The Cars

Toronto Unlimited brand name has cost us, the taxpayers $4 million in 2004, when the brand was created, but what has been the long term outcome and return on our investment?

Brand development was a co-operative project of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, Tourism Toronto, Toronto Summit Alliance and City of Toronto, taking 13 months to develop.

Toronto Unlimited brand name’s benefits are hard to measure in dollars, although I believe that the stake holders in the name’s inception could create an economical benefits statement, in order to justify all costs billed to the taxpayers. Costs billed by politically well connected consultants and branding experts, being at the cradle of Toronto Unlimited brand name. Economists have always their means of manipulating numbers in order to justify any arguments, in favor or against.

The decision to create a new brand name for Toronto was made in the upper echelons of Government’s sponsored agencies and with Tourism Toronto in the charge, but the grass root small business community of Toronto was never involved in the process. General public and Toronto businesses were all informed by a press release, only after the fact. The press release informed that 230 interviews with key business and community leaders were conducted during the process, but the interviews scope and the depth remains unknown. The bottom line question is, “Who were the interviewees representing and how much were they told about the project?”

Why wouldn’t public and businesses in Toronto lend any support for the cause of making Toronto Unlimited a great name for all of us in T.O.? Why would Torontonians ignore the brand for so many years, until it is completely forgotten? Why there is no mentioning of Toronto Unlimited today on an official website of co-founding agency? Is a possible answer that they were not spending their money, just public money and had no sense of accountability?

Only marginally, business groups in major hotels in Toronto were curious about the results and had some expectations of new visitors to the city to arrive. Restaurateurs were completely indifferent about Toronto Unlimited brand!

On the other hand, several businesses in Toronto united together to create a brand Toronto Unlimited Business and created a website to promote their services to the Torontonians and visitors alike. They laughed at the bureaucrats, but were silently hoping to cash in a bit on the new business coming under new banner of Toronto Unlimited. Where would new business come from, if from Torontonians or tourists and business people flocking to Toronto was not very clear Toronto Unlimited creators promised to spend in large advertising abroad, mainly in US cities The people creating Toronto Unlimited Business were of different backgrounds, Toronto restaurant owners, florist in Toronto, a hotel in Toronto, Toronto limousines owner, a car repair shop in Toronto, Toronto registered massage therapist.

Surveying other businesses in Toronto about the results or successes of Toronto Unlimited today in 2011, you will find that that brand was largely forgotten and enjoys a very limited recall and no positive results in terms of, “yes we have benefited with new customers.” Among businesses in Toronto, there is no recall of any local advertising, or promotion, although many have heard of but saw no evidence of, advertisement place in US media by Tourism Toronto in order to attract visitors.

Such dismal experience of Toronto Unlimited brand lies in the sharp contrast with a very successful and still ongoing promotion for the Winterlicious and Summerlicious advertising program, It is a Toronto’s restaurants prix fixe program with a major sponsor being American Express, but with all restaurants members also actively promoting it. Many independent and unique restaurants in Toronto depend on Winterlicious and Summerlicious promotions, year after year, to bring new and old customers to their restaurants when they need them most. The advertising program is run by the Toronto City Hall with expenses of the program shared and paid by the members’ restaurants. Only restaurants offering a unique culinary experience can apply and be qualified for an acceptance to the program. Winterlicious and its summer cousin Summerlicious have achieved much better brand recognition among Toronto public and support for the program from hospitality businesses and restaurants, than Toronto Unlimited ever had. Public likes the advertised twice-yearly program since they bring a value for the public with its prix fixe promotion and it is a win-win situation for restaurants and consumers.

Toronto Unlimited, like Toronto Winterlicious and Summerlicious restaurants’ festival, both have their bureaucratic origin. One is a success and the other one is a flop. What is the major difference and reason?

Winterlicious is a specific gastronomic event with a simple message and easy to explain. It has an appeal to the Torontonians and visitors who are in the city at the time. It does not claim to bring new visitors to the town. The message behind the Toronto Unlimited brand is a foggy and difficult to explain. The brand has no specific target, nor a compelling message. The restaurants in Toronto taking part in the gastronomic event are actively promoting it making sure about its success, while the Toronto Unlimited has no equivalent stakeholders keeping it alive, with the exception of Toronto Unlimited Business.

Toronto Unlimited Business, an online Guide to Toronto for visitors and Torontonians alikeToronto limo for an event or just ride in town