Spirited Energy II: The Nightmare on Broadway?

So let’s get this straight, the same group of dimwits that came up with (and in some cases, starred in) the Spirited Energy campaign want a new mandate and more funding to come up with another pointless branding campaign for our province?

I say pointless, because I don’t think we’ll ever cobble together enough money to sustain the kind of national/international re-branding effort that was originally intended by Spirited Energy. Something of that scale would require tens, if not hundreds of millions over several years.

So here’s a tip for the Premier and his advisory committee, instead of blowing your limited dollars on consultants and national advertising, why not dust off that moldy old website of yours (which hasn’t been update in over a year according to the Freep) and invest a modest sum into an online marketing effort instead.

Hire a small team of digital marketers to champion our province across the internet, and engage people in online conversation. Recruit Manitobans of all stripes to blog about their experiences living and working here. Jam sites like YouTube with clips of polar bears, Northern Lights, the skating trail, lake life, Folklorama, Festival du Voyageur, the Exchange District, Grand Beach and other interesting attractions.

Set up a Manitoba page on Facebook and try to recruit more fans than Obama. Produce podcasts that promote the positive and unusual aspects of life in Manitoba, and make former residents homesick. Heck, even do something wacky, and borrow a page from the ninja and launch the “Ask A Bison” vidcast (MTS would be a natural sponsor).

All of the above would cost a fraction of what you guys spent on Spirited Energy, and would be infinitely more effective. We don’t need a zippy slogan and fancy letterhead to promote Manitoba, but we could use some credible and compelling online content that sells the many stories of our province.

Of course, a comprehensive business attraction and retention strategy wouldn’t hurt either, but I’ll leave those thoughts for another day.

UPDATE: According to the Sun, Competitiveness Minister Andrew Swan says he likes the Spirited Energy slogan, and is looking at expanding the program with more advertising outside the province. Ugh.