The 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal, heritage sites and charming villages. The United Counties of Leeds & Grenville (UCLG) is full of remarkable places. But as a tourism destination, the region was disconnected, lacking a unified identity and brand story. As a result, visitor experience and economic impact wasn’t fully realized. The Counties, led by the Economic Development Office of Leeds Grenville, consulted Alphabet® and our partners Twenty31 and FLOOR13 to create a solution.
Client
United Counties of Leeds & Grenville
Sector
Tourism
Services
Brand development
marketing solutions
Research and Consultation
strategy
Phase 1
The trip started with desk research, a competitive scan, and reviewing existing plans for current destination brands within UCLG.
We also led discovery sessions to engage key stakeholders who helped identify challenges, opportunities, guiding principles, and common objectives.
Phase 2
In the next leg of the journey, we created a key findings report with insights uncovered from phase 1. Three findings were apparent:
Phase 3
The insights from the key findings report led to the first regional tourism destination strategy for UCLG, along with management and development plans. This cohesive strategy was accompanied by an action plan and detailed roadmap, featuring eight key initiatives.
Phase 4
The voyage concluded by galvanizing the counties under one identity. Since “1000 Islands & Rideau Canal Waterways” was recognized as a tourism brand, it became the figurehead for UCLG’s visual identity and ongoing marketing efforts.
To stimulate visits throughout the region, we designed themed itineraries aligned with travel trends and consumer preferences—ones that emerged from our initial research.
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