The Québec City region unveils its new tourism brand

9/25/2018

Work

by Cossette

The Québec City region unveiled its bold and eye-catching new tourism brand today perfectly encapsulating this unique French-speaking city known around the world for its heritage and history (UNESCO), its lively and graceful lifestyle, its warm and welcoming residents, and its scenic landscapes. These are the four pillars that give “Québec cité” and its “accent d’Amérique” a strong identity—one that will soon festoon the city and become known and recognized far and wide.

“The positioning statement, Québec cité, l’accent d’Amérique, clearly states in simple, understandable language—no translation needed—that we are a French-speaking region. Québec City is positioning itself as a unique place that lives and breathes its French, Indigenous, North American, and British history, in addition to being a vibrant, modern city.

André Roy, Québec City Tourism (QCT) director

The Québec City tourist region, which includes Île d’Orléans, Côte-de-Beaupré, Portneuf, and the Jacques-Cartier area, epitomizes what a “cité” is and should be. “In French, this short and resonant word refers—like all the components of a region—to a specific geographical place,” added Mr. Roy to QCT members and partners at the annual general meeting. “The urban character of the city will make a firm distinction for tourists between Québec province and Québec city.”

With its rounded graphics and vibrant colours, the logo is a nod to Québec City’s architecture, as well as the Château Frontenac, a crown, and the mountains that surround the city. The reinvented acute accent sits atop the logo, evoking the architecture, heritage, and topography of the Québec City region. The main colour is a turquoise blue that is reminiscent of water, the St. Lawrence River, summer skies, winter, and even ice.

The image and positioning pass the test

Prior to commissioning the new tourism brand for the Québec City region, QCT conducted several studies to determine who the target audiences were, which distinctive regional landmarks to promote, and how to position the city in relation to the competition. QCT also surveyed 1,200 people online in Québec, Ontario, eight U.S. states, France, and the United Kingdom.

The goal was to see if the French expression “Québec, l’accent d’Amérique” was popular and well understood in international markets. The slogan, which the City of Québec has already been using in its communications throughout the region for about three years, passed the test.

A second online survey was conducted during the creative phase to evaluate two visual identities and decide which one was most applicable to Québec City and its surrounding region.

Québec City is unlike any other place on the continent, and people come from all over to immerse themselves in its rich history, culture, and scenery. I’m proud to be one of the first ambassadors of this brand that reflects a city that is so much more than just the downtown core. And as of today, the brand will be used throughout the region and around the world.

Régis Labeaume, Québec City mayor

The new brand, developed in collaboration with ad firm Cossette, is now available for use by all tourism stakeholders in the region so that it can be promoted to its full potential. “Now we need to bring the brand to life for visitors and develop travel experiences that are consistent with the brand,” concluded André Roy.