City of Brampton: People-powered economic development

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  • The City of Brampton Economic Development Office commissioned Barrett and Welsh to develop a new advertising campaign that would attract business and investment to the city. Faithful to the strategy and brand we’d developed, we decided to celebrate was best in Brampton — its people. We set out to tell the story of Bramptonians. Their spirit, their raw human energy. The way they electrify Brampton with ideas. The way they catalyze opportunities. The way they invite the world to join them. And we told this story in the voice of Bramptonians themselves. It is a distinctive, multidimensional, multicultural, global-market-ready voice. It’s an approach that turns the usual corporate claims of most economy marketing inside out. To modify an old phrase of Bill Clinton’s, it’s the people stupid.

    To read about the branding and strategy behind this campaign — also developed by us— click here.

  • Summits 2014 Print Award: Gold

    EDAC Awards: Marketing Canada 2013: Best Branding, Best Video.

    FDI American Cities of the Future 2015/2016: Winner, Best FDI Strategy for a Mid-Sized City.

  • Repeated positive coverage in local and national news media, ongoing buzz in social media.

    Click a year to read how the press reported on the activities of the new economic brand. 2015 | 2014 | 2013

  • Our work drew spontaneous applause from citizens in the public gallery when it was unveiled in Council. The new brand revived team spirit, created excitement and pride. It had a halo effect on municipal and provincial leaders alike and other city departments wanted to adopt the new branding for their own brands.
    The new brand identity and brand video received two awards from the prestigious Economic Developers Association of Canada and the city's foreign direct investment strategy won the best strategy award from FDI Intelligence. By August 2014, YTD jobs in Brampton had increased by 29% and residential construction value had jumped by 89%. There was a 52% increase in new employment from 2013 to 2014, with Brampton attracting 197 new businesses and 2,171 new jobs with the unemployment rate dropping to its lowest since 2008. The total number of new businesses in 2015 was up 5.6% from 2014. Brampton recorded a hefty $2.7 billion of construction activity in 2015, with a 100% increase in industrial construction. Brampton is now the 5th largest residential construction market in Canada and 6th in the institutional construction market. 54 business start-ups were supported through the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre in 2014, and 99 in 2015. The new economic branding keeps working: in 2015 Brampton hit #1 spot for foreign direct investment among mid-sized NA cities, as ranked by fDI Intelligence, and was rated in the top 10 for business friendliness and connectivity. Brampton's strong economic performance and strategy in 2015 led Standard and Poor to award the city a AAA credit rating for the 10th consecutive year.