Olde Towne Okotoks will soon be a memory.
The Town has hired a consultant to rebrand the downtown after being known as Olde Towne Okotoks for at least 15 years.
It could cost as much as $400,000 to find a new slogan and put up new site location signs. The rebranding process itself will cost $120,000.
Redesigning and creating new signs in St. Albert, for example, was between $300,000 to $400,000, said Shane Olson, economic development manager for the Town of Okotoks.
Olsen said the downtown brand is important for tourism and the viability of downtown businesses.
“It does have a cost, but it is a solid investment,” Olson said. “The theory is, if you go to other communities that have good signage, they are more likely to attract tourism and business.”
Downtown rebranding draws attention to the town and create more tourism, he said.
“It will freshen things up and give us a new perspective,” said Olson. “We can use it for tourism marketing, which will help in our efforts to attract more people.”
At the end of August Roger Brooks International will work with the Town, business owners and community members to design a new brand and name for downtown Okotoks.
The Roger Brooks team conducted a study in August 2014 and recommended that the Town adopt a new image.
“Rebranding is a major stepping stone,” said Olson. “First impressions are important to attract business and visitors to our downtown and enhance it.”
The study found Olde Towne Okotoks is misleading because there are a limited number of heritage buildings downtown. It also said the current blue Olde Towne Okotoks signs are too small and the writing is difficult to read.
“We want a downtown with a cohesive brand and design style,” said Coun. Carrie Fischer. “It draws community members as well as visitors to the downtown.”
The Town will host a number of public sessions to keep residents involved in the rebranding process. The first will be held at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre at 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 29.
“We need ideas from the community of what they value and what Okotoks should be known for,” said Fischer. “For example, a historical community has different needs and design than a sports community or a cultural community and we need to understand those before we move forward.”
Rebranding Okotoks involves a 13-step process and the project will take until June 2016 to complete.
An organizing a committee will be appointed, there will be education and outreach in the community, research and analysis will be conducted and then the brand will be developed and implemented.
Council budgeted the money from economic development and some funds were reallocated from other proposed projects.
