These together reflect the essence of the city. Long-term: The brand of Barcelona was developed with a long-term vision in mind, and as result, continues to be ranked among one of the top global cities. And further to that, as part of Barcelona's ongoing commitment, the city revisits its strategic plan every few years — another strategic plan was completed in 2014 which takes them through to 2025. APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 52 NEIGHBOURING CITY BRANDS The following highlights brand components (logo/ visual identity, tagline, vision, mission, positioning/ messaging) of Maple Ridge's neighbouring communities: CITY OF �,'�`' ,, Pitt Meadows �� The �?�,�ieo:� Place Mission� ON 7HE FRASEIt �� Tagline The Natural Place Vision Pitt Meadows is a vibrant small city in a natural setting - a sustainable community that balances growth with the protection of its natural environment. Mission To maintain a liveable community that provides a wide range of opportunities for individual and corporate citizens to thrive in a sustainable manner. Positioning/ Messaging ■ Nestled between the mighty Fraser River and the majestic Golden Ears mountains, Pitt Meadows is a dynamic municipality with a growing population of just over 18,200. ■ With an ongoing commitment to building a better community for residents, businesses and visitors, Pitt Meadows is the natural place to live, work and invest. Tagline On the Fraser Mission Moving the Community Forward/ Our purpose is to build a safe, healthy and inclusive community that is abundant in economic, cultural and recreational opportunities. Positioning/ Messaging ■ The District of Mission continues to be one of the fastest growing communities in BC with a current population estimated at 38,500. ■ Mission is a dynamic and diverse community with a rich history and lifestyle that offers stunning mountain vistas, the Fraser River and one of only two municipally managed forests in British Columbia. ■ This gives easy access to a host of outdoor recreational activities including mountain biking, boating, world class salmon and sturgeon fishing, golf, hiking trails, and parks. ■ It is all about community here in Mission and nothing brings us together like one of the many events occurring throughout the year including the Mission Folk Festival, Fraser River Bald Eagle Festival, Twilight Concert Series and the Christmas Candlelight Parade. ■ Situated only 70 kilometres east of Vancouver and 17 kilometres north of the United States of America border, Mission is a prime location for APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 53 `` �/� ABBQTSFORD �� CHILLIWACK access to main transit routes with quick connections to rail, water, air, and land transportation corridors. Mission continues to attract investors, business and families offering quality amenities, attractions, a competitive cost of living and a great quality of life. Tagline City in the Country vision Abbotsford as a preferred destination for businesses and residents alike; the Hub of the Fraser Valley Mission Strive to continually improve the quality of life within our community by delivering key services for current and future generations. Other ■ Abbotsford outlined the above vision and mission and is in its four strategic Cornerstones to support and focus the work of Council and the City: 1. Vibrant Economy 2. Complete Community 3. Fiscal Discipline 4. Organizational Alignment. ■ The plan was updated July 2016. ■ The City also recently undertook and completed an engagement process called Abbotsforward and adopted a new OCP in June 2016. "The vision endorsed by this Council is that the City of Abbotsford become the regional hub of the Fraser Valley. We will align our focus and operations to meet this goal."- Mayor Henry Braun ■ In November 2015, the City's Economic Department launched a new brand identity and tagline, CAED — City of Abbotsford Economic Development — Tomorrow's Thinking Today, as well as a new website/ interactive tool to attract business and investment — caed.abbotsford.ca Vision The City of Chilliwack is a healthy, engaged, sustainable community. Positioning/ Messaging ■ Chilliwack is well positioned within British Columbia with natural majestic beauty, abundant recreational and lifestyle opportunities and a sound business sector, including prosperous agricultural, industrial and commercial industries. ■ The community has a population of approximately 84,000 people and is located 100 kilometers east of the City of Vancouver. ■ People choose to live in Chilliwack because of our low tax rates, affordable housing costs and exceptional quality of life. ■ Discover our lifestyle, offering all the benefits of our natural surroundings, rural setting, family oriented neighbourhoods and the convenience and facilities of a vibrant urban core. Discover our community ... Discover Chilliwack! APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 54 Co�uitlam CITY OF . =� LANGLEY �';,'� #he place #o be � � : s: ,s �: T�xr,rrrship Of L��l�� :�; vision Coquitlam in 2021 will be a community of neighbourhoods within a vibrant city where people choose to live, learn, work and play. Mission To sustain Coquitlam's high quality of life for current and future generations, we serve the public interest through leadership, innovation and a focus on community priorities and strengths Positioning/ Messaging ■ The City of Coquitlam is one of the fastest growing communities located in the heart of Metro Vancouver. ■ An active and vibrant community, Coquitlam is attracting new residents and businesses that appreciate the quality of life, central location in Metro Vancouver, and countless opportunities for recreational, cultural and outdoor pursuits. ■ We're the fifth-largest city in BC—home to almost 145,000 people who rank among the highest in the province in terms of overall health and education levels. Tagline The Place to Be Vision The Place to Be Mission To provide a vibrant, healthy and safe community. Positioning/ Messaging ■ Welcome to the City of Langley – a unique urban community that incorporates parks and greenspace with a pedestrian-friendly downtown core that is sure to entice visitors and residents alike! Tagline Est. 1873 Positioning/ Messaging ■ The Township of Langley is located in the southwest corner of the province of British Columbia, Canada. We are 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of the City of Vancouver in the beautiful agriculture-rich Fraser Valley. The Trans-Canada Highway runs through it, dissecting the northern part of the municipality from the south. ■ What does quality of life mean to you? In the Township of Langley, it means being able to live in a place that provides a unique mix of urban amenities and the great outdoors, where there is one job for every resident in the labour force, and the past and the environment are respected as we grow and build towards the future. APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 55 i- � N£1N 1NESTIV��NSTER � , �, P��RT co�u�TL� Vision We will be a livable, walkable, prosperous City, strong in tradition, providing the best facilities, services, and programs for our citizens, delivered in a customer focused, accessible manner. Mission We provide a livable, walkable, prosperous City in which our citizens feel safe and enjoy a strong sense of local identity and community participation. We give our residents and businesses a voice in City matters, treat them with respect and dignity ensuring they have the best possible services, programs and facilities. Positioning/ Messaging ■ As the oldest city in western Canada, New Westminster has a long and rich history. ■ In 1859, the Royal Engineers arrived from England to establish the first capital of the new colony of British Columbia. ■ The chosen site was selected both for its beauty and strategic location on the Fraser River. vision Port Coquitlam is a happy, vibrant, safe community with healthy, engaged residents and thriving businesses, supported by sustainable resources and services. We strive to do it right by researching, planning, building and executing well-balanced solutions. Mission We strive to do it right by researching, planning, building and executing well- balanced solutions. Positioning/ Messaging ■ Port Coquitlam is a complete community with small-town charm and big city connections. Port Coquitlam is a complete community, unique in its traditional, small- town atmosphere and its strong sense of community pride. Our community celebrates a vibrant culture and heritage. We nurture our environment for present and future generations. The Cityscape logo depicts the integration of our community's social, economic and environmental values. It reinforces the message that Port Coquitlam is a beautiful place to live, grow and prosper. APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 56 � �,SURREY ��.. the future lives here Tagline The Future Lives Here Positioning/ Messaging ■ Surrey is the fastest growing community in Metro Vancouver. It is a city where modern urban development meets an abundance of green spaces, parks and farmland. Home to six distinct town centres, the City comprises state-of-the-art recreational, arts, library, and heritage facilities featuring an array of diverse programming and public services. ■ Surrey offers active, affordable and accessible lifestyles for its residents serviced with modern amenities. An inclusive and welcoming community, the City embraces all people and cultures. ■ Surrey has the lowest residential property taxes and second-lowest business taxes in the region and is ranked as one the best places in the country to invest. As Surrey evolves into the region's next major metropolitan centre, the City is focused on generating new economic opportunities, fostering innovation and enhancing connectivity. The City continues investing in and building capital infrastructure to keep pace with the needs of its growing community. In recent years, Surrey has seen the largest construction and investment plan in its history. With a commitment to sustainable living and a proactive approach to economic and social development, the City of Surrey is destined for a prosperous future as it develops into Metro Vancouver's second major economic centre. Other ■ According to Mayor Dianne Watts in 2008 at the time of launch, "The brand conveys that Surrey is a complete community with lots to offer. The branding reflects the city's strength and vitality and reveals Surrey as a city that is progressive, innovative and futuristic." LEVERAGING CITY BRANDS Through secondary research, the brands of other communities were explored to identify examples and learnings as they relate to city branding. After reviewing a number of communities, it was noted that there are a variety of different approaches that communities take when it comes to branding themselves to promote themselves and attract key audiences. Overall City Brand Focus Some communities focus on their overall city brand. For example, Squamish recently adopted a new city brand complete with a brand story including the following elements: ■ New Squamish logo that proudly connects Squamish to its First Nations' heritage �� •1��7�[}� �FIE� �Q.