“Davao. Life is here.”
This is the new tagline launched earlier by the city government of Davao led by Mayor Sara Duterte with guests from the tourism and business sectors as well as media.
It is part of the new brand divulged to the public as the city government tries to boost its tourism sector aiming to attract more tourists and investors in the coming months.
Brand expert Rey “Bai” Manginsay packaged the entire branding about life in Davao, the things non-Dabawenyos long for which most Dabawenyos take for granted.
From the adventure hike to Mt. Apo, to the heavenly taste of the Durian fruit, to the juicy bite of Davao Pomelo, all these are but some of the reasons why many tourists want to visit the city.
“We see these things everyday and sometimes take them for granted, but for our market, for those who do not live here, these are the reasons they come to Davao,” Duterte said.
The mayor describes the entire branding as something that each Dabawenyo will take part in, something they own.
Brand maker “Bai” bared how it took him ten years to understand Davao life and appreciate it. He chose the Philippine monkey-eating eagle as the brand identifier.
“The eagle is a very strong image because it is unique and we own it. Its kingdom is in Mt. Apo, another tourist destination of the city. It symbolizes power and unity,” he said.
Mayor Duterte appreciated the use of the eagle as the defining image of the city since the Philippine eagle is uniquely Davao and the national bird. The image shown in promotional materials is an eagle wearing tribal accessories which depict the multi-cultural set-up in the city.
The city government is yet to release other promotional materials in the coming months. However, ready for publication and for airing are the television commercials, the materials for print ads, the new brochure, and the website.
Duterte and her team urge Dabawenyos to embrace this new branding by using the logo in their letterheads, buses, and all other avenues where this may come to be known and exposed to the public.
“With this strategy, we also expect more tourists and investors to come visit our city,” she said. [PIA 11/Mai Gevera-Macapagat]
