I first found out about "Made in Vancouver" - a marketing communications project designed to get Vancouver to show off its growing business sector - on Frances Bula's blog this morning. The project - just launched on February 1 in conjuction with Vancouver Economic Commission's rather successful inaugural Cities Summit - seemed to me a neat way to promote Vancouver startup businesses...that is, until I read the fine print and explored the site a bit more.

In order to bring it all back to what I do for a living - marketing communications - I thought I'd use this project as an example of how a great idea - which "Made in Vancouver" undoubtedly is - can be undermined by flawed execution.

Issue #1: Only tech start-ups need apply

When I first looked at this site this morning, I got excited. I thought, "I'm going to get this badge, I'm a Vancouver startup that's doing pretty well and I don't mind showing off a bit." And the iconic image - of the art deco-style tower at Vancouver City Hall - was as inclusive as can be. 

However, when you read the fine print on the site, you discover that this badge isn't for any Vancouver startup - it's for "tech" startups. They don't say that outright, but it's implied by the second requirement: "Be a company that is run from Vancouver, has staff in the city and is designed, coded and or supported in the city." Or this other requirement: "Have over 5,000 people that use your site every month."

Business run from the city: check. Has staff in the city: check. Is "designed, coded or supported in the city". Not so much. I don't "code" anything (I have people for that....). As for website traffic, while I understand why the list has criteria requiring businesses to be of a certain size - a "growing concern" if you will - I'm not a web-based business. I may have tripled my company's business over the past two years, but a good month's worth of hits on my website wouldn't even crest 2000 hits a month.

I'm not saying the designers of the "Made in Vancouver" project intended this - perhaps they just didn't think about the possibilities of their project, and built a limited audience (tech startups) into the project model, thereby also limiting the potential reach. But that makes no sense if the goal is to show off Vancouver. At least, this marketer doesn't think so.

Issue #2: Pink and blue badges. Really?

Now, this little chestnut really chapped my hide. Check out the badges - they come in white, baby blue and baby pink. Really? Were the people behind these colour selections really thinking "blue badges for boy companies" and "pink badges for girl companies"? I'll give the designers the benefit of the doubt and assume that my conclusions are an unintended consequence of their colour selection (unless, goodness forbid, this was actually what they were going for). 

My point is, when you're in marketing communications, it's your job to anticipate how people will respond to your language and design choices - and adjust your choices accordingly. Maybe primary colours would have been the way to go....

Rebel, rebel...

I applied for a "Made in Vancouver" designation, because I am. And their logo is now on my blog. I'll tell you what happens when I hear back from them.