• Is;l4'� � � �1 �� APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 57 ■ Tagline - "Hardwired for Adventure" ■ Positioning -"Squamish offers an outdoor lifestyle that sets our community apart from all others" ■ Brand promise -"You can experience the world's most epic outdoor adventures - from sea to sky - all within 10 minutes of one another" ■ The Squamish brand is featured on the City website and is supported by a 55-point Branding, Development and Marketing plan Campaign-Based Approach Other communities utilize a campaign-based approach to encourage economic development geared towards specific audiences. For example, Prince George has developed "Move Up Prince George" which is intended to attract individuals to move to Prince George as residents, students and workers. This campaign is supported bythe Move Up Prince George logo/ visual identity and an integrated marketing campaign including a website (including job postings, education opportunities, videos with testimonials), print collateral, online/ social media advertising, and advertising campaigns throughout Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, Victoria and Edmonton. Economic Development Sub-Brand Other communities adopt a marketing strategy for their Economic Development department. For example, Brampton, Ontario launched its Economic Development marketing strategy which included the development of the "b...more" brand for the department. The brand identifies the City of Brampton's Economic Development initiatives and is focused on leveraging positive attitudes and perceptions of Brampton as a place to establish a business and as a place to live. The goal is to strengthen Brampton's business and community image. The strategy included the new visual identity and tagline, as well as a campaign launch and roll-out with advertising, special event and promotional tactics. Calls to action include "b...more", "b...unstoppable", and "b...extraordinary". � _-. . . .. ��1 ��-� I�e : : : �Y .s �. ■ ■+ ■ BRANI PTQN EC4iJUM111C 6E4ELOPh9EP11� APPENDIX B— BEST PRACTICES Page 58 Through 4 discussion groups and 6 telephone interviews, along with a series of questions that went out to the Brand Review Project Team, a cross-section of stakeholders shared their thoughts on Maple Ridge's brand, its attributes and characteristics, as well as their thoughts on the future of the Maple Ridge brand. As part of the process, feedback was gathered from staff inembers, local businesses, community organizations, City Council as well as individuals in the development industry. The following outlines the findings from the stakeholder research. Due to the qualitative nature of the discussion groups and interviews, findings provide directional insights. FINDINGS Describing the City of Maple Ridge Participants were asked to participate in an exercise to gain insight into how they perceive the City of Maple Ridge today. Overall, perceptions across and within the groups varied. Through the exercise, Maple Ridge was described in several different ways. One commonly mentioned theme related to Maple Ridge as a community — one that is involved with community matters, community-minded, charity and help- oriented, and a place where one can "feel like part of a community". Others described Maple Ridge as being great for families, having great outdoors with people living active and healthy lifestyles, safe, peaceful, relatively affordable and suburban/ rural. Some participants viewed Maple Ridge as a"dichotomy' — representing the "past and the future", the "career-minded, younger families and the older families that have grown up here", being "conservative and traditional but trying to be future thinking". Another commonly mentioned theme was the perception of Maple Ridge having opportunity and unmet potential, with the City "putting in effort" and having the "willingness" to move forward. Examples of verbatim responses include: ■ "Amazing growth potential" ■ "Has faced struggles and overcome them ... potential forsuccess" ■ "Willing to move forward with a lot of cool projects" ■ "Trying to be a leader" ■ "Comes from strong traditions but making own way — more approachable and open-minded" ■ "Putting in effort, going through adversity" ■ "Forward thinking, inner visions, trendsetters ... not afraid to take bigger risks and try new things" Some participants acknowledged that the City is undergoing change and experiencing an "evolution" or "push" to meet the needs of the growing and changing population. Verbatim responses include: ■ "Dynamic and changing" ■ "Growing community because people moving into it" ■ "Want more amenities and voicing that" APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 59 ■ "Growing and a community that is asking for more" • "Young families are going to drive next decade of the city" ■ "Changing — traffic, housing developments, businesses" ■ "Dynamic and changing" Still, a few others felt the City is "stuck in the past" or "lacks direction": ■ "Naivety, inability to get things together to make them work" ■ "... haven't found meaning and purpose/ path" ■ "Really coo110 to 20 years ago ... but now the opposite" ■ "A lot going on ... a bit of everything" Positives and Negatives When participants were asked about the positives of Maple Ridge as a place to live, work, visit or do business, some themes emerged including the community's small-town feel and sense of community, its environment and outdoor surroundings, affordability, family friendliness, rural and agricultural characteristics, proximity to Vancouver and its growth: ■ Small-town feel and sense of community: Participants spoke about Maple Ridge being friendly, with a small- town and "home town" feel and a strong sense of community where people care, are helpful and say "hi" to each other, and having local businesses and unique shops around the city. ■ Environment and outdoor surroundings: Mentions included Maple Ridge's beauty, beautiful landscape including Golden Ears Park, the dyke, bike paths, lakes and the Fraser River. Others used words such as "relaxed", "tranquil" and "quiet" to describe Maple Ridge. These characteristics were perceived as positive qualities for living in and visiting Maple Ridge. ■ Affordable and economical: There were mentions of the affordability of Maple Ridge when compared to the rest of the Lower Mainland, both for residents (e.g., cheap real estate) and businesses (e.g., cheaper commercial rents and purchase of commercial land). Affordability was perceived as a positive not only for living and working in Maple Ridge, but also for investing and conducting business in Maple Ridge. However, participants also acknowledged the aspect of the "relative affordability" in Maple Ridge. ■ Family-oriented and family-friendly: Several participants described Maple Ridge as being family-friendly — reasons included there being a lot of families in Maple Ridge, the ability for kids to play in the streets, large back yards and lots of sports activities. ■ Rural and agricultural: A few participants provided comments relating to the City being rural and agricultural — for example, Maple Ridge was described as pastoral, having ties to agriculture, having an association with logging, timber. Further, the Farmers' Market and Cheese Crafters were also mentioned by some. ■ Proximity to Vancouver and Fraser Valley: Some participants commented on Maple Ridge being "close enough" to Vancouver and other urban centres, and having access via the West Coast express and bridge without a toll. However, others mentioned Maple Ridge being far, "over the bridge", and "way out there". APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 60 ■ Growing: Participants mentioned the growing aspect of Maple Ridge in terms of population and demand, primarily in the context investing and doing business in Maple Ridge. ■ Other: Other mentions included Maple Ridge's unique shopping (mom and pop shops), events and festivals, "excellent" City staff, it being relatively safe, and its heritage. On the other hand, when asked about some of the negatives of living, working, visiting or doing business in Maple Ridge, mentions included traffic and transit, the need for more amenities, low awareness and perceptions about Maple Ridge. Others negatives ranged from the perception of red tape, the City having an unclear direction, as well as issues such as homelessness, drugs and crime: ■ Traffic congestion, transit and transportation: Several participants mentioned traffic congestion, the lack of transit, and the reliance on cars with comments relating to Maple Ridge being "car-centric and "hard to get to" and transit being "not ideal ... especially for youth". A couple participants mentioned the need for more connection — e.g., via bike trials and more connection