Canterbury Bankstown unveils ‘Where interesting happens’ brand positioning via Frost*collective

More than 2000 people were recently engaged in a major project conducted by Frost*collective to rebrand Canterbury Bankstown following its recent amalgamation to form the largest Council in NSW.

Experts in Council and Destination branding, Frost* put together a consultant team and methodology that could genuinely engage the community in developing the new brand.

Cat Burgess, strategy director, Frost* says the project is precedent-setting in using a combination of community consultation, market research and brand analysis to develop the destination’s new positioning.

Says Burgess: “This is a truly evidence-driven piece of work that will not only unify the community from both former council areas but also address barriers that currently prevent people from visiting, working and living there.”

Community Consultation experts Elton Consulting worked with Frost* to engage more than 1,600 locals through workshops, discussions and interviews and an online survey. The findings from this work were correlated with insights from focus groups and quantitative research with more than 460 Sydneysiders from outside the area, conducted by market research company Environmetrics.

What emerged was a major gap in how Canterbury Bankstown is perceived – with locals proud of its rich diversity, food culture and thriving arts and cultural scene, but those from outside believing there is nothing of interest or unsure of what’s there.

Says Burgess: “The brand idea “Where interesting happens” represents a way for not only Council but also residents, businesses, community and sporting groups and visitors to get the message out there about all of the fascinating experiences it has to offer.”

Says Richard Colley, administrator, City of Canterbury Bankstown: “This was a place brand not a logo we were looking to develop, one that captured the true identity of our city and its people. For that to occur, it was crucial we involved not only our residents and businesses in the brand journey from the very beginning, but also visitors and people who have not yet experienced our city.

“Frost responded with a comprehensive community engagement strategy which resulted in an enthusiastic and genuine response, that then enabled it to create a brand that was ‘very real’ and a true representation of us.

“We are proud of who we are, the values we stand for and are not afraid about being different, and we’re now in a position to share our interesting places, people and attractions to Sydney, Australia, and the world – thanks to Frost*.”

The new brand has been brought to life with an identity system that is itself both diverse and interesting.

Says Anthony Donovan, creative director, Frost*collective: “The identify can be seen in many ways, as a geometric shape that shifts perspective as well as the letters ‘CB’.”

The letterforms can be rearranged to frame interesting images, facts and features, as well as forming patterns that are used to make the ordinary interesting.

To help launch the new brand, local poet from Bankstown Poetry Slam, Miski Omar, was engaged to feature in a video that shares the story of the brand development process and the new positioning.

Frost* has collaborated with Council on developing a roll out strategy that will see the new brand on everything from Council vehicles to uniforms, buildings, signage, social media, its website and promotional advertising.

Frost* specialises in destination branding and marketing and has conducted major projects for Broken Hill, North Sydney, Redfern, the Sydney Opera House and Kakadu National Park amongst many others.

Executive Creative Director: Vince Frost, Frost*collective

On camera video presenter: Miski Omar (Bankstown Poetry Slam)