‘Live Outside the Ordinary’ proposed as new slogan for Peterborough

Peterborough’s next slogan could be “Live Outside the Ordinary.” The city’s rebranding process aims to replace its old slogan “Peterborough: It’s a natural” but it has been a challenge.

Four months ago, the process stalled after city council rejected the first suggestion: “Where Roads and Rivers Meet.”

That slogan was met with skepticism as negative social media comments came pouring in. As a result, city council asked local marketing firm BrandHealth to go back to the drawing board.

Klint Davies, a writer with BrandHealth, says he wasn’t affected or deterred by the negative feedback.

“Anything that is public is bound to rub somebody the wrong way or somebody is going to have an opinion on it,” said Davies.

“It’s easier to make a bad comment than a positive one so you just roll with that. You can’t be in this industry with thin skin.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's easier to make a bad comment than a positive one so you just roll with that. You can't be in this industry with thin skin."

Davies and business partner Jillian Hill rolled out a detailed presentation on Monday night at a city council meeting prior to unveiling the new tagline: “Live Outside the Ordinary.”

“In the context of Peterborough, outside means we’re situated outside of Toronto, outside of Ottawa, and any major urban centre. Our outside is beautiful, we live in the great outdoors.

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“Anybody that has spent any time in Peterborough knows that we are a community filled with artists and entrepreneurs and inventors and makers and just people doing stuff differently and living outside the box.”

There was a brief pause after the new tagline was revealed as members of council looked at one another for a reaction.

Coun. Dan McWilliams was the first to speak up, saying the new tagline had promise.

“I think it’s got a nice ring to it and I think it might work,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think it's got a nice ring to it and I think it might work," he said.

Director of corporate services, Sandra Clancy, says staff is excited about the new slogan and says it is a jumping off point for a more detailed marketing plan.

“It’s consistent enough that it can be bought into from all the other facilities and yet it does give Peterborough its own sort of identity.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's consistent enough that it can be bought into from all the other facilities and yet it does give Peterborough its own sort of identity."

Council will be given a week to mull over the new tagline before voting on it next Monday night. Additional work will include a new city logo design and corporate colours, along with a redesigned municipal website.

This all comes with a price tag of more than $75,000.