trout Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Hmm. I've somewhere on these forums alluded whether the "brand" was a distinctive move forward for Shetland.... however.... ...let me continue: Albeit the brand was outsourced, it was given to an "agency" with a proven track record in not only branding what I believe was New Zealand but also other significant "companies". I'm not in any way trying to stick up for anything, however, it must be said that if you were to "brand" Shetland you would ask for outside opinion, no? Even just as a comparison, but especially if they had a base in moving forward exactly what Shetland was at that point in time! The issues involved was / is due to SIC staff not driving forward processes ending up at the feet of our "politicians". You have to stand back and ask exactly where do the SIC bigwigs see a Shetland brand moving forward if not "backing quality goods and services" from the Isles? Has Shetland just gone off on a tangent and missed open opportunities because our councillors cannot join together in a cohesive policy on economic development? Potentially! You would question .... and infact could I be as bold to point out that the "brand" could and only will be driven forward with rather more as the static non-identity that is perpetuating right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nautim Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 But, to re-address my point, where would a Shetland Logo, be displayed? On our foreheads, so that, Paddington style, we have a label if we get lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted November 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 I would like the logo, and always thought that the logo would be used for this purpose, to be displayed on products that had gone through a quality assurance scheme to make them worthy. eg. Shetland knitwear (Shetland Lady) has their own regulating body Shetland fish has their own regulating bodyand the Shetland Arts & Crafts do too. To just spend all that money and then quietly bin the idea is ludicrous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowe Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 It's just one more reason to be pissed off with the council. They are very good at wasting money. I think the logo isn't too bad but they could have done better by asking Shetland school kids to design one. That wouldn't have cost much even if they had hired a graphic designer for the finishing touches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 [...] through a quality assurance scheme to make them worthy. To just spend all that money and then quietly bin the idea is ludicrous. Is this perhaps part of the problem? How does one go about assuring quality of local products and not get slammed for nepotism. The SIC are damned if they do and damned if they don't on this particular point. Could the way forward for such a scheme be a partnership of already successful companies with an international reach and all with an impartial stance. Who would and could this be though? Frances144 you mention successful singular industries with marketing goals in distinct markets. Can their direction be replicated for an overall brand identity for the islands? I don't know. Marketing Shetland as this vibrant forward thinking and self-sustaining island through the branding exercise can only become reality in my mind when Shetland actually becomes that. It's all been rather chicken and egg up to now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted November 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 I would've liked to see the logo being given out to various industries, such as knitting, fishing and arts/crafts that are already reaching a high standard (have to go through a quality control process) that could use the umbrella group Shetland logo to show that they are of a high standard and from SHETLAND. That is what I thought the logo was for. "At the heart of the project has been the creation of a Shetland logo, which could be used on anything from fish products, tourist brochures to knitwear. The symbol the designers have come up with is being called a totem." - Shetland Times 2004 "The idea behind the islands' biggest ever marketing initiative is to boost seafood, knitwear and other export industries and encourage tourism, creating new jobs to compensate for a smaller-scale oil industry - and attracting investors to Britain's most northerly community.......is likely to be a distinctive new logo to 'hallmark' Shetland products and services......Kevin Moreland, marketing officer with Shetland Islands Council said: "For decades imitators have passed off sweaters as 'Shetland Knitwear'. Efforts to register the Shetland trade name for our hosiery and seafood have had only limited success due to 'Shetland' becoming a generic term. Now we're mounting a serious, well-organised project to reclaim our name and promote Shetland as an instantly recognised brand name, worldwide.". HIE March 2003 So, why is it in the bin, then £123,000 later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trout Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 It's not totally "in the bin" per say as it was rolled out across the tourism industry. Well as far as VisitShetland anyhow! For interest, this is taken from the Corporate Edge website: A brand for Shetland With decreasing revenues from the oil business, Shetland needed to bring renewed focus to its tourism and produce offers. By listening to the islanders we identified the target market as 'people who value values'. We developed a brand that focused on the island's strong archaeological heritage, rich living culture and quality of craft and manufactured products. Upon launch, the brand was widely endorsed by the islanders. Make of that what you will. Apparently, it has gone in the bin as there are no funds to regulate who uses it, apart from the Tourist Board, who can use it, in a small corner at the bottom of their website. You refer to "it has gone in the bin as there are no funds to regulate who uses it". Do you have a link to such an admission in the public domain. It would be interesting to read that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances144 Posted November 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 No, sadly I have no link for that quote - it was told to me from someone who was told it from the horse's mouth, so to speak when they asked about the logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styumpie Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 what is the strange black shape supposed to be? Its one of those shapes that makes you instantly frustrated, as you cant tell for sure what it's meant to be or represent. 