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What’s our Silver Fern?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Brad Ferguson
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Thirteen years ago I met one of the great marketers of our time – Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi – who set out on a journey to have the national flag of New Zealand changed to a solid black background and a bright silver fern … a symbol of national pride recognized around the world and an identity embossed in the hearts and minds of all Kiwi people.

A big, bold, audacious plan.

This year, the New Zealand people will put it to a vote in a national referendum. It will likely fail. But it doesn’t matter, because the country has forever changed and the silver fern has already won.

What is our silver fern? What is our message to the world?

It starts with a red maple leaf that can be proudly displayed on our hearts or on our backpacks no matter where we travel. But moving from national pride to provincial pride to civic pride, we have been absent of identity … of symbols, of legends, of traditions that unite us and that communicate our uniqueness to the world.

This creates a challenge for our city. But it is a challenge that we must overcome. And it is a challenge that will take some time.

Last year, the Make Something Edmonton task force did an incredible job engaging everyday citizens in defining the attributes of our brand … getting to the heart of what differentiates our city, and discovering the spirit of our community. It is an incredible story … a true source of civic pride and identity.

What comes next? We need to tell it, to share it, to market it, to embody it … first, in the way we talk about our city. Then, in the way we tell our story in places beyond our borders. At EEDC, we have been given the responsibility to do just that … and the next 12 months will be filled with intention to evolve our external brand from an industrial powerhouse to one that personifies our artistically entrepreneurial culture and our passion for community-building and nation-building.

To be successful, we need to undo the traditional expectations associated with our marketing … our skyline, our river valley, our bridges and our institutions … and replace them with emotional connections with what is most important … our people.

Earlier this year, I took a risk and wrote a book … a picture book … encourage … that captures the essence of our responsibility and our culture. This isn’t our silver fern, but I hope it gives you some insight into our attributes and our pride that we need to convey to the many.

Stay tuned …

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Posted in Civic Engagement | Tagged Alberta, Canadian Maple Leaf, Civic Branding, Edmonton, New Zealand | Leave a reply

Goodbye & Hello

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Brad Ferguson
2

It is time to say goodbye.

I look back on the Edmonton that once was … a city with booms and busts that blew in and out like the breath of an infant – so young, so naive. A city that lacked confidence and conviction about its role in the province, in the country and in the world. A city without identity … a city without soul.

It is now time to say hello.

I want to lean forward and embrace the Edmonton that now is … a city with potential that is just beginning. A city with confidence and charm that is, for the first time, understanding its responsibility in the world. A city with youth and vitality that knows no limits. And a city with purpose that defines Alberta within a strong Canada, as opposed to an Alberta that walks alone.

We are young, but no longer naive. We are powerful, but can no longer be irreverent. We are the economic and entrepreneurial engine of Canada, and we are a bridge-builder in a united West. We are a place of hope and opportunity for new Albertans, and we are a place with open arms, open hearts and open minds … grounded in the common values of respect, resourcefulness, creativity and compassion.

There is a mystique about Edmonton that makes people wonder how we can achieve so much. We are blessed with what the world wants – energy, water, food and fibre – and we are working endlessly toward creating an education system, a healthcare system and an innovation system that is among a handful of the world’s best. We will always challenge ourselves to be better and better, because Canada needs us to be better and better.

That is what is expected of a Capital City. That is what we should expect of each other.

The time has come to say thank you to our Mayor. And, perhaps for a moment, compare the Edmonton that once was … to the Edmonton that now is.

The last nine years will echo an eternity.

We thank you.

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Posted in Civic Engagement | Tagged Alberta, Capital City, Edmonton, Stephen Mandel | 2 Replies

Economic Heart of Edmonton

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Brad Ferguson
2

ONEdmonton is an event that EEDC reserves for addressing the most important opportunities or risks facing the Edmonton region. On Friday, June 28th a ONEdmonton event was held on the topic: “The Impact of Post Secondary Budget Cuts on the Edmonton Economy” with +70 business, political and community leaders participating.

On July 31st, the attached document was sent to Hon. Minister Lukaszuk, Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education, as an output of this session. We have been given 30mins in the Minister’s schedule on October 9th to discuss the issue.

In the meantime, the current state of distrust and disrepair continues to threaten the long-term strength of our local economy – something I believe is completely preventable and absolutely unacceptable.

I encourage all Edmontonians to read the attached 5-page document (http://www.edmonton.com/files/ONEdmonton_Post-Secondary_Output_130725.pdf) and voice their opinion on this blog.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Posted in Civic Engagement | Tagged Alberta, Budget Cuts, Edmonton, Post Secondary Education, Thomas Lukaszuk | 2 Replies

K Stands for K-Days

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Brad Ferguson
1

The CBC got me.  I was tongue-tied and couldn’t get the words out.  I felt mortified as I knew they would run the clip on the evening news, and knew that my friends at Northlands would be calling me first thing in the morning.

