Council and City Administration

Burlington One Brand Project

The One Brand project aims to create a unified and recognizable brand identity for the city. The goal is to improve communication and engagement with residents, businesses, and visitors by establishing a comprehensive city-wide brand that accurately represents Burlington today and connects with target markets effectively. This includes aligning marketing strategies and ensuring a cohesive approach and execution throughout the city.

Burlington’s current brand identity is outdated and was created in 2002. It is not reflective of the city’s changing demographic, diversity and growth. It does not accurately capture Burlington’s story today. Currently, Burlington's branding efforts are fragmented across different areas, such as corporate communications, transit, economic development, and tourism. The One Brand project aims to unify these efforts and create a consistent experience for residents, staff, businesses, and visitors.

The project involves conducting research, seeking public input, and collaborating with stakeholders to accurately represent Burlington's unique qualities. The focus is not just on a logo but on capturing the essence of the city through storytelling and place-based elements.

To accomplish this, the expertise of an established consultant will be used to guide and lead the project.

A strong brand

drives economic development and job creation,
supports better engagement and customer experience
positions Burlington to compete for visitors, talent and investments
instills pride and community connectedness among the community and with staff.

The new brand will be flexible and recognizable, integrated into the customer service experience across various touch-points. Whether it's parking tickets, wayfinding signage, or online interactions, One Brand will ensure clarity and consistency, upholding Burlington's commitment to its promise.

Overall, the One Brand project intends to establish a powerful and cohesive brand identity that highlights Burlington's strengths and positions it as an exceptional place to live, work, and visit.

This is a joint project between the City, Burlington Economic Development and Tourism Burlington., the City that will leverage existing budgets already allocated to marketing and communications.

How will a new One Brand Benefit Burlington?

One Brand will capture the Burlington story

This isn’t just about selling Burlington, it’s about celebrating Burlington. We want to build local genuine attachment and pride for our city.
We will be able to provide more effective tools for our businesses and elected officials to tell the Burlington story and put us on the map.

One Brand will reflect our diversity and be incorporated into the Burlington customer experience

Burlington is a community of diverse neighbourhoods, with unique stories and ideas. Tapping into every corner of Burlington will be a priority so that we capture all of this and incorporate it into Burlington’s overall identity.
Burlington One Brand will be completely integrated into the Burlington customer experience. In other words, this isn’t just talk for us. It’s about taking action.

One Brand will help our economy thrive

This is an investment that will benefit everyone. By better positioning ourselves, Burlington will be able to stay competitive and economically prosperous.
We are actively learning from best-in-class examples around the world of how a strong city brand can not only align stakeholders behind a shared vision for the future, but also create real economic impact that benefits everyone.

One Brand will save us money and create efficiencies in the long-run

Cities are constantly changing, and Burlington is no different. We need an identity that will move with us.
A unified brand will allow us to share our stories about who we are as a city and the value of what we offer. Burlington’s current brand strategy is currently fragmented across different departments and agencies. This can be expensive and confusing.

One Brand Project Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is this project important for Burlington?

As a result of the direction provided in the City of Burlington's 2015-2040 Strategic Plan "to create one brand for people and business," and the Red Tape Red Carpet recommendation to “develop a clear vision and associated branding strategy at the City of Burlington with respect to business attraction and development,” a project team comprised of Burlington Economic Development, City of Burlington Corporate Communications and Tourism Burlington has been formed to begin the development of the new, comprehensive, city-wide brand for Burlington.

The development and implementation of the brand will also directly contribute towards advancing the City’s From Vision to Focus work plan. This branding project supports Focus Areas 1 and 5 in the Vision to Focus work plan with complete brand integration into the Burlington customer experience.

Burlington’s current brand identity was created in 2002 and does not accurately capture Burlington’s story today. Branding for Burlington is currently dispersed across three key areas; residents and city employees, businesses and visitors. The Burlington One Brand project is an opportunity to unify and update our identity and share our stories.

What is the current status of the One Brand project?

One Brand was on hold as a result of the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to placing the project on hold, and following an extensive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, BT/A Advertising was selected as the agency partner for the project.

The redevelopment of the Burlington Economic Development website investburlington.ca was reprioritized and launched in November 2020 to continue investment attraction and business retention and supports.

Tourism Burlington also launched a new website in 2021 - tourismburlington.com.

Will there be public engagement opportunities for the One Brand Project?

There will be extensive staff, stakeholder and public engagement for this project.

Diverse voices need to be heard and represented as part of the One Brand development to create an identity that speaks to our residents, our businesses, and the world.

Additional details will be shared as available.

What are the anticipated project outcomes for One Brand?

Tourism:

Increased awareness of Burlington as a top-choice destination. Perception of Burlington is improved and the Burlington story is well known, ultimately resulting in more visitors.

Business:

Attract talent that will help our economy thrive. Attract top employers looking for that talent. Existing businesses will benefit from this and be more likely to stay in Burlington.

Community:

Be part of a prouder, more connected community. Enjoy a vibrant, growing retail and commercial environment. Increased tax base means less tax burden on the individual citizen. Improved customer experience with City hall and facilities.