123k for whatever that odd shape is will help make Shetland into a laughing stock. Why not hold a competition, the person whos logo makes it wins £5k, run the competition in the shetland times, pick out the best 20 and then have a vote on it. At this rate of spending, we will have no reserves left shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 what is the strange black shape supposed to be? Its one of those shapes that makes you instantly frustrated, as you cant tell for sure what it's meant to be or represent. 123k for whatever that odd shape is will help make Shetland into a laughing stock. Why not hold a competition, the person whos logo makes it wins £5k, run the competition in the shetland times, pick out the best 20 and then have a vote on it. At this rate of spending, we will have no reserves left shortly. After some thought and reading the various points of view I have decided that a competition to produce a better logo with a £5 prize would improve on the current logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 i remember Malcome Green spending tones of money on some new logo that turned out to look like some kind of paint multi -coloured squigle in a 's' shape. Is that the one you meen? its so long ago now im no realy sure...... It eventualy got ditched as the councilers said the council already had a logo - the crest and ditched it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
north Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 The problem with all these half baked ideas that generate from within the myriad of agencies funded from Council money, is they are never held accountable for their output or the success (or lack thereof) of the projects they undertake. There is no specified end user identified and they appear to rarely (if ever) consult the people who most likely might use it - in other words, there is no plan. The concept of a common branded image is an excellent and well proven one. It is an important and highly effective means of identifying anything. The difficulty in creating a brand, is in ensuring it represents the interests of the people who are going to USE it. Not the people designing or commissioning it, but the stakeholders, the real end users. These projects seem to come and go with little, if any, concept of how to take the project from creation into practical real world application - it is more of an academic concept and exercise. I think a lot of this can be firmly placed on a lack of commercial sense and experience. The only people who benefit from these great plans, are the companies that cater to the Government agencies that form their customer base - and those companies clearly recognise the commercial opportunities - and also that their customers are accountable to no-one regarding expense, cost over-run or defined success upon completion. I think this comes back to a topic that repeats itself consistently on this forum - that many people (specifically within the Council) suffer from a lack of belief in the ability of Shetlanders to produce world class products from within its own ranks. I did just check out the Visit Shetland website to look at the logo, as I couldn't recall ever seeing used. At the bottom, right hand corner (after much scrolling) is the logo that professes "Shetland Pride of Place". Maybe there isn't much pride or belief in it after all? http://www.visitshetland.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 north wroteI did just check out the Visit Shetland website to look at the logo, as I couldn't recall ever seeing used. At the bottom, right hand corner (after much scrolling) is the logo that professes "Shetland Pride of Place". Maybe there isn't much pride or belief in it after all? http://www.visitshetland.com/ Used that site a lot recently as I had a long lost relative coming to visit. Never did get down so far that I saw the logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
north Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 The concept of branding is to provide easy and rapid product identification. As a result, typically logos or brands will be placed in the location where they will most easily be identified - where the eye goes first - typically top left hand corner, but top right may also appropriate. If a screen or publication expands to more than the page in view, then the logo needs to be placed on each page and in each link. There is no problem putting it at the bottom of the page, but it will need to be at the top as well on the first one. The purpose and goal of branding is immediate, automatic, recognition. The Visit Shetland website is very nicely done, but they need to break out the columns so there is not a lot of empty space on the left of the screen. Blank space attracts no-one. And maybe put the logo in its rightful place if it is truly to be the brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 For the £123k I understand the SIC also got at least one font, a set of colour schemes, a set of templates for layouts using the logo and some nice marketing blurb on where/how it ties in with "Shetland". Still over priced by a long way, but if you go to a top agency and tell that that's what you want.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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