Calgary searches for a new slogan

ctvcalgary.ca

A year-and-a-half ago, Calgary city council approved the search for a new slogan to define Calgary.

An American firm was hired to come up with a new slogan, but the search continues today and the bills are adding up.

Calgary's current slogan, "Calgary - Heart of the New West", still graces the entrance to the city and the walls inside the Calgary Economic Development Authority, but not many other places.

The current slogan was adopted by the city 11 years ago, but surveys show it hasn't been well received.

"It hasn't been fully utilized, badly engaged and that's what led us to look at this," commented Bruce Graham with the Calgary Economic Development Authority.

Despite spending $230,000, the California-based marketing company hired to come up with a new slogan has only decided that Calgary is Canada's most dynamic city, but it hasn't figured out how to reflect that in words.

"I want to emphasize it's not a slogan, it's a positioning statement, something to aspire to. It's a bit of a theme that we can build on and it's something we want to review to make sure it's not too narrowly focused," added Graham.

Marketing strategist, Jacqueline Drew, maintains money should be spent on the concept stage to prevent having to go through the whole process all over again.

"And they better come up with an awful lot of ideas and it better be right and that's the most important thing," said Drew.

Calgary Economic Development doesn't know when "Heart of the New West" will be replaced, maintaining any new slogan will have to be approved by Calgary's new mayor and council.