between communities within Maple Ridge. ■ Lack of amenities and offerings: The lack of amenities and offerings throughout the City was also mentioned, and at times this was related back to the growth experienced by the City. Examples include the lack of sidewalks, sports facilities (e.g., fields, community centres, arenas), hotels, parking, schools/ educational facilities, activities for youth, shopping, and jobs. ■ Low awareness and perceptions: Some participants mentioned the low profile and lack of awareness of what Maple Ridge has to offer among those outside Maple Ridge, as well as the perception that Maple Ridge is "so far away". ■ Unclear direction: Some felt there is an unclear identity and direction for the City — both in terms of "what it is" and "what we want to be". Others spoke about the City's "small-town mentality' and the "disconnect" between the old and new — both in terms of the direction of where the City is going, and the integration between the old/ new parts of the city, and the old/ new residents. ■ "Red Tape": Participants from the business and development communities mentioned some of the challenges experienced by either themselves or others in doing business in or with the City. Examples included the city "not being business friendly", difficulties with bylaws when opening a business, lengthy building permit processes, unclear direction as it relates to the OCP, and inconsistencies when dealing with City staff. ■ Dated: A few mentioned Maple Ridge being "behind the times", being the "same as 30 years ago", with "everything from the 80s" and "lacking modernity". ■ Homelessness, Drugs and Crime: Several participants mentioned homelessness, with the recognition that it exists in every community, and that the media has brought attention to it in Maple Ridge. Drug access and use, along with theft and property crime were also mentioned as a downside. ■ Other: Other mentions included the need for more tolerance/ diversity, high property taxes, and the need to diversify the tax payer base. APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 61 Brand Attributes & Characteristics Participants took part in a keywords/ adjectives exercise and were asked to select top words to describe Maple Ridge today. While words selected to describe Maple Ridge ranged among participants -"natural beauty", "growing", "family-friendly" and "community-oriented" were the most commonly picked. When presented with brand statements that could be used to describe specific attributes and characteristics of Maple Ridge, overall and across all groups: ■ The statements relating to Maple Ridge as a"beautiful, natural setting with parks and green space" and "a good place for people who enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, hiking and parks" stood out as receiving the highest levels of agreement. ■ "A good place to raise a family" and "a safe place to live" also received higher levels of agreement, as did "Maple Ridge provides an overall high quality of life for residents". ■ Maple Ridge having "an efficient system of streets, roads and public transportation" received the lowest levels of agreement. ■ Although the other statements had agreement among some participants, most were neutral towards them. The following shares some highlights and verbatim responses relating to the various brand statements: A safe place to live A good place to raise a family A beautiful, natural setting with parks and green space A good place for people who enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, hiking and parks A vibrant and well-rounded arts and cultural community A leader in terms of being green and environmentally friendly Perceptions were that Maple Ridge is generally and "relatively" safe. A few respondents in the business group had some concerns about crime (e.g., property theft, employees working night shift). Participants generally agreed that Maple Ridge is a good place to raise a family with some mention of there being a lot of young families and sports programs. However, some comments included: the need for "more schools in the right places" and challenges relating to the lack ofjobs resulting in "latch key children (coming] home to an empty or single parent home". Most participants agreed with this statement - one participant stated "it is a S- minute drive to wilderness ...". However, another commented "there is great outdoor and greenspace on the outskirts, but not in the centre where it needs to be". There was agreement with this statement as well. Some examples of suggested improvements included "improving the cycling infrastructure and connections", and "being careful when marketing outdoors (needing systems, parking, at capacity, etc.)". While participants feel that there are some arts and cultural activities and facilities in the city—the perception is that there is room for more development. As one participant stated "... have bits of brilliance but need huge amount of work in community around arts programs and culture" and another described the offerings as ranging from "high quality to "low quantity". The homogenous nature of the Maple Ridge population and the lack of diversity was also mentioned. In terms of Maple Ridge being a leader in being green and environmentally- friendly, while some respondents agreed with this statement, most participants were neutral. Comments included "... have done a lot as a City'; "not a leader ... not doing anything', and "too many cars". APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 62 A fun place to live A community with long, rich history Affordable real estate and housing A variety of sporting and recreation activities and facilities A close-knit community An efficient system of streets, roads and public transportation A welcoming and supportive community for newcomers Maple Ridge provides an overall high quality of life for residents Levels of agreement with Maple Ridge being a fun place to live were neutral. Some comments indicate some agreement with there being "pockets of fun'; "a scope of activities — free and things that cost money...choice" and "agree if you have young kids ... sports trails", while others point to it being "not a fun city ... have arts and environmental stuff but not a fun city', and there being a "lack activities for youth" and "the same type of things every year - escape rooms, trampoline, laser tag don't move out this way and skip over us". Levels of agreement with Maple Ridge being a community with long, rich history varied widely and comments related to a lack of alignment with its history. One participant stated there is a"long rich, natural history people don't know about ... a lack of awareness" and another stated there are "learning opportunities for those moving here". Another felt Maple Ridge "does not have the ability to tell story ... small museum". While some respondents agree Maple Ridge has affordable real estate and housing, others were neutral. Several participants spoke about the "relative" affordability -"was affordable ... not really any more ... not going to stay that way for long". Again, while some agreed with this statement, others were more neutral. Comments included activities being "mostly for kids" and there being 'facilities but not activities". Agreement levels ranged from high levels of agreement to closer to neutral. Comments included "people generally feel they know their neighbours'; "have groups that are especially close knit" and "40% of the population are volunteers". On the other hand, others felt "people are friendly, but unless you join a group it's hard" and "lots of new people are not connected". This statement received high levels of disagreement with comments related to "lack of funding from other levels of government'; "not enough sidewalks and public transportation". One participant felt the "effort is there" and another felt it is "getting better". While there was some level of agreement that Maple Ridge is welcoming and supportive for newcomers, comments included "doesn't seem like a lot of resources'; "challenging finding services'; and "harder for newcomers to make a connection". While there was some agreement with this statement, others were neutral. Positive comments included "...amazing place to live and work", "progressiveness of Council potentially wonderful" and "incredible neighbourhoods". Less positive comments included "...growing pains — things and pieces are not brought together", "struggling community' and "a lot of components lacking". Logo & Tagline Feedback Participants were asked to what extent they agreed that the current Maple Ridge logo and tagline reflects the Maple Ridge brand. Perceptions about the logo were mixed, with only a few staff inembers who thought it strongly reflects the Maple Ridge brand. While less than one third of participants strongly felt that the logo does not reflect the brand, the majority rated were closer to the middle of the road. APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 63 Positive comments about the logo related to it being "great if you know what it means" and a"nice, clear, simple, recognizable image". Others felt there was need for improvement as can be seen by the following verbatim responses: ■ "Does not represent natural beauty' ■ "Generic and doesn't speak to anything" ■ "Not the summation of Maple Ridge" ■ "Not descriptive of the words we've used to describe Maple Ridge" ■ "Dated" ■ "Needs a rethink and refresh to see what's possible and to rejuvenate us" ■ "Logo is trying to do too much — leaves do not reflect Maple Ridge, attempt to get mountain and the river in the logo dilutes the impact of the whole logo." Overall, participants did not feel the tagline "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." reflects the Maple Ridge brand - about half strongly feel the tagline does not reflect the brand. Most spoke about why they did not think the tagline represents Maple Ridge, as can be seen in the selected verbatim responses: ■ "Deep roots