Congratulations to the Town of Bracebridge’s Economic Development branch on winning three Marketing Canada Awards from the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC). Award winners were announced on Tuesday, October 1 at their annual conference.
The Town of Bracebridge won two individual awards which included:
Award Category: Brand Identity/Application – Shop the Bridge – Give the Gift of Shopping Local in Bracebridge
Shop the Bridge is a community-wide digital gift card program launched by the Town of Bracebridge in partnership with the Downtown Bracebridge Business Improvement Area (BIA) in November 2023. Facilitated by AnyCard, Shop the Bridge offers a unique way to support over 50 local businesses in Bracebridge, including shops, services, restaurants, and artisans. The Shop the Bridge brand was designed by local design agency, Sublime Graphics, and is built on a foundation of local pride and a commitment to supporting local businesses. The core brand promise of Shop the Bridge is to provide a convenient and impactful way for residents and visitors to support local businesses.
Award Category: Website – The Role of a Small-Town Tourism Website – Visit the Bridge
The Visit the Bridge website serves as a dynamic and comprehensive platform to promote Bracebridge as a tourism destination in the Muskoka Region. This digital platform is essential for showcasing the town’s unique attractions, natural beauty, events, and amenities, thereby attracting visitors from near and far. The blog section is populated monthly with a new themed topic to inspire visitor travel plans, and a new ‘Plan Your Trip’ section was developed in 2024 with curated itineraries that are organized by interest, season, and key tourism features.
In addition to the individual awards, the Town was also recognized for their role in supporting Venture Muskoka, the regional economic development alliance that includes representation from all District of Muskoka municipalities.
Award Category: Advertising Campaign – Muskoka Job Board Digital Marketing Campaign
The Muskoka Job Board is a centralized resource to connect job seekers with employment opportunities in the District of Muskoka, created to be a “one stop shop” for Muskoka employers and prospective employees. The board is populated from over forty popular job sites indexed and searchable by keyword, job type and municipality, with an accompanying map showing job locations. The board was launched in June 2023 and since that time has been promoted to both employers and prospective employees through a sustained digital marketing campaign.
The Town’s Economic Development branch is comprised of dedicated individuals who are committed to supporting the growth, development and success of the business community, tourism attraction, industry growth, and more through one-on-one support, grant opportunities, specialized campaigns and programming, and more.
To learn more about the programs and services available, visit bracebridge.ca/dobusiness.
Quotes
“Congratulations to the Economic Development team on this incredible achievement. The Town of Bracebridge is committed to long-term economic development and growth, and through these amazing initiatives, we continue to successfully support our small businesses and vibrant tourism sector.”
– Rick Maloney, Mayor, Town of Bracebridge