Brand image, States. Why not just slogan?
At the time, Mayor Régis Labeaume, at the origin of the approach, rejected the word slogan for this theme used in the City’s communications.
We wanted a brand image, a “positioning statement” alluding to the distinction of Quebec as the cradle of the French language in America.
“Today, we claim the right to wear this accent to make it shine with pride, in French,” said Mr. Labeaume during the unveiling of American accentNovember 13, 2014.
The Labeaume administration was then recovering from the fiasco of the mandate entrusted to the French marketing guru Clotaire Rapaille, hired in 2010 to identify the deep identity of Quebec.
For many, the adoption of American accent came, four years later and without any help from Clotaire, to turn the page on this embarrassing saga.
And 10 years later, it still works.
Of course, American accent has neither the reach nor the notoriety of I love NY or I AMsterdambut the positioning says what it has to say.
Beyond the old stones
We indeed have reason to be proud of the French-speaking accent of Quebec in this English-speaking American sea. Beyond the old buildings and the winter (less and less, in fact), we perhaps do not sufficiently appreciate the extent to which the French-speaking world makes up our history and our identity.
There are, of course, the origins, the 416 years of history of the capital, the buildings, the toponymy, the institutions inherited from the French regime.
Laval University, the first French-speaking university in America, created in 1852 by the Séminaire de Québec, itself the first educational establishment in New France, founded by Monsignor François de Montmorency-Laval in 1663.
Last year marked the 15th anniversary of the Center de la Francophonie des Amériques. Inaugurated in October 2008, the Center brings together a network of 85,000 members, 300 ambassadors. And this, “from the Yukon to Argentina,” to use his expression.
The Francophonie is also political.
The mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, is one of the vice-presidents of the International Association of French-speaking Mayors, chaired by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.
We agree that these meetings of elected officials from the French-speaking world are not always the most exciting or publicized. But they help to affirm the place of Quebec across dozens of countries.
Visits and agreements
Very recently, in April, Quebec received a delegation from Rennes Métropole. A total of 45 people from the political, economic and academic world converged on the capital to conclude a cooperation agreement in three priority areas: economic development, higher education and research, and culture and heritage.
Another event: from June 12 to 14, the second Francophonie Business Meeting will be held.
According to Québec International, which pilots this networking and expertise-sharing activity for entrepreneurs, last year’s Rendez-vous generated spinoffs of $6 million, with 420 participants from 14 countries.
Living in French
But more than these bodies and these partnerships, American accent can be heard in the streets of Quebec, in its schools, its offices, its music studios where a new generation of emerging artists is making a name for themselves by rocking and rapping in French.
I like to believe that this will be the case for a long time to come. Faced with the omnipresence of English in our lives, let’s continue to highlight and promote French.
Above all, Quebec should not lose its accent.
This text is part of the magazine Le Soleil Businessalso available in full electronic version.
