DESIGN

Marketing for Waterfront Toronto

Client

Waterfront Toronto (a 3-part agency of the federal, provincial and city governments)

Scope of Work

Research
Sector Analysis
Facilitated Engagement
Stakeholder interviews
Roundtable Discussions
Customer Journeys
Customer Experience Mapping
Strategic Insight, including opportunities and threats identification
Brand Strategy
Style Guide
Website
Corporate Video
Print Communications, Inserts, brochures
Signage and Environmental graphics

Amplifying the brand for Toronto’s massive waterfront project.

Waterfront Toronto is the 3-part government agency that is the steward for the large shoreline redevelopment of Toronto’s former industrial portlands along Lake Ontario. They stretch from Leslie Street to Bathurst Ave and beyond. It is one of the largest urban development projects in the world.

The Challenge
The general public needed to be engaged. The challenge was fueled both by a pervasive cynical attitude in the city to the lack of activity and slow progress, as well as the 30+ years that the project will actually need to be completed.

Our Role
Waterfront Toronto had a number of urgent and important strategic and branding projects. As Waterfront Toronto’s marketing agency of record, we drove the strategy, content, design and development of eight large communication pieces:

Reinvigorate and redefine the overall communications strategy through engagement and insight
Infuse the brand with a higher level of design sophistication at all touchpoints
Design a revitalized comprehensive visual identity system
Write key messages
Create a corporate vision brochure
Write and direct a corporate video,
Oversee a major redesign of the Waterfront Toronto website.
Design signage and hoarding templates for the project areas

The completion of the projects had to be carefully managed to meet deadlines, stay on budget, and coordinate the various writing, design, photography, video, and programming needs.

Project Objectives
To create a cohesive group of brand communication pieces for Waterfront Toronto by engaging stakeholders and all Torontonians, and to clearly illustrate that thoughtful redevelopment plans are moving boldly on the waterfront.

Incrementally but Quickly
We worked closely with WTF leadership to incrementally but quickly shore up all facets of their preliminary brand, communications and marketing work. After the research and engagement phase, we wrote compelling clearer copy. We tightened up and consolidated graphics, typography and image strategies. We systemized all communications and 2d design outputs. We commissioned maps to illustrate the large areas to be developed by the plan. We added a matter-of-fact tone to build a dependable and predictable brand reputation.

Branding and Website

Future of Mass Affluence

KerrSmith Design
550 Queen St. East, Unit 335
Toronto, ON M5A 1V2
416-703-5377