Information on our new Community Brand and Logo

Our new Community Logo is based on the Timmins brand: resources and opportunities. We’re not just about mineral resources though: we’re also talking about human resources, knowledge, technology, natural resources, fresh air, space, water and a northern resilience that is its own creative resource.

All together, more than 1,000 people participated in the process to develop the new community logo, the signs and the promotional materials (including the videos) built on the new brand.

• The upper portion, the rising sun, represents opportunity (a big part of our brand message) and optimism.
• The lower right segment is trees against a backdrop of lakes, evoking our natural resources and quality of life.
• The left hand segment shows the iconic McIntyre Headframe, something that people instantly associate with Timmins,
• The I’m In catchphrase speaks of community pride, engagement and a sense of inclusivity.
• The brand is a circle, representing Aboriginal concepts of unity, inclusiveness and life.

What’s the difference between a brand and a slogan or logo?
A brand is not a slogan or a logo, although those things are usually part of a branding concept. Branding a community involves creating a distinct and recognizable identity that clearly differentiates our city from others. To get the most impact, the brand should be reinforced by everyone in the community. It should be reflected in the strategies, marketing plans, communications efforts and activities of all municipal departments and participating community partners. The city’s brand should be a focal point on which community organizations can build. A logo or slogan can also help reinforce the brand story by appealing to the senses (sight, sound, etc.). Logos and slogans are most effective when they are easy to use, understand and repeat.

Will the new logo replace the City of Timmins coat of arms?
The City of Timmins will continue to use the City coat of arms (the crossed mining tools and the nugget). It will also use the new community brand logo on certain materials where it makes sense to do so.

Why do we have a community logo AND a City of Timmins logo?
The reason for the community logo is to create a “common logo” that everyone in Timmins can use to help promote the city in a consistent way. We can’t all use the City Coat of Arms–that wouldn’t be appropriate.

The new logo is a way for organizations throughout our community to coordinate the Timmins message on their marketing materials, to be part of something bigger through a community logo. This is often called “co-branding”, because participating community partners will continue to use their own logos to identify their organizations.

What’s the deal with “I’m In?”
In Phase I of the Branding project,  we identified Timmins’ unique brand story (resources and opportunities) and created a concept to accompany it. The “I’m In” concept was selected through focus groups to represent our brand story. There were some preliminary graphics to accompany this so we could so how it MIGHT be implemented. This was always meant to be a “placeholder” logo that would be refined in Phase II. That’s when we finalized the logo design through further consultation with community members.

Why did we choose the “I’m In” slogan for Timmins?
One of the things that came out in the strategic planning process was that we have a lot of good things going for Timmins, but we often don’t blow our own horn enough. It’s easy for people to be negative and critical, and we forget sometimes that we have a lot of things here that other communities can only dream of. The “I’m In” concept was meant to be inclusive, and to send a message that people want to be here, and they like it here–they’re “in.” Whether you run a business, are raising a family, or are training to be the next Kathy Kreiner, you’re in. Whether you are a third generation Timmins person, a new immigrant, a First Nations member or someone who moved from Toronto, you too are “in.” The idea behind “I’m In” is to show people everywhere that Timmins is a place where you can belong. It matches perfectly with our brand, which is about having all of these great resources and the freedom and opportunity to make use of them the way we see fit. We design our own lifestyle using the variety of opportunities available.

The People of Timmins Picked our Brand, Logo and Slogan

It’s also important to note that the consulting firm did not pick our brand. They did the research, the interviews, the testing, and the facilitation, and the people of Timmins who got involved in the consultation process are the ones that selected and approved the brand.