reflects the values of old families that still live in Maple Ridge who appear to be opposed to growth and change..." ■ "What does this mean to one of the fastest growing communities? " ■ "It doesn't reflect my sentiment around "a place called home" ■ "Doesn't express what we're known for/ want to be known for" "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." ■ "Too rear view looking, with not enough definition on the future" ■ "Have to look at changing landscape, new population while giving homage..." ■ "Lacks cultural inclusiveness" Maple Ridge in the Future Participants took part in another keyword/ adjective exercise and were asked what things come to mind when describing Maple Ridge in the future or five years from now - responses were not as clear. While participants perceive Maple Ridge today as naturally beautiful, growing, family-friendly and community-oriented, the vision for Maple Ridge in the future was less clear. With the exception of "community-oriented", there was a broad range and little consistency in the words selected. Further, when asked what one thing the City of Maple Ridge should emphasize in the future to become more attractive as a place to live, work, visit and do businesses, responses also varied widely. Some examples of topics included: ■ As a place to live -"community" and "environment/ access to nature/ outdoors" received several mentions ■ As a place to work - mentions included opportunities for growth and development (e.g., jobs/ work, business and commercial), and businesses and services available to those working in Maple Ridge ■ As a place to visit - the natural beauty/ outdoor activities and nature were mentioned. The development of the waterfront was also raised by a couple of participants as a potential focus (particularly in the business group). ■ As a place to do business - being business-friendly (e.g., reducing red-tape and streamlining processes), providing support to businesses and promoting Maple Ridge overall were mentioned. APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 64 Differences Both Across and Within Groups Different stakeholder audiences appear to have different perceptions of the Maple Brand and in some cases, perceptions within stakeholder audiences are mixed. ■ Staff — Participants in the staff discussion group tended to have positive feedback, but perceptions about the brand were mixed due and appeared to be affected by their experiences with Maple Ridge (e.g., whether they live in Maple Ridge, how long they have lived in Maple Ridge, which Maple Ridge neighbourhood they lived in, their level of familiarity with the City's initiatives, and the City department in which they worked). ■ Businesses — Overall, business community participants had positive feedback about the Maple Ridge brand. Areas for improvement related to perceptions of safety, security and the "business-friendliness" of the City. ■ Community Groups — Participants from community associations also had positive perceptions of Maple Ridge, and there was much discussion about Maple Ridge being community-oriented and close-knit (e.g., high rate of volunteerism) and friendly (e.g. people say "hi" and open the door for you). ■ Developers — Among the telephone interviews conducted with members of the development community, those who had worked with City tended to have positive comments about Maple Ridge. Those who were less familiar with Maple Ridge or who did not currently have any developments in the community mentioned they were looking for "the right land to develop at the right price" or, for more clarity about the future vision of the City as it relates to development (e.g., OCP). ■ City Council — Feedback from City Council also referenced the positive aspects of Maple Ridge, and touched on many of the comments that were brought up by the other stakeholder groups. When asked for thoughts on what the Maple Ridge brand and personality should look like in the future, responses were mixed. APPENDIX C—STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION GROUPS Page 65 To ensure an understanding of resident perceptions and attitudes towards the City of Maple Ridge brand, and its unique features and benefits, a quantitative survey was conducted with residents of Maple Ridge. Respondents were asked a series of questions relating to overall impressions, quality of life and likelihood of recommending the city to others, agreement with various brand statements describing the city, as well as words or phrases that define Maple Ridge. In July/ August 2016, a quantitative telephone survey was conducted, in partnership with Sentis Research, with Maple Ridge residents. In an effort to boost responses amongst those under the age of 54 years, the telephone survey was supplemented with an online survey supported by advertising on social media. A total of 303 surveys were completed, and the results have an overall margin of error +/- 5.2%, 19 times out of 20. MAPLE RIDGE RESPONDENT PROFILE Base Gender Male Female Age 18 - 24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years & over Ethnic/ Cultural Group Canadian British/ Scottish/ Irish European Other Refused Household Composition Single with no children Couple with no children Family with children (includes single parent households) Refused Maple Ridge Residents n=303 49 % 51% 53% 19% 17% 9% 2% 20% 26% 52% 2% APPENDIS D—MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 66 Household Income Less than $20,000 $20,000 to less than $35,000 $35,000 to less than $50,000 $50,000 to less than $65,000 $65,000 to less than $80,000 $80,000 to less than $100,000 $100,000 or more Don't know/ Refused Years Living in Maple Ridge* Less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 6 to 10 years 11 to 15 years 16 to 20 years 20+ years Own/ Rent Home Own Rent Refused Own a Business in Maple Ridge Yes No Work in Maple Ridge Yes � No I 6% 7% 6% 10% 10% 9% 29 % 24 % 3% 6% 13% 16% 15% 47% 86% 11% 3% 14% 86% 24 % 66% *For those who have lived in Maple Ridge for 10 years or less, two additional questions were asked. Please note, the sample size is small with n=67 respondents. These results are directional in nature. The questions were: Q. Which municipality did you live in prior to moving to Maple Ridge? Of the 67 people who answered, responses varied from municipalities across the Lower Mainland, including mentions of Rest of BC, Alberta, Rest of Canada and Outside of North America. Q. What were the main reasons you moved to Maple Ridge? Of the 67 people who answered, 47 respondents stated "affordable housing". Of the remaining 20, responses varied. APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 67 Q1. If asked, how likely would you be to recommend the City of Maple Ridge to a family member, a friend or colleague, when it comes to: a. Living in or moving to Maple Ridge b. Visiting Maple Ridge, such as to attend an event, shop, see a location attraction, etc. c. Working in or looking for a job in Maple Ridge d. Opening up or running a business in Maple Ridge Likelihood to Recommend Living in or moving to MR Visiting MR, such as to attend an event, shop, see a local attraction, etc. Working in or looking for a job in MR Opening up or running a business in MR 8% 17% 20% 21% % Probably/ / Probably/ Definitely Not Definitely ' 15% 69% ' 25% 59% Don't Know Definitely Not ■ Probably Not Might/ Might Not ■ Probably ■ Definitely n=303 34% 36% 32% 36% APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 68 Q2a. Overall, what kind of impression do you have about Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/or do business? Overall Impression of Maple Ridge Impression of MR as a place to live, visit, work and/ � or do business Don't Know Very Negative Neither Negative nor Positive ■ Somewhat Positive n=303 ■ Somewhat Negative ■ Very Positive %Total % Total Negative Positive 23% 69% Q2b. Why do you say you have a[insert response from q2a] impression of Maple Ridge? Of the 69% of Maple Ridge residents with a positive overall impression (n=209), the reasons varied. However, the top three mentioned responses included "like/ love it here/ Maple Ridge" (45 responses or 21% of those with a positive impression), "hometown/lived here for a long time" (33 responses or 16% of those with a positive impression), "close to nature/good outdoor environment" (30 responses or 14% of those with a positive impression). Of the 22% of Maple Ridge residents with a negative overall impression (n=68), the reasons also varied. Keeping in mind the small sample size, the top mentioned responses included "homelessness issue/ problem" (29 responses), "drugs/ crime/ theft" (26 responses), "no/ lack of shopping" (21 responses), "city hall/ council issues" (13 responses), "poor infrastructure/ planning" (8 responses) and "need more/bigger business" (8 responses). APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 69 Q3. A city's "brand" can be described by various adjectives and descriptors — like we do with people. What is the one word or phrase that you think best describes or sums up the essence of Maple Ridge? Natural/ nature/ green/ outdoors Beautiful Friendly Community Behind the times/ backwards In trouble/ going downhill/ needs improvement Peaceful/ quiet Growing/ developing Country Small town Liveable/ good to live in Nice/ good/ great place Comfortable Homelessness/ drugs/ crime Badly developed/ too much traffic/ overcrowded Urban/ suburban/ commuter town Family-oriented Home/ my home Boring Average/ m ediocre Cheap/ affordable Other Don't know Refused/ did not answer n=303 9% 7% 6% 6% 5% 5% S% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 11% 5% 8% APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 70 Q4. I am now going to read a series of statements that can be used to describe various attributes or characteristics of Maple Ridge today. Please tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with each one. 11+1aple Ridge Brand Staternerrts 96 Total °,�total Disa�r�t� ree hr1R pra,� ides an a,�erall hbh quality of life for �_ �' residerrts 1996 f�59S G oad p�re fo r peop le w ho enj oy outd oar art �r it ie�;6�96 like ry�lir�g, hi� ir�g & parks 35& 4396 B eai.