Congratulations on progress toward developing a brand for St. Albert. I like the use of “Cultivate Life” in the logo, because any business can identify with it.
But because building the brand will take some time, it is not too late to abandon the ridiculous term “Botanical Arts Capital” as part of the brand. My advice is to let it die, through benign neglect, the natural death it deserves.
I recall the history as follows: When Roger Brooks suggested that you focus on one theme and go with that for the brand, there was some understandable rivalry for attention between those wanting to promote the arts and culture and those wanting to promote activities related to gardening; certainly St. Albert has developed creds in both areas (if not more). So Brooks apparently blurted out the meaningless combination, “botanical arts” as a thinly disguised ruse to mollify both camps. Well, at least it had the benefit of suggesting the tagline of “cultivate,” which does have the virtue of applying to anything: you can cultivate gardens, art, drama, music sports, gastronomy … anything.
But does nobody see the irony here? Brooks, the great guru, advised you originally to brand St. Albert in one direction. You, however, are trying to make that brand apply to everything. Now I happen to agree with you that our tourism strategy should go well beyond promoting Hole’s Greenhouses and whereas it should be easy to encourage all business sectors to “cultivate” their thing, do you really expect them all to fly under the banner of “botanical arts?” The term itself sounds so silly (at least to anybody I’ve spoken to).
So please don’t expose yourselves and the city to the inevitable ridicule that will emerge and thus destroy the impact of all the hard work you’ve done to continue moving St. Albert from a bedroom community to an attractive destination for an evening, a day or more. Let’s find a way to cultivate all the great things that could draw people to St. Albert.
Reuben Kaufman, St. Albert
