The North Central Enterprise Region recently released the Region's Branding Strategy.
This page will give you access to the logos and explain proper usage.

Logo Design

The new logo for North Central was created with important parameters and considerations in mind. The process included an in-depth exploration of the brand identity of the region, which included consultation with the many and diverse North Central stakeholders. Eight initial concepts were presented to a steering group consisting of 12 stakeholder representatives with a solid understanding of logos and their purposes. From these concepts, there emerged one clear “winner” (chosen as the favorite by 11 of the 12 in the group, with one “reserving judgement”). This concept was then refined to its present, finished version.

Unlike a product logo, the North Central logo is a place brand logo, which means it must:

• Be applicable to a wide range of activities, locales, organizations and initiatives within
  the Region. It cannot, for example, be just for a northern tourist destination, or for an industrial
  zone, but for everything.
• Work with other logos that are much more specific. The North Central logo would be placed
  along the logo for an all-season resort, or for an economic development organization.
  The goal is that it not compete with, but complement, that logo.

As with any logo it must also:

• Be easy to reproduce, in a wide variety of formats ranging from a billboard to a pen.
• Work well in black and white, or in reverse, as well as in color.

Specifically about the North Central logo:

• In this case, using the shape of the province made sense – especially given that the Region is perfectly positioned within this shape. This allowed us to say “Saskatchewan” without having to use the word. This works especially well when used with other logos, as it will, because it serves a very practical purpose of showing where the Region is – and its strategic advantage within the province.
  
  
• The star shape denotes not one focus, but many, that together form a powerful and enduring economic strength. Each point of the star points to places within the Region, to denote the importance of inclusiveness.
  
  
• The star has been designed to have a more organic rather than simply geometric representation. It can denote a snowflake (all-season resort opportunities); a flower (nature); and of course the symbolism of the star as being “bright and powerful”.
  
  
• The N letter, while denoting north, also emphasizes the north-south interaction that is so important to the Region. This is further emphasized by the small arrow at the bottom of the N. Within the shape of the province, the N is actually seated in the south, to further emphasize the centrality of the Region and the north-south interaction.
  
  
• The slogan – “Within Reach. Beyond Expectation.” – is optional when using the logo.
  
  
• The logo, overall, has deliberately adopted a more formal, “organizational” connotation, to emphasize that   North Central is above all an enterprise region, an organized body that supports and develops the Region’s many diverse attractions, resources and opportunities.

Note: A Logo is Not a Brand

Is the Toyota logo a good one? What about Burger King? And what is the logo for the Okanagan – or is there one? Have logos ever been a factor in your choice of tourist destination? Oftentimes, we tend to overemphasize the importance of logos. There is also the mistaken idea that logos “instantly” have meaning. The truth is, logos – like names – have little or no real brand significance at the outset. The Nike swoosh became a powerful selling symbol only after years of careful development of the brand through athlete endorsement, shoe quality, and consistently powerful messaging. We do not buy anything because of a logo – but rather what that logo, over time, has come to represent.

What the North Central logo comes to represent ultimately relies on the stakeholders of the North Central Enterprise Region. Careful brand-building by the Region, done in the right way and for years, not days, will attach itself to the logo and truly define “what the logo means.”

The Slogan

As stated earlier, slogans are much more temporary than logos or names. However, some slogans have remained in place for many years. As long as it is relevant to the evolution of the brand, there is an advantage to staying with a slogan rather than succumbing to the urge to change it just for the sake of change.

The slogan will appear only with the name and logo, and never in isolation.

This slogan – or theme – captures the principal brand messages expressed during the brand identity meetings and interviews with stakeholders. That is, the North Central Region is the ideal place to experience and access northern Saskatchewan, while at the same time remaining connected. The branding consultation clearly pointed out the attractiveness of the Region as a place that is at once accessible – in terms of distance, technology and affordability – but also puts you in touch with nature and history. This slogan sends the message that you can come here and be welcome here – but that what you find will exceed what you were hoping for. The slogan applies as much to tourism as it does to other areas of economic development. Just as importantly, it emphasizes the unique juxtaposition of the words in our name, which tells people we are both “North” and “Central” – we are both “within” and “beyond”.

In the development of the slogan, several options were developed and tested with select individuals from outside the Region and the province. By far the most popular choice was Within Reach. Beyond Expectation.