Green Marketing Plan full report (PDF 1.3 Mb)
Executive Summary
Putting "Toronto the Greener" on the world stage
Following the release of Toronto's Agenda for Prosperity (2008) and People, Planet & Profit (2007) report, the Green Sector International Marketing Plan responds to a common call to action: to raise the profile of Toronto Region's emerging green sector on the world stage. This strategic plan brings clarity to communications messaging, tactics, opportunities and priority actions that will build stronger global awareness of the Region's green economic potential.
From economic crisis to sustainable competitive advantage
In the face of a global economic crisis, national and regional bodies are rethinking the design of core financial systems, consumer consumption patterns, and the manner through which nations collaboratively tackle economic and environmental issues. This global rethink suggests that the prospect of sustainable development through green sector development will likely grow in relevance as market drivers such as green infrastructure development, green collar job creation, and clean technology production continue to show promise for economies worldwide. A real opportunity exists for the Region to build a competitive market advantage by stimulating local green sector activity that sees citizens adopting green energy and product alternatives, and businesses benefiting from greater international trade of locally produced goods and expertise.
Leveraging Toronto Region's collective might
A core principle underlying the Plan is recognition that closer collaboration among regional stakeholders has the potential to yield deeper, more rapid and mutually beneficial results for the Toronto Region. To this end, the 14 tactics outlined in the Plan have been designed to be multi-stakeholder in nature, drawing on the collective strength of public, private and not-for-profit stakeholders. Just as Plan recommendations have been informed by extensive stakeholder consultation, implementation excellence will require a heightened degree of regional collaboration and coordination.
Marketing the Toronto Advantage
The Plan acknowledges Toronto's potential to become renowned as a "city of solutions" — solutions to the serious health, climate and resource conservation challenges shared the world over. Globally aware, home to a skilled workforce, and complete with the advanced business infrastructure required for green sector commercialization, Toronto has the essential ingredients to nurture and attract intellectual and financial capital to fuel its green sector development. Based on these core strengths, the Plan details a value proposition on which to build the Region's communications platform, which is further supported by a comprehensive assessment of local capacities and global green sector marketing best practices. Most importantly, the portfolio of tactics contained in the Plan is underpinned by an objective to build local capacity for greening and expand market opportunities for green sector businesses operating in the Region.
From strategy to action
The Plan puts forward a strategy designed to capitalize on high leverage channels, promote regional message alignment, and facilitate speed to market. The recommended tactics detailed within are built around three principal Action Areas:
- Global Leadership: Harnessing the relationship networks and cultural affinity of our diverse citizenry to raise the Region's profile and facilitate commercial activity in priority markets.
- Positioning: Showcasing the Region's expertise and market potential through influencer networks that can be leveraged to communicate Toronto's story forcefully and authentically.
- Market Facilitation: Amplifying the sector's ability to capitalize on global opportunities on a timely basis through targeted relationship building and market penetration support.
Green Marketing Plan full report (PDF 1.3 Mb)
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