Kimberley's story — who we are, what we aspire to and more — will be defined by Kimberley's residents.
The City of Kimberley has just begun a new branding process, hiring local company Story & Co. to guide the process.
"Our brand is our story: it's who we are, what we do, how we do things, our attitudes and our shared vision. As with many communities, Kimberley experiences some challenges in communicating our story and articulating our vision, which is why we're strengthening our brand," said Kevin Wilson, the City of Kimberley's Economic Development Officer.
"This is a process that takes time, but one of our first priorities is to listen to the community. Kimberley's brand is the story of our people, and we want to ensure we're clear what the community's desired perceptions are before we begin to strengthen the story and develop tools that help us tell it best."
The branding process itself is difficult to define. People think of all kinds of things when they hear about it, says Matt Thompson of Story & Co.
So the first public session, scheduled for Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at Centennial Hall, at 7:30 p.m., will provide information to help people understand branding.
There will be a presentation discussing what a brand is and why it's valuable to a community, as well as an opportunity for questions regarding the process.
What it's really about is finding a common story to tell about Kimberley, a distinct message to send to the rest of the world, while at the same getting people on the same page regarding what that message is, and communicating more consistently.
"The story is Kimberley's perceptions of itself. It's intended to solidify the vision of the community," said Thompson.
"Our work isn't about our perceptions of Kimberley. It's the community's story and it has to be authentic. If it's contrived, it won't resonate."
The first thing to do then, is engage the community in a discussion about itself.
That has begun with a survey which will gather some impressions about Kimberley.
The City of Kimberley has posted two surveys, one for Kimberley residents, and one for visitors or people outside the community.
Residents can fill out the survey online at www.KimberleySurvey.com, and visitors can fill out the survey online at www.KimberleyVisitorSurvey.com
For those unable to fill out the survey online, printed copies of the survey can be acquired at City Hall at 340 Spokane St, and can be dropped off at City Hall upon completion.
For more information on Kimberley's communication and branding project, please contact Kevin Wilson at the City of Kimberley: kwilson@kimberley.ca or 250-427-9666