The Bruce Brand

"We're extremely proud of the process and the contribution by all stakeholder groups," reflects County Warden Mitch Twolan. "We consulted with elected officials, citizens, local business and community leaders and staff about what makes Bruce County unique. We surveyed over 500 Ontarians and discovered their deep affinity for Bruce County and the value of our Bruce name. Then we took all that learning and put it to work in a robust creative process that produced an outstanding new brand."

Independent research, produced late in 2015, revealed that Bruce County had an extremely positive tourism and lifestyle reputation, and that the county would benefit as a whole by promoting its blend of attributes in nature, energy and agriculture. Using exploration as an invitation to visitors and residents alike was the natural extension of the county's history and its most successful tourism campaign (Explore The Bruce).

Brands are essentially stories that grow to represent a place, a product or a service over time. The icon and slogan are the short forms of the story and are used to represent the deeper message. The Bruce County team adopted a brand approach that invites tourists, residents, business people and county staff to be explorers. The brand positions Bruce County as a community that brings new ideas to life; where integrating innovation and discovery is considered in everything we do; and where we are joined by a common thread of an exploration lifestyle.

"Bruce County is a place that delights the curious and rewards discovery," commented Kelley Coulter, CAO of Bruce County. "We may be the road less traveled, but every turn brings something new from nature to see, new opportunities in energy and business and new ways to grow and enjoy the food we eat. The new star icon that our cross functional team has brought forward guides every journey, whether you're here for the first time or coming home."

The Bruce Brand project was managed by a County cross-functional team that included staff from Planning and Development, the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre, the Bruce County Library and the County's Digital team.

The new brand roll-out will include staff and services applications, signage applications and a balanced transition over time for all county assets including the library, tourism, digital communications and the museum. More brand story and image usage details are available in the new Bruce County Brand Guide called “You Are Bruce” available on the County’s website.