The Redlands is set to emerge with an exciting new identity after Council today agreed to endorse a place brand for the city, following consultation with almost 5,000 locals, business owners and visitors.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the place brand and positioning statement, ‘Redlands Coast – Naturally Wonderful’ was the clear choice among participants in the research and engagement.
“While Redlands rivals any South East Queensland city for natural beauty and tourism attractions, Council, tourism operators and the Redlands Economic Development Advisory Board have all recognised that as a city we need a clear and recognisable identity,” she said.
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“We are excited to be embarking on a new journey to deliver a Redlands story that will support business, attract trade and investment, open up tourism opportunities and build on our already strong community pride.
“Establishing a place brand for the Redlands is an investment in the city’s future prosperity and growth.
“This step in fostering economic development and tourism as Redlands Coast is especially important given our close proximity to the Brisbane and Gold Coast airports and Port of Brisbane and the opportunities that come with that, as well as with North Stradbroke Island transitioning from sand mining to tourism by 2019.
“Our reputation as a place is closely aligned with our ability to attract visitors, new business, investment and skilled people.
“We’ve carried out robust qualitative and quantitative research and stakeholder consultation, specifically to test the appetite and attitudes to a place brand among a range of stakeholders, both in and outside Redlands.”
Cr Williams said the name ‘Redlands Coast’ reflected Redlands approximately 335km of coastline and was built from the community up.
“We have more coastline than other places, including the Sunshine Coast. While it might not be all white beaches, our rich and diverse coastline is its own kind of ‘naturally wonderful’ along every twist and turn from Thorneside to Redland Bay and fringing our seven magnificent islands,” Cr Williams said.
“Our water lifestyle is what residents told us was the best part of our city, what differentiated us from other places, what attracted them to the area and what grounded them. They said that no matter how long they have lived here, there was always something new to discover.”
The term ‘Redlands Coast’ was coined by community focus group participant Lucas Bolton, of Birkdale, and subsequently garnered significant approval from community and visitors.
Cr Williams said positioning the city geographically was important because a lot of people just didn’t know where Redlands was.
“It’s time we were out loud and proud as a vibrant coastal region of mainland coastline and island communities, and put Redlands on the map properly,” she said.
“‘Redlands Coast’ is a name that defines us, and ‘Naturally Wonderful’ is a tagline that not only defines our landscape but also our ‘naturally wonderful’ people.
Cr Williams said ‘Naturally Wonderful’ was a tagline that several focus groups came up with themselves, independent of each other.
Redlands Economic Development Advisory Board Chair Sam Kennedy said that with the prediction of one in four jobs being created worldwide related to tourism, destination marketing was critical to helping us capture a larger share of visitors to Queensland each year.
“There is huge potential for the new and authentic place brand – ‘Redlands Coast’ – to support both continued growth in tourism and business investment and development in other sectors such as education and healthcare,” Ms Kennedy said.
Redlands Tourism Subcommittee member and Straddie Chamber of Commerce President Col Battersby said it was an amazing time and opportunity for the city.
“The opportunities are endless and I look forward to the new brand and to the future of tourism as a key driver of growth for our city,” Mr Battersby said.
Redlands Tourism Subcommittee member and Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation CEO Cameron Costello said he was excited about the launch of the new Redlands Coast brand, which was developed in consultation with Quandamooka Elders and artists.
“It provides a platform to promote all the city has to offer, including Quandamooka culture, which has the potential to become an international tourism drawcard,” Mr Costello said.
“Quandamooka people walk softly on the Redlands Coast and recognise the ‘rc’ shape of the mainland and islands logo as footprints walking softly.”
Renowned artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, whose family belongs to Quandamooka Country and who designed the 2018 Commonwealth Games medals, contributed to the Redlands Coast logo design.
“The symbols in the middle of both the ‘r’ and the ‘c’ of the logo subtly represent the physical elements of the land and sea, including the shells on the coastline and the landscape within the Redlands,” Ms Cockatoo-Collins said.
“The essence of the beaches and coastline, the patterns of the shells, the rhythm of the waves and their impact on the soft sand lines which shift with every tide, and are forever marked within the shells that are brought with the tideline, inspire a lot of what I produce.”
Place branding has long been an accepted and critical component for destination marketing used by many regions and Councils globally. It delivers on a Council priority project, is an action of the Redland City Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2020 and a recommendation to Council by the Redlands Economic Development Advisory Board.
The new place brand does not replace the Redland City Council logo and does not change the official name of the city. It is a promotional brand for the city.
Cr Williams said formal promotion of Redlands Coast would start soon.
