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Wednesday 23 April 2008

Community embracing Clutha Country spirit

Eighteen months after the launch of the ‘Clutha Country – Where Everyone Says Hello’ district branding, the community continues to support and utilise the popular catch-cry at every opportunity. 

Council’s District Development Manager Julie Pearse said promotional material purchased to support the brand launch in November 2006 had become so popular with community groups and organisations that the material had now virtually run out.

Promotional material such as t-shirts, pens, postcards and brochures is made available for free to approved groups for community events which help promote the district – both to tourists and to locals.

Mrs Pearse said that this year alone, at least 14 groups had utilised the Clutha Country promotional material for their community events. These included Sport Otago’s Clutha Country Summer Series, the Otago Wool Handling and Shearing Championships, the Papatowai Challenge, the Beaumont Trail Ride, the Big River Festival, the South Otago Netball Jubilee and many more.

“The enthusiasm shown by many community groups throughout the area in embracing the Clutha Country brand is fantastic to see,” she said.

Due to the popularity of the material, the District Development Board last week approved expenditure on new Clutha Country promotional material including A4 Presentation Folders and Thank-You cards.

“Presentation folders are highly sought after as the basis for conference and meeting packs, and will give Clutha Country an excellent profile to both visitors and residents of the district,” Mrs Pearse said. “Thank-you cards are often required in follow-up circumstances and provide another opportunity to profile the brand.”

Aside from the use of the promotional material, the Clutha Country branding campaign continues to gather momentum in other areas as well.

The first of the new Clutha Country district boundary signs was unveiled just north of Waihola in February, while a smaller ‘secondary’ boundary sign was erected on the Tapanui-Gore road shortly afterwards.

Mrs Pearse said the District Development Board had received a lot of positive feedback on the signs, although the board has also decided to increase the height of the base for future boundary signs to make them more visible and to reduce the possibility of roadside grass obscuring views of the sign.

The next step was the construction of a further two boundary signs to be located at Rae’s Junction, and at the Gore and Clutha district boundaries; and the construction of a further five ‘secondary’ boundary signs at Taieri Mouth, the Chaslands Highway (The Catlins), on the Clinton-Mataura road, between Rae’s Junction and Tapanui, and on the West Otago road near Landslip Road.

Meanwhile, the www.cluthacountry.co.nz website also continues to be an important tool to attract potential new residents, investors, business owners and visitors to the area.

Mrs Pearse said the website continued to see at least a 20% increase each month in new visitor numbers and local residents continue to submit their own ‘hello’ photos to the site.

She encouraged more people to upload their own photos to the website, and for them to check out an interactive touring map on the website which highlights various touring routes throughout the district.

Hello!: Vicki Philip (Project Clutha), Susan Roberts (Special Rigs for Special Kids), Doreen and Hamish Anderson (Deputy Mayor), and Graeme Purches (TrustPower) say hello the TrustPower National Community Awards in Wanaka recently.