PHOTO: Northern Advocate reports on a new vision for Forum North and the CBD here

Whangarei 20/20 Momentum is described by WDC as a “vision to inspire Councillors, planners, the public and developers.” Rebranding can be costly, from letterheads to t-shirts to printing, but it can pay for itself if it stimulates the economy as intended. Take NZ’s new flag, which is likely to cost $25m but which our Prime Minister told media “could be worth billions.”

People should see our city as laid-back, sunny and built for beaches, boats and baches. That’s the brand we want. Unfortunately, some also see us as a gateway to the far north – not a destination in itself.

100% Pure New Zealand suggests Whangarei Falls is our city’s number one attraction, followed closely by the quayside/Town Basin and Mt Manaia… and surely we can call Tutukaka and the Poor Knights Islands part of Whangarei. After all, you can get from our CBD to the islands in less time that it takes you to drive from one side of Auckland to the other.

Love the style or loathe it, the iconic Hundertwasser style has contributed to our brand. It’s important to build upon that marketing icon and, if possible, market Whangarei as the centre of art and crafts in Northland – not just another place to buy a postcard.

It’s not good that some see us as just another milestone on the highway to the Bay of Islands, so the onus is on each of us to strengthen our own marketing by using key phrases to frame Whangarei as the epitome of the North. Is it important for Whangarei to be different from the Far North and Kaipara, or are we all part of Northland?

I suggest we build and focus on Whangarei as the centre of major industry, as well as THE shopping centre of the North. It’s where a boat can berth, or one rest and enjoy the lifestyle before moving on. How about marketing the phrase, ‘Whangarei: Everything’s Here,’ because let’s face it, we have everything at our fingertips. We offer fibre, beaches, shops, services, good libraries, good surfing, fishing, and loads of other recreation activities.

When you’re boasting about Whangarei to your friends, how are you selling us? Are you emphasising that we’re a city instead of a town? Are you emphasising that our harbour offers some of the finest and safest sailing in the country?

‘Whangarei: Love It Here’ is a nice brand, but it doesn’t tell tourists and ex-Aucklanders why they should be attracted to our area.

How about we stress that this is the Venice of the North with the slogan ‘Whangarei: City On The Sea’? After all, we already use the term ‘Whangarei: Endless Summer.’

Too often we focus on our problems, not our future. Yes, branding costs a lot, however we all know that word of mouth is always the best form of advertising – so let’s start putting more meaningful words in people’s mouths.