2. CONTEXT
For the past two years, the BIA has discussed the role
communications, marketing and promotion must
play in the success of the Village. The budget process
leading into 2012 and the strategic planning exercise
ledbyGlenBrowndemonstratedaneedforconsistent,
coordinated leadership on BIA communications.
Throughout 2012 the Marketing and Promotions
Committee reviewed a variety of options for
outsourced services. After many discussions,
negotiations began with the Backroom Agency for
a discrete set of activities including brand/identity
development and website redesign.
In December 2012, the Board of Management
unanimously approved a partnership with The
519 that resulted in a reduction of staffing and
administration costs which will ensure day-to-day
management of the BIA’s communications outlets as
well as ongoing strategic communications support
including policy development and communications
planning.
On January 1, 2013 the service agreement with The
519 took effect. This agreement requires the creation
of“Service Level Agreements”for three key areas, one
of which is communications and marketing.
3. BRAND
Feels like home
The Village is a community that is comfortable,
connected and supportive. It’s a safe place where one
can meet most of our basic shopping and lifestyle
needs. People know each other and merchants great
regular customers by name. The Village offers the
connectedness and familiarity of a small town, in the
heart of our City.
An urban village for the 21st century
The Village is an urban destination, connected to
transit with businesses and events that are on the
forefront of City building and urban life. We are
comfortable applying new ideas and technologies
and we adapt quickly to change. We are a walkable
community that reflects the diversity of our City. The
Village is a diverse, integrated community where
families play in the daytime and adults party in the
evening.
A sexy and happening arts and culture hub
There is an energy and excitement in The Village that
is palpable. Art and culture is central to our lifestyle
including galleries, art installations and theatre.
Our nightlife is diverse and offers music, dancing
and shows that entertain and attract visitors. We
are sex-positive and provide opportunities for our
community to actively express and participate in
their sexuality.
A shared history of cultural significance
The Village is the historic home of Toronto’s LGBT
communities. Our neighbourhood has been
known for decades as a gathering place for diverse
communities and is still a primary point of contact
for tourists and LGBT people moving to the City. We
are proud to play host to Toronto’s Pride Festival, an
opportunity to celebrate our village, our history and
our communities.
4. BRAND
Real Life
The BIA should avoid messaging and communications
that focuses too much on the Pride experience or
the celebrity element of the LGBT community and
The Village. Communications should focus on the
day-to-day experience of The Village and resist the
‘disneyfication’ of LGBT communities or our spaces,
including the over-use of symbols such as the
rainbow.
Broad Focus
The BIA should focus on developing messages and
strategies that benefit the entire village community
and feed our broader brand strategies. The BIA is not
responsible for the success or marketing strategies of
individual businesses. Our strategy focuses on those
things that will benefit the broader community and
brand of The Village.
Village First
The BIA should communicate as the voice of “The
Village”, and speak as little as possible about the
Business Improvement Area. The mechanics of the
BIA as an organization are ‘backroom’ in nature and
are not relevant to our brand story. This includes
expanding our narrative to include institutions and
activities that fall outside the legal boundaries of The
Village – the public perception of The Village is not
dictated by who pays a levy to the BIA.
5. TACTICS
CRM and Contact Management
The 519 will work with the General Manager to
develop a database of businesses, property owners
and stakeholders in the BIA.
This database will provide the basis for all ongoing
communications and project management.
Staff Involved:
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
176 Hours Annually
6. TACTICS
Ongoing Web and Social Media Management
This will include updating and refreshing language
and imagery on the website and social media chan-
nels on a day-to-day basis. This process will bring the
social media and website channels in line with the
brand themes outlined previously.
Staff Involved:
Communications Specialist
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
100 Hours Annually
7. TACTICS
Photo Stories
In the context of the brand strategy, highlighting our
businesses and their culture and personality is central
to our community’s sucess as “The Village”.
The photo stories project will help to develop rela-
tionships with businesses, photographic materials for
future promotion and ongoing content for our social
media and website outlets.
The Photo Stories project will document one business
in the BIA every week through a ‘photo essay’. One
new business will be promoted every week, capturing
physical space, product, customers, staff and other
elements of the business’ identity.
The photos will be used on BIA outlets but will also
be shared with the business for use onyelp, websites
and other outlets.
Staff Involved:
Communications Specialist
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
312 hours annually
8. TACTICS
People of the Village
The BIA’s brand strategy identifies that the ‘communi-
ty’ of the village is as important to the culture of the
village as the businesses.
This photographic project will be based on the suc-
cess of the “Humans of New York” model which has
been virally successful and resulted in the print of a
coffee table book.
Staff of The 519 will tell the narrative of the people of
the village (residents, customers, staff, etc) through
photos, quotes and story telling.
Staff Involved:
Communications Specialist
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
260 hours annually
9. TACTICS
E-Newsletters
The brand strategy envisions a niche marketing ap-
proach that speaks directly to the diverse communi-
ties that are part of the village.
The BIA will move from periodic E-Newsletters that
aggregate a wide range of interests (sex, food, par-
ties, retail, services, etc) to 3 monthly emails that
focus on different communities. Members of our
community could subscribe to one, some or all of
the newsletters depending on their interests. Current
suggested themes include:
o Creativity in The Village: Arts and Culture
o The Village at Night: Restaurants and Nightlife
o Village Life: Residents
o A Village Welcome: Tourism
Staff Involved:
Communications Specialist
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
216 hours annually
10. TACTICS
Media Management, Training and Policy
The need for more structure, support and proac-
tive planning for media relations at the BIA has been
identified as a need. The 519 will provide assistance
in managing media inquiries, developing media rela-
tions strategies and policy, and engaging media in key
moments of The Village’s life.
Staff Involved:
Communications Specialist
Development Assistant
Contract Hours:
50 hours annually
11. PARKLETS
Parklet Promotional Campaign
The 519 will be responsible for the effective promo-
tion and engagement of the Summer in the Village
Project. This will include a communications strategy
that includes social media and web activation, media
relations, posters and collateral development, adver-
tising and community engagement.
Staff Involved:
Director, Development and Community Engagement
Communications Specialist
Contract Hours:
40 hours
12. HALLOWEEN
Halloween Promotional Campaign
The 519 will be responsible for the effective promo-
tion and engagement in Halloween. This will include
a communications strategy that includes social me-
dia and web activation, media relations, posters and
collateral development, advertising and community
engagement.
Staff Involved:
Director, Development and Community Engagement
Communications Specialist
Contract Hours:
40 hours annually
13. NEW PROJECTS
But what if...?
The BIA often comes up with new innovative projects
and ideas through the course of the year. This
strategy has been built around the anticipated annual
activities.
If the BIA Board decides it would like to take on a
new project or idea, this would trigger a discussion
and re-negotiation of resource allocation. This
conversation would include:
How the new project fits into current brand•
strategies and goals.
What resources / time the project would require•
to be completed successfully.
What would be required from the BIA and the The•
519 to make that successful
Whether there are new resources to enable these•
new activities, or if current plans need to be scaled
back to allow for the new project.
Following this discussion, a communications strategy
will be developed for approval by the Board of
Management.
14. APPROVAL
In order to move forward with this strategy and
begin implementing our communications strategy,
the Board of Management will need to approve the
recommendations outlined in this presentation.
The Board of Management should consider the
following motions:
That the BIA Board of Management approves•
the brand strategy, themes and guidelines
as presented (or as amended, if changes are
requested)
That the BIA Board of Management approves the•
communications strategy as presented for 2013
That the BIA Board of Management directs the•
Integrated Services Committee to finalize a service
level agreement based on these themes and
strategies in accordance with the shared services
agreement.