�t�u I natura I�tt ir�g w ith park s& g reen spare S �°� 9596 Good p�re ta rai9e afarnify 59� 1196 8296 Cornrnunitywith lor�g, rrh hi5tory 3'� 1096 7�96 a�er9e papulatian rnade up of peaple with differerrt �� ba�kfl ounds & naxionalities 996 8096 Variety ofsportir�g & retre�tion art�iti�ffa�ilitia 596� 1�� Fun plareto I�e 896 - 18°fG 659`0 Clos�knit �ornmunity 8%_ 219b 6196 5�e plateto �ve 996 - 259b 6596 4�lerornir�g & 9upport've �or7r7un'ty fiar newrorners �g�', 896 6196 Erra�anrner�tal�{-friend�{&green�ityrornrnitxedto �� err,r�anmer�xalsterlardship 1196 6�96 Vibrar�t &well�aunded artsJ�uRural �ornmuni[y 3 �59G 5�9�0 5peci�l nebhborhoodsfor resider�ts to iderrtifY 8% thernse�estry 2�9� 5496 4�1e11-ed�xated & skilled popul�tian ofresiderrts 59� 259b 5096 Affordable real est�te & housng 1796 - 3796 $�96 hrlodern �itythat is�urrerrt & keepir�g withthetirnes 1756 - i�, 4396 d 19G �tror�g &Wibrar�t lo�ale�onornyth� isbusinas• 1956 - ■ � friendYy & emplaryrner�t-orier�ted q�g� �pg� EfF�ier�t �stern of 5treets, roads & pubfic �� - transpartaxian 44�G 419G 5trar�gfyDis�gree ■5amewhatais�gree NeitherAa�reenarai�ree ■5arnewhaxAa�ree ■5trar�gfyAa�ree n=303 APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 71 Q5. Based on what's been discussed so far, in your opinion, what is the most important attribute or characteristic that defines the City of Maple Ridge's identity? Outdoor living/ activities/ hiking Nature/ natural Parks/ public spaces Green space/ environment Friendly Community Rural Beauty/ beautiful Small town Safe/ peaceful Location/ setting The people/ neighbourly/ diversity Homelessness/ crime/ drugs Country Family Mountains/ view Scenic/ scenery Affordable housing Other Don't know Refused/ did not answer n=303 17% 16% 10% 8% 6% 6% 5% 5% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 16% 6% 5% �� Q6. Lastly, when speaking to other people who live outside of Maple Ridge, what is the one thing you tend to hear most often about Maple Ridge? Far away/ far from Vancouver Homelessness situation Parks/ Golden Ears/ nature/ outdoor No/ lack of shopping/ jobs Drugs/ crime Where is it/ where is Maple Ridge? Beautiful/ pretty/ nice Backwards/ behind the times/ red neck Traffic problems/ poor transportation Negative (general) Affordable Why/ you live all the way out there? Positive (general) Quiet/ relaxing Other Don't know Refused/ did not answer n=303 25 % 12% 10% 8% 6% 6% S% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 9% 5% 6% � APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 72 SUB-GROUP ANALYSIS Sub-groups of respondents based on factors such as age, income, household composition, length of residence, those with positive or negative impressions and the like were examined for additional insights. However, with the exception of the findings below, there tended to be no other significant differences between the various sub-groups: ■ In comparison to those who have lived in Maple Ridge longer, newer residents who have lived in the city less than 10 years tended to hold more favourable and positive perceptions of Maple Ridge in terms of overall impressions, likelihood to recommend the city and agreement on various brand statements. However, given the small sample size of this newer resident segment, the results are directional in nature. ■ With a small sample size of n=79, directional results indicate that overall, younger residents 18 to 34 years tended to have less favourable perceptions of Maple Ridge on areas relating to amenities, activities and economic development. For example, they were less likely to recommend visiting, working or looking for a job, or opening a business in Maple Ridge. They were more likely to disagree on various brand statements including well-rounded arts and cultural community, environmentally-friendly and green city, fun place to live, affordable real estate and housing, close-knit community, well-educated and skilled population, and overall high quality of life for residents. ■ Residents who work in Maple Ridge (sample size of n=103) had a more positive overall impression of Maple Ridge and were more likely to agree that Maple Ridge is a good place to raise a family and that it is close-knit community APPENDIS D— MAPLE RIDGE RESIDENT SURVEY Page 73 To supplement results from the quantitative telephone survey, an online feedback survey was developed and made available via the City of Maple Ridge's website and social media channels. In July/August 2016, feedback was gathered from Maple Ridge residents on brand attributes and characteristics, as well perceptions regarding the City's current logo and tagline. It is important to note that this feedback is not representative of the overall population of the community, but does help in providing additional insight and input into the brand. MAPLE RIDGE RESPONDENT PROFILE Total Gender Male Female Did not provide answer Age 18 - 24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years & over Household Composition Single with no children Couple with no children Family with children (includes single parent households) Other Did not provide answer Years Living in Maple Ridge Less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 6 to 9 years 10 to 15 years 16 to 20 years 20+ years Maple Ridge Respondents 567responses 28% 72% < 1% 4% 16% 27% 25% 18% 10% 20% 9% 58% 12% 1% 7% 14% 10% 16% 15% 38% I � APPENDIX E—SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK Page 74 Q. What does living in Maple Ridge mean to you? Nature/ natural/ outdoors/ outdoor activities/ beautiful/ green spaces Family/ good place to raise family/ home Community/ close-knit community/ friendly/ neighbours Peaceful/ quiet/ relaxing/ small-town/ less busy/ away from hustle & bustle Comments about "changing" — different than before/ nothing anymore/ used to safe/ used to be affordable Proximity/ close to Vancouver/ close to other major cities/ easy to get places Affordable/ lower housing costs Country/ rural Safe place Negative responses — homelessness/ drugs/ crime/ lack of shopping/ lack of jobs/ city council/ nothing to do Other n=567 7% 5% 5% 3% 2% 15% 12% Q. If someone from outside Maple Ridge asked you "what are the 3 best things about living in Maple Ridge", what would you tell them? Nature/ natural/ outdoors/ outdoor activities/ beautiful/ green spaces Community/ close-knit community/ friendly/ neighbours Spaces, places & activities — amenities, facilities, restaurants, shopping, events, etc. Peaceful/ quiet/ relaxing/ small-town/ less busy/ away from hustle & bustle Affordable/ lower housing costs Proximity/ close to Vancouver/ close to other major cities/ easy to get places Family/ good place to raise family/ home Country/ rural Nothing/ none Negative responses — homelessness/ drugs/ crime/ lack of shopping/ lack of jobs/ city council/ nothing to do Other n=567 39% 9% 8% 8% 6% 5% 4% 2% 6% 6% 7% APPENDIX E—SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK Page 75 Q. In your opinion, to what extent do you agree or disagree that the logo reflects the unique strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge? Strongly Agree 9% Somewhat Agree 20% Neither Agree nor Disagree 43% Somewhat Disagree 13% Strongly Disagree 15% Total Agree 29% Total Disagree 28% n=567 For those who agreed that the logo reflected the strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge, responses varied. Some verbatims included: ■ "River, farms, mountains and maple leaves. That's Maple Ridge" ■ "Leaves, waves represent the outdoors, which Maple Ridge has many trails and bodies of water to explore" ■ "Simple and to the point" ■ "Colourful, free/flowing" ■ "1 agree with the outdoor symbols but that's it. The colours need to be updated" ■ "Well titled but not eye-catching" ■ "It should describe and identify us as a City or District. There is no descriptor tagline" ■ "1 think it is fine the way it is. Not the kind of "change" we need to be spending on" For those who disagreed that the logo reflected the strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge, responses also varied. Some verbatims included: ■ "Leaves and wind (?) do not describe what Maple Ridge is" ■ "Seems noncommittal. 1 see the suggestion of the mountains, trees and river, and the maple leaves are nice, but 1 would prefer a stronger image" ■ "It looks outdated and doesn't really reflect any images or powerful meanings. There's no connection to it" ■ "It looks like any other boring civic logo. Our community should have a logo that reflects how unique we are ■ What is that supposed to represent?" ■ "Fall season, windy... nothing about nature, community, family" ■ "The logo gives me no feelings about Maple Ridge except maybe the maple leaf" ■ "It's boring and corporate. This is a warm friendly vibrant community" APPENDIX E—SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK Page 76 Q. In your opinion, to what extent do you agree or disagree that the tagline below reflects the unique strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge? "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Agree Total Disagree n=567 � 10% 24% 30% 19% 17% 34% 36% For those who agreed that the tagline reflected the strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge, responses varied. Some verbatims included: ■ "Farms and mountains. New families putting in roots here" ■ "l like that tag line. It's perfect" ■ "1 agree with the first part. Maple Ridge has deep roots and a great history. 1'm not sure 1 understand what 'greater heights' means. 