REVEALED: Lancaster's major new branding project will shine a spotlight on city region

A major new project to give the Lancaster region a stronger and more competitive advantage will be launched this week.
Lancaster Place brandingLancaster Place branding
Lancaster Place branding

The launch of the Lancaster Story on Thursday December 6 will feature a number of influential speakers including Si Bellamy OBE, head of Eden Project International.

As excitement builds following the announcement of Eden’s proposed new attraction in Morecambe, Mr Bellamy will be talking more about the project and how it will help to transform the area.

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Also speaking at the event are Prof Dame Sue Black from Lancaster University, Susan Parsonage, chief executive of Lancaster City Council, Alison Clark from the Arts Council and Alistair Eagles, CEO of Sea Truck Ferries and president of the Lancaster Chamber.

The launch is the culmination of intensive work by organisations and individuals from across the wider Lancaster community, who came together in 2017 to develop a ‘place brand’ to attract investment, jobs, students, visitors and people to live in the area.

The brand puts the spotlight on the Lancaster region as an area which celebrates its culture and heritage, energises entrepreneurial excellence and is the location of choice for businesses and people wanting to relocate.

At its core is a strong narrative and cleverly articulated visual language that sums up the region’s key elements – connectivity, culture, history, future aspirations and community.

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Championing and leading the strategic promotion of the brand will be the Place Board, a partnership of local business professionals, entrepreneurs and representatives from the public sector.

They will develop a strategy for promoting the region and leading efforts to make the area more attractive to businesses, investors and visitors.

A series of workshops in the New Year are also being arranged to help local businesses adopt the brand and become ambassadors for the Lancaster region.

Alistair Eagles, who will also be chairing the Place Board, said: “I really love our region and honestly believe that we are entering an exciting new chapter in our history.

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“Critical to our future will be attracting more businesses into the area and to do that we need to shout loud and proud about who we are and what we have to offer, to stand out from the crowd.

“I believe the launch of the Lancaster Story will do just that and drive real improvement and growth.”

Also taking a seat on the Place Board is prominent local businessman Michael Gibson, who added: “Lancaster is a fantastic place to live and work with talented, creative and innovative people at every turn and companies growing and thriving.

“We’ve been hiding this away for too long and now is our opportunity to shout to the world about just how great Lancaster and the district is so we can seize the opportunities to build the high-skilled high-wage economy that benefits everyone.”

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The brand’s visual identity is rooted in the Lancaster district’s diverse community and is represented as a kaleidoscope that unfolds to reveal its distinct areas of the city, rural countryside and coastal areas.

The process was kick-started by Lancaster City Council as part of its priority of creating strong conditions for growth so businesses can thrive and create new jobs.