Public input wanted in £45,000 quest to discover Harrogate's 'brand'

Marketing firm Thinking Place, which bills itself as a "place branding, place making and place marketing" specialist, has been commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council to help develop a 'place story' for the district.

It's part of a £45,000 branding campaign which the authority voted in favour of pursuing last month.The Preston-based Thinking Place will be tasked with creating a "place narrative" aimed at showcasing the district's business and residential attractions.

Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development, Graham Swift, said last month the work "will help us capture all that is good about the district".

"It will bring together the many vested interests and enable us to strengthen our story in a consistent manner to enhance the reputation of the whole of the district when we speak to investors, visitors and residents," he said.

The Thinking Place firm states on its website that it has a "tried and tested" method of creating branding campaigns, aimed at highlighting "assets. attributes, development areas and potential".

According to their website, their work ranges from marketing, design and photography through to creating signage, events and campaigns.

Four workshops which can be attended by the public have been organised across the district to capture views on what the region's story is.

The workshops take place on:

- Wednesday 6 November from 8am to 9.30am in Knaresborough

- Thursday 7 November from 8am to 9.30am in Pateley Bridge

- Monday 11 November from 5.30pm to 7pm in Ripon

- Tuesday 12 November from 5.30pm to 7pm in Harrogate

Each workshop is free to attend but booking is essential. Residents can also give their feedback via an online survey. Both are accessible through Harrogate Borough Council's website.

Lachlan Leeming, Local Democracy Reporter