CBC Reporter:  Mr. Ferguson, so what does the “K” in K-Days mean to you?

Mr. Ferguson:    Umm … ahh … ahh … umm … ahh …I … I … … I got nothin’.

CBC Reporter:  < Silence >

I watched the K-Days, Capital EX, Klondike Days branding saga unfold like the rest of you. I watched as it was revealed that the “K” could mean anything you wanted. I watched the parade and the TV ads and the website and tried to figure this “K” thing out.  But like many, I couldn’t.

So I bought my ticket like the other people who attended, and I walked the midway which looked very much like the same midway when I was a kid. There were some new stages, different music, a pit row for rib eaters and an abundance of food vendors who believe deep-frying is proof of God’s existence on earth. Nothing seemed that different, except it was now called K-Days … oh … and the fact there were 781,742 fanatical fans all laughing, screaming, having fun and spending money.

What’s so wrong with that?

Absolutely nothin’.

What my experience at K-Days did is confirm the very things that I love about this city. We’re a city that has an incredible blend of cultures, ages, tastes and styles. We are an entertainment destination for people from places as diverse Yellowknife, Grande Prairie, Camrose and Kitscoty. We have a personality that embraces our differences and knows that all things are not made for all people. And we have a reputation and an identity that is not defined by any one event or one festival.

The beautiful thing about Edmonton is that it has festivals and events for everyone … and we embrace the fact that we are the farthest thing from a homogenous melting pot of sameness, or that our identity is conscripted to the greatest 10-day show on earth. Some dance at the Folk Fest while others walk the Fringe Festival. Some appreciate Symphony Under the Stars and all too many still love Metallica. Some devour sausages at Heritage Days while others experiment with deep-fried butter at K-Days. It’s a city where you can opt-in or opt-out of what works for you … and if you want to create your own festival … hell, you can do that here too.

At the end of the day, everyone has favorites and everyone experiences things that don’t resonate. K-Days resonated with hundreds of thousands of people from Edmonton and a multitude of other places … and a big kudos goes out to Northlands for nailing it.

Carnies may not be my thing, and I still don’t know what the “K” stands for … but, wouldn’t life in Edmonton be boring if we all looked the same.

Maybe “K” just stands for K-Days.  That sounds pretty good.

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Posted in Civic Engagement | Tagged Edmonton, Festivals, K-Days, Travel Alberta | 1 Reply

just Edmonton

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Brad Ferguson
5

Shhhhh. Don’t tell anyone. Shhhhh. Something is changing and it’s not right for us to talk about it.  We’re uncomfortable talking about these things … good things. We’re expected to be talking about the mosquitos in the summer and the dark days of winter. So whatever you do … please don’t share this with too many people.

Headline: Edmonton is emerging as an incredible place for young people to come and build their lives, their businesses and their careers.

Shhhhh.  I told you it’ll feel uncomfortable to say … so keep it to yourself.

Last week we were ranked as one of the Top 5 cities for entrepreneurs, with an extraordinary high level of entrepreneurs per capita versus others. Then this week, TecEdmonton was rated as the #1 business incubator in Canada and #17 in the world by Scandinavia’s UBI Global Benchmarking Report. Those honours come on the heels of being listed as the #3 city for Quality of Life among all global cities.

No wonder organizations like Startup Edmonton, TecEdmonton, EO Entrepreneurs Organization (#1 chapter in the world) and ACG Association for Corporate Growth (#1 new chapter launch ever) are among the most successful and fastest growing entities within their categories.  All here … in just Edmonton.  Shhhhh, damn it!

Where else can people come together in just 4 months to create E-Town as western Canada’s premier entrepreneurship festival? Where else can you sell 60,000 individual light bulbs in a few months to light up a 100 year old bridge? I guess it is because we’ve always done it. People behind upcoming things like the Heritage Days and the Fringe Festival, the ITU World Triathlon Championship, the LPGA and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup … and people like Don Sprague and Margaret Bateman and Don Lowry and Lyle Best have taught us how to make something happen … how to make something Edmonton.

And they couldn’t do it without companies like ATB Financial or TELUS or PCL Construction or Stantec or The Running Room or Fountain Tire or PriceWaterhouseCoopers or Finning or the many others that step up and help make these kind of awesome things happen in our city.  And I know there are so many more …

I just wanted to quietly say … thank you.

Just don’t tell anyone that it’s happening or how we do it.

Shhhhh.

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Posted in Civic Engagement, Entrepreneurship | Tagged Corporate Philanthropy, Edmonton, Entrepreneurship, Fringe Festival, Heritage Days | 5 Replies

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Private citizen committed to building the economic competitiveness and resilience of our country. Change starts at the organization-level, often requiring a redefinition of strategy, leadership and culture. There’s no reason for excuses anymore. We need to demand better and be better – the next generation is relying on us to do just that.

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