1'm guessing it means that Maple Ridge aims to become greater. Again, I don't know." ■ "A lot of long time families live here. A lot of outdoor mountain recreation" ■ "It's on old community growing to new heights" ■ "It tells people that we can achieve anything" ■ "1 think it nods to both Maple Ridge's past and future and invokes a sense of striving and progress, but with an eye to its heritage" ■ "Where we come from and where we aspire to rise to. A perfect combination of hope and aspiration" ■ "Small-town feel with lots of nature" For those who disagreed that the tagline reflected the strengths and qualities of Maple Ridge, responses also varied. Some verbatims included: ■ "It doesn't reflect us in anyway' ■ "The roots have been allowed to die and we are a shadow of what we use to be" ■ "Maple Ridge is a growing community where families are starting - planting seeds for roots. Greater heights sounds too competitive - should be inclusive, friendly, welcoming. Nothing's changed since the 70's" ■ "Greater heights? No garbage pick up, very little transit, very little shopping........deep roots, greater heights, makes no sense" ■ "Deep roots may be true, but 1 don't know about greater heights. 1 feel as though that's too aspirational and promising when we don't have a lot of greater heights to discuss in our city. We haven't had any business development or community development" ■ "Most families that live here do not have deep roots. Only here because it's affordable. Total bedroom community" ■ "The words don't resonate with anything to me" ■ "The roots are somewhat decaying. There has been very poor planning. To reach greater heights we need to move out of the small-town thinking that prevails ... There are no innovative plans for the future" APPENDIX E—SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDBACK Page 77 To gain insight into perceptions about Maple Ridge from those living outside the city, an online survey was conducted with a panel of Metro Vancouver residents. Respondents were asked about their familiarity of and visitation to Maple Ridge, overall impressions of Maple Ridge, and agreement with various brand statements describing Maple Ridge. In late July 2016, a total of 408 surveys were conducted, in partnership with Sentis Research, with a panel of Metro Vancouver residents with a representative age and geographic make-up of the region. The results have an overall margin of error +/- 4.9%, 19 times out of 20. METRO VANCOUVER RESPONDENT PROFILE Base Gender Male Female Age 18 - 24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years & over Household Composition Single with no children Couple with no childre- Family with children (i Other Own/ Rent Home Own Rent Refused Ever Lived in MR Yes No Municipality** Metro Vancouver Residents n=408 49 % 51% 7% 24 % 16% 20% 14% 19% 34% 34% 29 % 3% 66% 34% < 1% 4% 96% Vancouver 29% North Delta/ Surrey/ White Rock/ Langley 29% Burnaby/ New West 15% Coquitlam/ Port Coquitlam/ Port Moody/ East to MR 13% Richmond/ South Delta 8% North Shore 6% **Please note the sample sizes for respondents' municipalities are small and provide directional results only. APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 78 Q1. If asked, how likely would you be to recommend [OWN CITY] to a family member, a friend or colleague, when it comes to: a. Living in or moving to [OWN CITY] b. Visiting [OWN CITY], such as to attend an event, shop, see a location attraction, etc. c. Working in or looking for a job in [OWN CITY] d. Opening up or running a business in [OWN CITY] Likelihood to Recommend - Own City - Living in or moving to [Own City] 5%� � Visiting [Own City], such as to attend an event, shop, see a local attraction, etc. 3% 15% Working in or looking for a job in [Own City] 5% 20% 290� Opening up or running a business in [Own City] 7% �� 31% % Probably/ / Probably/ Definitely Not Definitely 36% 14% 66% 47% 7% 78% 18% 17% 52% � 17% 46% Don't Know Definitely Not ■ Probably Not Might/ Might Not ■ Probably ■ Definitely n=408 APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 79 Q2. Overall, what kind of impression do you have about [OWN CITY] as a place to live, visit, work and/or do business? Overall Impression - Own City - Impression of [Own City] as a place to live, visit, work Z�� 10% and/ or do business Don't Know Very Negative Neither Negative nor Positive ■ Somewhat Positive n=408 35% ■ Somewhat Negative ■ Very Positive %Total % Total Ne�ative Positive 13% 76% Q3. And, do you agree or disagree that [OWN CITY] provides an overall high quality of life for residents? Overall Quality of Life - Own City - [Own City] provides an overall high quality of life for 3% 11% residents ■ Don't Know Strongly Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree ■ Somewhat Agree n=408 32% ■ Somewhat Disagree ■ Strongly Agree %Total % Total Ne�ative Positive 15% 73% APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 80 Q4. Thinking about the City of Maple Ridge, what is the first word or phrase that comes to mind? Maple Ridge Top-Of-Mind Word/ Phrase Far/ distant/ remote/ hard to get to Suburban - 8% Rural _ 5% Nature/ beauty _ 5% Small � 4% Countryside/farmland � 4% Run-down/ dirty � 3% Growing/ up & coming � 3% Busy/ congested/ traffic � 2% Family/ friends/ community � 2% Affordable � 2% Nice/ Pleasant � 2% Crime/ drugs � 2% Rednecks/ hillbillies � 2% 37% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% n=408 APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 81 Q5. How familiar are you with Maple Ridge? Familiarity with Maple Ridge 35% ■ Not At All Familiar ■ Not Very Familiar ■ Somewhat Familiar ■ Very Familiar n=408 Q6. Which of the following best describes how often you've visited Maple Ridge? Visitation to Maple Ridge 14% ■ Never Visited Visited Once/ Twice ■ Visited Several Times ■ Frequent Visitor GSiII.] APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 82 Q7a. Overall, what kind of impression do you have about Maple Ridge as a place to live, visit, work and/or do business? Overall Impression of Maple Ridge Impression of MR as a place to live, visit, work and/ 50�0 or do business %Total % Total Negative Positive 15% 30% Don't Know Very Negative ■ Somewhat Negative Neither Negative nor Positive ■ Somewhat Positive ■ Very Positive n=408 Q7b. Why do you say you have a[insert response from q7a] impression of Maple Ridge? Of the 30% of Metro Vancouver residents with a positive overall impression of Maple Ridge (n=121), the reasons varied. However, the top three mentioned responses included "seems like a nice/ pleasant place" (44 responses or 36% of those with a positive impression), "affordable housing" (22 responses or 18% of those with a positive impression), "lots of nature/beauty/fresh air/green space, outdoor activities" (21 responses or 17% of those with a positive impression). Of the 15% of Metro Vancouver residents with a negative overall impression of Maple Ridge (n=61), the reasons also varied. Keeping in mind the small sample size, the top mentioned responses included 'farlocation/distant, difficult to get to" (18 responses), "drugs/ crime" (15 responses), "social issues/ homelessness/ lack of social programs" (15 responses), "underdeveloped/lack of business" (10 responses), and "run-down/lack of pride in city" (10 responses). APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 83 Q8. The following are a series of statements that can be used to describe Maple Ridge. In your opinion, please tell me how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements. 11+1aple Ridge Brand Staternerrts hr1R pra,� ides an a,�erall hbh quality of life for residerrts 2396 �� 2{�96 � Goad p�refor peoplewho enjaryr outdoar art�rities like ry�lir�g, hic ir�g & parks 1896 iSK �196 � B eai.�t�u I natura I 9ett ir�g v� ith park s& g reen spare 1696 1�6 �396 � Goad p�re ta rai9e afarnil�' 17% �� r�o��bi� ��i ��r� � no��,fl i� �s� zss� � Variety of spartir�g & retre�tian art�iti�lfa�iirt�a �7g� 1`� 3496 ' 5�e pla�eto I�re 1996 49� �996 � ai�er9e population rnade up of people with differerrt backgrounds & naxionalRies 275G 49�' �896 Cornrnunirywith lor�g, r�h hi5tor'1 � 2796 �� 35�6 �tror�g &wibrar�t locale�onornyth�t isbusinas- friendYy & emplayrner�t-orier�ted 30'96 49n � 3596 EfF�ier�t s�stern of 5treets, roads & pubfi� transpartaxian 2396 fi%� 3U�96 Fun pla�eto I�e ��9i 5� 34% Vibrarrt&welliaundedartsl�uRuraltommuniky � �,py� 49� 379i Y�ell-ed�xated & skilled popul�tian ofresiderrts �g9� 39� 3696 �letorning & 9upparti�e rornrnun�rty for nerlrorners 3�g� �3� 3556 Clos�knit rornmunity i ��96 �� 3�49� E rr� � onrn enta I Y� -f r iend Y� & g reen � ity ro rnrn itxed to err,r�onmentalsterladship 30% iS� 3�56 Modern �ity that is �urrerrt & keeping wRh thetirnes 2296 536 � 3696 � aa n't K no�r1 5trang fy a��s�g ree fW eith er Agree no r a��g ree ■ 5omew hat Agr ee n=408 �396 6 1996 � �� 5836 � 5536 � �U96 3 �196 � ��96 3 23% 3 1�% 2 ■ 5ornerlhat a��s�gree ■ 5trong N Agree 96 Total 967otal Disa�ree ree 996 329G d96 57°% 596 5fi9fi 996 A89fi �a� ��s 696 373'0 149G 3996 119G 3496 996 ��9`0 !2°�G �396 21$fi 3696 �196 2296 �596 ��h9�v k39� ��96 896 249G Lb9b 259G 696 2fi9G 2F76 �19G APPENDIS F— METRO VANCOUVER RESIDENT SURVEY Page 84 Illuminata Marketing conducted an audit of the City of Maple Ridge's brand management practices, brand components (e.g., such as positioning/ messaging and logo & tagline), as well as marketing and communications activities as they relate to the brand. Based on available information provided by the City of Maple Ridge at the time of the analysis, the following highlights the findings from the audit which assesses the effectiveness and consistency of its brand efforts. BRAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES A review of the City's Brand Management practices includes a look at the strategies and documents in place to support the Maple Ridge brand. Strategies and documents reviewed include a 2006 Brand Strategy document and the Graphic Guidelines (October 2015): Brand Strategy In 2006, a Brand Strategy was developed by a third-party firm which included recommendations on brand elements such as personality and positioning. The strategy appears to have been developed as part of the project from which the current Maple Ridge logo and tagline was developed. While the 2006 Brand Strategy