You are kidding, right?
Changing Calgary’s brand from Be Part of the Energy to Blue Sky City is the headline but it’s not the story.
The story is why the city forked out $4.8 million in taxpayer dough to ditch the existing brand.
It’s not because one day some deep-thinker looked up in the sky and said: Boy, Calgary has a lot of days of blue skies so why don’t we call Calgary the Blue Sky City.
It’s not because they thought blue skies somehow actually captured the true core of Calgary’s identity. No, that would take some soul-searching.
Calgary Economic Development and Tourism Calgary spells out what’s going down.
They say this brand change is not about change. It’s about evolution.
Don’t ask what that means. These brand folks are always attracted by how words sound not by what they actually mean.
It’s about change.
They tell us some people don’t feel they belong to the Be Part of the Energy brand. They don’t feel included in the brand. They don’t feel represented.
Calgary Economic Development said not all voices feel heard in Calgary.
The current brand is fragmented. We haven’t been able to tell the stories from everyone. We need more flexibility.
So when we get down to brass tacks what was wrong with the Be Part of the Energy brand?
Apparently, the word “energy.”
Not energy as in being energetic. You know, get up and go.
The deep-thinkers who scooped $4.8 million to come up with Blue Sky City could probably live with that energy.
No, energy as in oil and gas.
People outside Alberta see Calgary as one-dimensional and being part of the energy makes it worse.
The deep-thinkers have also done a survey of people from all over the globe and Calgary’s reputation is taking a hit as being not diverse and inclusive enough.
And having Calgary: Be Part of the Energy as a brand has contributed to that hit in what way?
And having Calgary as the Blue Sky City will help change things in what way?
If only life was so easy.
Can’t help but think of all those people flocking to Alberta.
Them and their U-Hauls. Then they see the Calgary sign reading: Be Part of the Energy.
Can almost hear them say: That’s it. Did you read that sign? We’ve seen enough.
TURN THE CAR AROUND!!!
A new brand for Calgary has to be created that sounds like it means something without really meaning something.
Hmmm … Calgary is very sunny.
How about Sunny Ways as the brand.
Er … that one is taken.
Blue skies.
Hands up. Anybody offended by blue skies? Anybody think blue skies is not sufficiently inclusive? Anyone think Calgary having more blue skies than elsewhere is a form of privilege?
Anyone think boasting of blue skies is marginalizing those who suffer by not living in a place with near as many blue skies?
Good. So blue skies it is.
But you just can’t say Calgary is the Blue Sky City because it has blue skies. For $4.8 million the brand experts have to do better.
No problem. The blue sky is a symbol.
When you look at a blue sky you feel the possibilities. You feel you can do anything. You feel ambition is as big as the blue sky.
Or you might say: Thank God, we’re halfway through July and the air isn’t filled with smoke.
No, those who will flog this brand will point to great things.
Blue sky is innovation. Blue sky is diversity. Blue sky is blue-sky thinking.
Everyone can sit under the blue sky.
It’s common humanity. It’s a place for everyone to tell stories. It’s who we are.
We’re now people of the Blue Sky, which I have to admit is better than being just people of the Giant Blue Ring.
And please, nobody bring up the Calgary brand before Be Part of the Energy.
Remember The Heart of the New West with the cowboy hat.
Don’t go there if you know what’s good for you.
Anyway, we are told we need to make sure people understand what’s happening here.
We understand what’s happening here. This is not just about changing some words on a sign.
It’s about more, even more than the almost $5 million that’s gone out the door.
rbell@postmedia.com
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