The overarching objective of this branding is to unite locals and entice non-locals; to inspire the people of Invercargill with an enhanced sense of identity, purpose and pride, at the same time as inspiring folk from out of town, including internationals, to visit, explore, work, live, shop and invest here. This dual purpose ideal has been a central consideration throughout the branding process.
The "attraction" qualities of the brand to non-locals are clearly very important but the function of uniting locals is arguably the most critical thing to get right. This brand is already inspiring the people of Invercargill to get behind their new identity, to wear it with pride, incorporate it into their packaging and talk about it with passion, in the same way that sports fans get behind their local team, wear the team colours and wave the flags.
Authenticity has been an important consideration in tapping into the essence of Invercargill; that authenticity will encourage locals to identify and embrace the new brand and for the brand itself to become a tangible extension of the underlying shared sense of identity.
KARI GRABER, INVERCARGILL CITY COUNCIL
NICK JEFFREY, LOCAL MEDIA AND MARKETING COMMENTATOR