may have provided a blueprint for the Maple Ridge brand in the past, at the time of this analysis, the document was not easily accessible, and did not appear to be in use. As such, there does not appear to be a current brand strategy in place guiding the City's efforts. Graphic Guidelines The City of Maple Ridge Graphic Guidelines provides instructions on logo use, typography, colour, stationery, collateral, PowerPoint presentations and ads. It also includes guidelines for achieving standards and consistency in City correspondence (e.g., use of terms, language, etc.). While the Graphic Guidelines document provides guidelines for usage of the Maple Ridge logo, tagline and colour palette, it does not address any sub-brands (e.g., other brands or City departments/ services operating in the context of the City), and how they work in relation to the overall brand. It also does not include guidelines for City logo usage in relation to the logos for partners or other organizations. Further, while the Guidelines are in place, these guidelines do not appear to be implemented in all executions of the brand (further discussed below). Brand Architecture There are several sub-brands or City departments/ services (e.g., Parks & Leisure Services, Economic Development, Fire & Rescue) that operate within the context of the primary Maple Ridge brand. However, there does not appear to a strategy or guidelines in place to determine how these sub-brands and departments/ services should be positioned in relation to the primary brand. These sub-brands are not always consistent in the way they are presented, and thus, the relationships are not always clear. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 85 Other Branding extends beyond visual elements such as the logo and visual consistency, and often involves an entire organization from top-down for successful implementation. There is an opportunity to further enhance brand efforts by developing a brand strategy, updating the current brand story, and communicating the brand story throughout the organization. There may also be an opportunity to further increase awareness of what a brand is, a brand's purpose and the importance of a"city brand" across the organization. BRAND COMPONENTS A brand is made up of different elements that work together and includes components such as the organization's purpose and goals (e.g., vision, mission and values) and positioning & messaging. It also the logo/ visual identity, tagline as well as tone and voice. Vision/ Purpose/ Goals A"city brand" can be defined as a clear and consistent vision and message that conveys what a community represents (what a community stands for, and the values it holds). As such, an organization's purpose and goals ties closely to its brand in that the brand is an extension of the vision, and is a vehicle to assist in conveying this vision to its audiences. There appears to be several different vision statements communicated throughout different communication channels —the Vision 2025 in the Corporate Strategic Plan, the OCP as well as the Economic Development vision. Further, when it comes to communicating the City's Vision, Mission and Values, while these statements are included in various documents including the strategic plan, Citizen's report and Annual Report (mission and values only), these statements do not appear to be prominently featured on the mapleridge.ca website. The brand research pointed to a gap in perceptions and the City's vision where there were lower levels of agreement with brand statements related to the vision, and mixed or divergent opinions in some cases (e.g., those who agree vs. those who disagree). Given that a brand should align with the City's vision to be strong and successful, there may be an opportunity to further explore the gap and identify reasons for the gap (e.g., Is the vision clear? Is it being communicated clearly? Is it relevant?). Positioning & Key Messaging Positioning and messaging also play an important role — brand positioning can be defined as how a brand is different from competitors, and where or how it sits in the audiences' minds. One way a brand's positioning can be supported is through messaging that reinforces and supports the brand's position. The research showed that Maple Ridge's nature/ beautiful/ outdoors were viewed as strengths and defining attributes of Maple Ridge. However, the nature/ beautiful/ outdoors attributes may not be enough to set Maple Ridge apart from others. Maple Ridge's nature/ beautiful/ outdoor attributes appear to be incorporated into many of the City's communications through imagery and messaging. However, there other attributes that are associated with Maple Ridge (e.g., community, friendly, small-town feel, growing and proximity) that are not currently portrayed in a clear and cohesive APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 86 manner. While past messaging on the City website's homepage highlighted some of these brand characteristics (e.g., images and copy related to nature, welcoming, community, "taking the time"), these messages have since been replaced with discussion around hot topics and community engagement opportunities. Given the mixed and divergent perceptions of Maple Ridge seen in the brand research, the Maple Ridge brand does not appear to be clearly defined in the minds of Maple Ridge residents, Metro Vancouver residents and stakeholders. Logo & Tagline The Graphic Guidelines outline the official City logo which consists of the symbol (which includes the leaves and waves of colour), the wordmark (includes Maple Ridge, British Columbia) and the tagline ("mapleridge.ca"). In practice, however, there appear to be several different versions of the logo in use. For example: M�PLc�RI C 6E ,.. � MAPLE RI�GE ereinsn cvwme�a � Chlr,S�iri[.,. � -' C�urTcawn � MAP�E RIQGE ■ While the official version of the logo utilizes "mapleridge.ca" as the tagline, another version uses "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." as the tagline (which is currently included on the website as the "Official Logo") ■ One version of the logo utilizes the symbol in conjunction with the words "Our Spirit. Our Town" ■ Other uses of "Maple Ridge" in conjunction with leaves that are very similar to the logo's symbol (e.g., just one or two leaves), and with "Maple Ridge" in a different font and colour than the official logo The lack of consistent usage of the official logo can potentially dilute the strength of the brand, cause confusion and negatively impact perceptions of the City. Further, using elements of the symbol outside of the official logo can also dilute the strength of the logo —these elements should be kept in tact and only used in the context of the official logo. Another thing to note is the size of the "mapleridge.ca" tagline in the official logo. Given its size relative to the wordmark, and its high profile placement, the website address may be overpowering or competing with the wordmark and symbol. The presence of other sub-brands and logos that are associated with the City may also be diluting the broader primary brand, particularly since there do not appear to be formal guidelines when it comes to the creation and development of these brands, or the usage of these brands in relation to the Maple Ridge brand. Sub-brands or City departments/ services including Parks & Leisure Services, Economic Development, Tourism as well as Maple Ridge Fire could benefit from clearer guidelines on how they should work in relation to the primary brand. Other examples include initiative brands such as True North Fraser, Invest North Fraser, Ridgeview Mapping, Forward 2020, Business Start, etc. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 87 In addition, partnerships, initiatives and organizations that utilize both Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows in their names (e.g. Maple Ridge Pitt River News), as well as those utilizing the combined term Ridge Meadows (e.g. Ridge Meadows Hospital) could also be causing some confusion when it comes to the Maple Ridge brand. Tone & Voice: The tone and voice of a message is just as important as the content of the message in conveying information to stakeholders. The tone and voice used in City communications appears to vary depending on to the type of information being presented and the topic at hand. For example, official City communication related to notices, announcements or plans tends to be more formal whereas the tone and voice utilized in other City communications such as on the website or social media tends to be more informal and approachable (e.g., uses first person). Further, in some cases where large volumes of information are presented in a formal manner (e.g., strategic plans, Official Community Plan, etc.), the amount of information and complexity of the topics at hand may be overwhelming for some audiences. There may be an opportunity to customize and highlight key messages to convey these messages in a more concise, approachable and user-friendly manner. MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS A variety of marketing and communications materials and touchpoints were examined in the context of the Graphic Guidelines including: website/ digital media, publications, reports and fact sheets, notices and newsletters, event displays, print advertising, stationery and signage. Overall, there is opportunity for more consistent application of the Graphic Guidelines in the City's materials and touchpoints including consistency and proper treatment of the official logo which in turn can help strengthen the brand. Further, the materials could benefit from a more cohesive overall look and feel that sets the City's communications apart from others in a way that is recognizable and helps to generate positive impressions. The following highlights some of the pros/ strengths and gaps/ opportunities to improve consistency and the strength of the brand. