Saturday, May 25, 2013

Kerry Cook defends Place Branding

Yesterday afternoon, the City of Williams Lake published, on YouTube, a series of 5 short YouTube clips defending the Place Branding concept which included Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook and 4 other local business owners.  View the 4 'business owners' videos here

Meanwhile - Mayor Cook says Place Branding must happen to draw the young families and professionals that Williams Lake needs here.  Watch her video below (runs 1 minute)



Two items I question:

1) Did advertising influence a decision to stay here 30 years ago??  I doubt the City, at that time, did the same level of marketing that you see by municipalities today.  Usually, the decision is based on need to settle near family or because one had a job waiting for them in their new City, Town, Village or Regional District

2) What happened to hearing from the public prior to taking a stand on Place Branding.  It appears that Mayor Cook has her mind made up and that of her supporting Councillors of Bourdon, Walters, Zacharias and Hughes

Meanwhile - Carole Taiji herself explains why Place Brands fail.  Read here.  Finally - a 'public information' meeting has been scheduled for June 5th at 6:00pm in WL Council Chambers on this subject.

This member of the public is still himself doubts whether place branding will be the 'grand success' that Mayor Cook and Councillors Geoff Bourdon, Sue Zacharias, Laurie Walters and Danica Hughes says it will be. That is right up there with spending $12 million to upgrade the local Recreation Complex and saying that expenditure will see a flood of people come to Williams Lake.  The pool... yes, it needs an upgrade.  The rest of the Complex... I think it can wait.... On the pool, let's use capital budget money (i.e.: tax money rather than borrowing money).  The rest of the Complex can wait until 2015 when Federal Heritage Minister James Moore says a new grant program will be available to municipalities to help build up local infrastructure.  View that letter here

--- SBF

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