Canberra has got itself a brand. Now the ACT government wants to see more businesses take it up.
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The government has teamed up with the Canberra Business Chamber, and introduced a nine-member board, to explore new uses for the CBR brand: Confident. Bold. Ready.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the new board would provide guidance on marketing, investment and partnership opportunities for the brand and the broader region.
Meanwhile, the government's partnership with the chamber aimed to "enhance Canberra's profile as a great place to live, work, invest, visit and study".
"For our city brand to continue to grow, we need to keep forming strong partnerships with a range of industries in the private sector," he said.
Chamber CEO Robyn Hendry said her organisation had signed a two-year agreement with the government to help transition Brand Canberra, a legacy from the capital's centenary year, and extend its reach.
Since late 2013 the brand has grown to include the community tagline We Are CBR, launched with the help of David Pocock, and CBR - Canberra Region, linking the city with its rural and regional neighbours in south-east NSW.
The chamber is currently on the hunt for a Brand Canberra project manager to collaborate with the government and the new board and engage with businesses in the city and beyond.
Ms Hendry said Canberra was changing and the brand needed to reflect this through its key messages.
"It's more complex than just putting a logo on something," she said.
"It's getting a ripple effect that you wouldn't get if it sat inside government. [It's about] the more people who are aware of our offering and the more people who are participating in the process."
The Brand Strategic Advisory Board, chaired by Canberra consultant Tania Parkes, will also work on boosting collaborations with businesses.
Other board members include Her Canberra's Amanda Whitley, Snowy Hydro SouthCare CEO Chris Kimball, Canberra FM's Eoghan O'Byrne, FutureNet's Kevin Keith, CBR Innovation Network's Sarah Pearson and the ANU's Tracy Chalk.
Ms Parkes said the eighth member would be selected from the arts and creative sector, while the ninth member would be an ACT government representative.
"We have a whole lot of people who are really good at what they do in their industries and have an absolute passion for this city and demonstrate that in what they do," she said.
"We want more take-up [of the brand] by the small business community, we want to spread it more throughout the community. You can't underestimate that local exuberance about our city."
She said the board would think big in discussing ideas for the brand's future.
"It's that old adage of think global, act local," she said. "What's working locally is also very attractive to visitors coming here. It's creating an atmosphere and an idea of Canberra that's appealing to people who want to work here, who want to move here and who want to visit here."
