Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 3.23.16

NEWS
Rebranding Lincoln County
Locals team up with marketing rm to attract new visitors to Libby area
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
For decades, Libby has de ned itself as a hardworking community whose spoils came from the timber in the for- est and the minerals below.
But as economic conditions and an historic environmental cleanup has changed Lincoln County’s fortunes, locals are now looking for how they can realign the community for a prosperous future. To do that, citizens are teaming up with a Missoula marketing rm to help rebrand the community to attract potential visitors and residents to the area, banking on what some people are calling “the right kind of remote.”
Last year, local o cials enlisted the help of Partners Creative of Missoula to host six listening sessions. The meet- ings were the start of a research e ort to help the rm understand what Lincoln County has to o er, according to brand strategy manager Kevin Keohane. In partnership with the Small Business Institute at the University of Montana’s business school, Partners Creative con- ducted dozens of interviews and sur- veys with locals to help determine the
Kootenai Falls.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
Lincoln County has been ground zero for one of the largest environmental cleanup e orts in American history after a nearby asbestos mine sickened thousands and killed hundreds. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a nal remedial plan for the Libby area, signaling the begin- ning of the end of the agency’s Superfund cleanup.
More than 120 people attended a pub- lic meeting about the rebranding e ort earlier this month. Peck said many great ideas were shared at the meeting and that the community is excited about the e ort to attract more visitors, particularly ones who may want to stay to raise a family or start a business.
“We need to take control of our own destiny,” Peck said.
Keohane said the Missoula market- ing rm will spend the next six months working behind the scenes with locals before revealing their full marketing plan.
“This is a pivotal point for the com- munity, this is the time to change direc- tions and look to the future,” he said.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
community’s brand. Keohane said the community’s remoteness and wealth of outdoor activities quickly rose to the surface.
“Lincoln County has all of the things that makes Montana great right at its doorstep,” he said.
Keohane and others at Partners Creative said the research could result in new logos, slogans and other mar- keting e orts to be revealed later this
year. An early supporter of the rebranding e ort was Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck.
“The perception by outsiders of this town and community is out of whack,” Peck said. “We’re trying to build a new image for Libby.”
When some people hear of Libby, Peck said they only think of the mas- sive environmental cleanup that has taken place there. Since the early 2000s,
Canadian Dollar Rebounds to 77 Cents U.S. As Oil Prices Jump The loonie has gained nearly nine cents against U.S. currency since January
BY DILLONT TABISH OF THE BEACON
The Canadian dollar is making a slight comeback.
Following news that the U.S. Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates and amidst rising oil prices, the Cana- dian dollar, or loonie, traded above 77 cents U.S. on March 17, the highest level in 2016.
The loonie has gained nearly nine
cents against U.S. currency since Jan- uary, when it hit a 13-year low. A visitor would still have to convert $130 Cana- dian for $100 U.S.
The gain in Canada’s currency is largely welcome news in Northwest Montana, where several industries ben- e t from the persistent spending habits of visitors from up north.
The rise in the loonie is also coming as one of the longer holiday weekends
approaches. Canadians celebrate the Easter holiday by taking o the Friday beforehand and the Monday afterward, meaning there could be an uptick in Canadian visitors March 25-March 28.
A key driver of the Canadian dol- lar, the price of oil spiked to $40 a bar- rel on Thursday for the rst time since early December. The price of oil has now jumped 54 percent in ve weeks since hitting a low of $26.05 per barrel.
The sudden turnaround in oil prices is due to speculation that OPEC and other global producers would reach an agree- ment to halt output.
Despite the recent recovery in oil prices, experts say the market will likely remain very volatile in the near future.
The price per barrel of oil is still down more than 60 percent from its mid-2014 peak of $107 a barrel.
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
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