Here’s a new poster that Downtown Charlottetown Inc. is using to promote the core as a place for working. Ah yes, downtown working — I can take my jacket off, sling it over my shoulder, and talk on my sleek mobile phone. At least when I’m not gathered around a laptop in a pure white room working with colleagues.
I’ve always been firmly in the “if it’s a good idea, it will work” camp, and I find lifestyle marketing like this to not only be insulting — I actually do work downtown, and that’s about as far from my photographic reality as you can get — but simply misguided and wasteful.
For more of same, see the companion website where you can learn about the “endless excitement around every corner.”
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I am Peter Rukavina and this is my blog. I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.
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Comments
G’moon Peter.You are the
G’moon Peter.
You are the biggest user of a sleek mobile phone that I know. And arne’t the silverorange rooms white and don’t they use laptops?
And I agree that the jacket over the shoulder is a bit much..but insulting?
This is not a cynical campaign - this is an honest effort which is extolling the virtues of something you believe in and I think you should cut them a little slack.
I can guarantee you that my
I can guarantee you that my friends at silverorange, when they were out in the suburbs looking for a new home, wouldn’t have been swayed downtown by slung-jacket guy.
I also believe in avocados, but I don’t thing they need poster support.
I don’t know Peter. I’d
I don’t know Peter. I’d rather see posters like this around town instead of the stock photo ones.
Personally the posters rub me the wrong way. While I share a lot of the same feelings as Peter about the posters it’s the organization behind it that really gets me going. As a downtown business we now pay a downtown tax. That’s right: If you operate a business in the downtown area you have “downtown inc” fees on your tax bill. I’m not a city planner, but I would guess that taxing the businesses downtown is not a good way to attract business to the area.
Maybe I’m just grumpy and haven’t yet enjoyed the benefits of a “Live it up card!”
Question for Dan: did anyone
Question for Dan: did anyone from the City of Charlottetown or Downtown Charlottetown Inc. contact you after you moved downtown to (a) welcome you downtown and/or (b) find out what attracted your downtown so they could exert the same mojo on others?
Peter: No. I don’t believe
Peter: No. I don’t believe anyone did either A or B. I believe the only “official” interaction we’ve had is when we’ve hosted events at 84 Fitzroy and city officials would attend.
I think there is a significant lack of data when it comes to these marketing campaigns. How many companies have moved downtown as a direct result of the efforts? How many have left? I doubt there will be any follow up or record keeping on the tail end of the campaign.
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