Dear Editor:
Visiting hyack.bc.ca, I noted the CIBC Parade of Lights was now a Festivals New West presentation - not Hyack Festivals Association. Did I miss the article in the papers officially announcing the name change? In an interview (The Record, Aug. 28) Hyack executive director Mr. Smith stated that the executive was "uncomfortable with the vision ... strategic plan includes a name change." This comment infers that the name change has not yet been approved by the board and made official.
Having rebranded many companies in my 30 years as a marketing professional, I ensure that the social media tools are available to the company before investing in a name. Today, it is standard practice for companies to secure their name in the digital environment for use as a domain, Twitter, Facebook and more.
Curious, I decided to research the domain availability of Festivals New West. I found both festivalsnewwest.com and festivalnewwest.ca were registered on Aug. 30 to local business person Bart Slotman for Uptown Property Group - two days after the article ran. Further, I looked up the domain NewWestFestivals.ca and found it registered to the City of New West! The records show that Hyack neglected to register this new brand prior to its public announcement, resulting in outside interests owning the new digital name and every extension and variation of it.
So I ask, did the Hyack board approve the name change to Festivals New West, knowing they don't own any domain assets? Did they approve this name change knowing that the city registered NewWestFestivals.ca? How is it that a Smith cheerleader (and I believe a Hyack strategic committee member) was able to secure these two critical domain names for Uptown Property Group?
Even more poignant - why? Was this acquisition done with or without the consent of the executive director, committee or board?
Will tax dollars be needed to secure these domains from Uptown Property Group or after much time and effort will the new name be abandon?
Last, if Hyack and the city were "in planning sessions," how is it that each came away with two different names?
Is the plan for the city's new event department to operate under New West Festivals while Smith proposes Hyack operates under Festivals New West?
Is this really the best result from a "planning session" between the city and Mr. Smith?
Given these facts, has the rebranding strategy so carefully concocted by a Hyack executive director, a strategic committee, the city and an unnamed consulting company - failed on a digital technicality?
However, hedging all bets and believing Uptown Property Group and the city know something that Hyack doesn't, mainly that domain names have value and are assets, my marketing company STC (100 percent owned exclusively by myself) successfully registered NewWestFestivals.com.
Paul R. Thompson, New Westminster