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 88 Online/ Digital Media A review of the City of Maple Ridge's online/ digital media included the City's website, as well as the City's presence on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. * MAPLE R16GE - � r ,� � rrr � _� + � � �� 1,it.�_. t' � � _ � Y p �. �, 4�� .. ,,,.�. m �� Pros/ Strengths: ■ The imagery used on the City's digital and social media channels portrays and supports the nature/ beautiful/ outdoor characteristics of Maple Ridge. ■ The accent colours utilized on the website appear to reflect or be an extension of the primary colour palette in the Graphic Guidelines document. Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ The website features what appears to be a logo in the top left corner of each page — however, this is not the official City logo. While the official City logo is used in the footer of the website, the use of what appears to be two logos could potentially be causing confusion and diluting the brand. ■ The social media channels do not utilize the official City logo, and the version used is not included in the current Graphic Guidelines. Further, the non-official logo used is not consistent between social media channels (e.g., background colour, use of grey border vs. no border, etc.). APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 89 Reports/ Plans/ Publications A review of the City of Maple Ridge's reports and publications included recent Annual Reports, the Official Community Plan, the Citizen's Report, program brochures (including various investment programs), Community Profiles and Fact Sheets. �.�..�,. �� Pros/ Strengths: ■ For the most part, the imagery of nature/ beautiful/ outdoors characteristics appears to be consistently incorporated into many of the reports, plans and publications. ■ The Economic Development Fact Sheets series along with the Community Profile appear to utilize the Graphic Guidelines including logo treatment, font/ typography usage, and colour palette. Further, the series presents a cohesive look and feel that is consistent between the pieces. This series also incorporates audience-specific messaging, highlighting features and facts that are relevant to the intended stakeholder group (e.g., visitors, developers, businesses, potential residents, etc.). ■ The Citizen's Report highlights the 2025 Vision in addition to the City's mission and values. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 90 Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ Except for the Maple Ridge logo, there do not appear to be any other visual elements tying the pieces together. As such, there is no distinct or identifying "look and feel" consistently applied throughout the pieces. ■ Also, while the official logo is being utilized, the placement varies from piece to piece (e.g., bottom right of page vs. middle right vs. top right, front cover vs. back cover, etc.). ■ The tagline "mapleridge.ca" is not always placed as outlined in the Graphic Guidelines. ■ While some of the materials utilize the fonts/ typography outlined in the Graphic Guidelines (e.g. the Annual Report cover and the Economic Development Fact Sheets/ Community Profile), other publications use different fonts. ■ In some instances, the symbol or portions of the symbol from the official logo are utilized in isolation as design elements throughout the materials. This may dilute the strength of the official City logo and cause confusion. ■ While the 2014 Annual Report included the 2025 Vision Statement for the City, as well as vision statements for the various strategic priorities, less emphasis has been placed on this in the 2015 Annual Report. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 91 Notices/ Newsletters There are several notices and newsletters that are created for different stakeholders and audiences such as Maple Ridge this Month, The Ridge Revealer (employee newsletter), Council This Week/ Workshop at a Glance, and news releases. � r�� rrr i C�ey of M�ps� Ri�lg� Couqcll Thki VMaok l�l ' � ' � ��- � - �� f � _ + � � � � Pros/ Strengths: . �� ; ; �#"� � __ _ . _ �,.� ; � .,..f . . �-� �r►-=•. �.��. -=� _.._ �� i Ifn# � ` e � �� 4� i��4`4�W� r '��M�a�� ti �a '. .+r.. . .f .�.-�..�.� _.._ .:��T.r��,...�.,��,—.. � �.�-�._..... #,.... ._�� — . _ : .: �,-=r„#.� .. _ _ _ _ �.,,r, _, _� ��r—T.�.�-r-�.a ..�-«� �... �� ..�+-..��i�r• .�. .�r--w� r..�s s� a��..� .-�� ■ The various newsletters provide an opportunity to customize messaging to stakeholders and audiences. ■ Some of the newsletters are utilizing the fonts/ typography outlined in the Guidelines. ■ The news release template adheres to the Graphic Guidelines - news releases have a consistent look and feel. Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ Many of the newsletters do not adhere to the font/ typography guidelines when it comes to treatment of headlines and subheadings. ■ While the official logo appears to be in use across the newsletters, some of the guidelines are not followed — e.g., "Overprinting" where a white box has been used around the logo (rather than using the appropriate positive or negative logo version to ensure sufficient contrast), or in other cases, the protective space for the logo has not been applied. ■ Apart from the logo, there is a lack of visual elements tying the pieces together — no identifiable look and feel. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 92 Stationery & Forms The review of the stationery included letterhead, business cards, interoffice memo, fax and PowerPoint templates, the City e-signature, and forms (e.g., business license application forms, residential building permit forms, etc.). � � lmkwalloYrralPN�".�Fam �� r ' Pros/ Strengths: � �= _�.� ��..�, „�.,. * � �� ., . _,.,s. � _ �: fr BC5-5ef .`sST � . 6[+id: i5'H �Q � J� ��II'ffi �I �1/Yf fM` I�1N�.l�F' x � IID�� ■ The stationery and forms are fairly consistent with the Graphic Guidelines, and with each other - the official logo and colours tends be used in the City's stationery and forms and they tend to incorporate the correct font/ typography. Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ Although the official logo is being used on the forms, it is not always using the same orientation (e.g., some forms use the horizontal version of the logo while others use the vertical version). ■ Some forms use a fragment of the symbol (e.g., the waves) as a design element, which in turn could be diluting the strength of the official logo. ■ The email signature appears to have been implemented per the Graphic Guidelines, although some subtle variances were seen. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 93 Print Advertising Several examples of print ads were provided by the City staff for inclusion in the review. • HIOGE MEAd�X'�S � H�M � �H�1N miPl-0eltl��,�;p � '� � . ._ � Pros/ Strengths: , ' kr .�.�:..:'��iJ # '�� .�- = T + ;� �:� :�� lAMM4N�{�RFA PIAN PROCE55 OPEN HkUSE w�.: �.:-� . ,,., .. - � : --, -.�.. :s;ar �.u.d ,�_�t��,� � 1 ]SIO 393 Sowl W�kpspt .,��nhr'Iwamr obl F9[ita�i: ��IYMix-0 C�i�` m�4iT��a+N'i�QTGY GaraoL 'aai.x.u?Ix,wW{.BJAeT.13�7 ��veo�ia��i��an�vs«� � +"�"*nf f�� ' � ti I�+Y,- I. ! �y�. a � �, �# _ Y. � �"� ��„�;��•_�ti�:� .,-� � x�. k.,.�..+n+�. n.— . �. - , _. ....� -. YrM�.n4. ..o-:. „ ... . .. . :.�,�:.':".:'.:";...,.' �=a.'::.�:'�w;;aa:x. .n .,n-,�� .,w.r.«aw��....�..u. ++Ms �.C.�^M i � tarx. �04�+.+n.i��w�rMMiti r[��M ^M'�Gdel�i�m+[wYr •IYYCFWIY�e.�OrM'Y �lY�T]ri0*SM"4H�1 „YCNS�.�[��Mlv� yKn�ar�.a �.�.�.by.,a -,. a:�,._: en�r �..rw� �, x'S r..,.. � an n x an� .< b.r. ^ . .. '� -..-.rrA-�,YrK-�r�w. + � CILya1NWl�fiHii I; `. i rsri ri... r + 4.. � 1119.y�.LL�.. �Q i._ _ � �. I '.. Fnv� rfv ■ The print ads provide an opportunity to provide exposure and incorporate customized messaging for specific audiences and stakeholders (e.g., Maple Ridge residents as well as residents living in specific neighbourhoods, business owners, etc.). Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ The ads do not demonstrate a cohesive look and feel, and are not easily identifiable as City of Maple Ridge communications. ■ The official City logo is used in some ads — however, the placement is not consistent from ad to ad. ■ Not all print ads utilize the official logo but rather selected components of the symbol which may in turn cause confusion and dilute the strength of the City logo (e.g., maple leaf, waves, etc.). ■ Placement of the Maple Ridge logo in conjunction with partner logos and events/ functions varies and does not appear to be not optimized — for example, placing the City logo next to "Ridge Meadows Home Show" using the City's colours can cause confusion between the City of Maple Ridge and "Ridge Meadows". APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 94 Other Other communications materials included in the analysis included examples of events/ show booths and City signage. •� E+w» uw wlw�� l4x Iln� � � � ' � — — INAFL��'�:1 L �--_ .� ... � ��, 1 }, � �','t' . . r' . .. � 5Jr' ' „ ... „ -.��ti *� :_ '�"� �' �i��`� ..��IR. �. __ ' � s!� ._ Y:' �'� ' '�� ti a. " � x]: Pros/ Strengths: ■ The tradeshow materials incorporate the official City logo and utilize the font/ typography outlined in the Graphic Guidelines. Some of the tradeshow materials also utilize the colour palette outlined in the Graphic Guidelines. ■ The signage tends to utilize the official City logo. Gaps/ Opportunities: ■ On the tradeshow materials, fragments of the logo symbol and the website tagline appear to be pieced together in a format inconsistent with the Graphic Guidelines. There may also be an opportunity to create consistency between materials for a cohesive look and feel. ■ Although the City logo used on the signage is consistent, some signs still utilize the tagline "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." while others utilize the tagline "mapleridge.ca". Further, the sign with the green maple leaf (i.e., under the Beast) encroaches upon the protective white space of the logo. APPENDIS G— BRAND AUTI Page 95