Plymouth Ocean City brand to be 'refreshed'

COUNCIL, UNIVERSITIES AND FIRMS CALL IN CONSULTANTS TO GIVE CITY'S IMAGE A MAKEOVER

- WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH has appointed international consultants to give the city's image a huge makeover in a bid to attract people to move here.

The city, which expects to create 5,000 jobs by 2029, has recruited top creative and economic consultants to "refresh" the Britain's Ocean City brand.

This will involve "building on" the Britain's Ocean City name Plymouth has had since 2013 - but it is not yet known if it will be changed. Before that, the city had the Positively Plymouth moniker, and prior to that it was branded Spirit of Discovery.

Now the city has engaged London and New York-based creative studio DNCO and London-headquartered economic consultants PRD to "deliver a perception research programme" highlighting how the city is viewed by people outside Plymouth and to reshape its public image to appeal to crucial new audiences, such as youngsters.

DNCO which came up with the Windrush, Suffragette and Lioness names for London's overground rail lines will take on the brief to "refresh" Plymouth's brand and the city's "narrative".

Since it was dubbed Britain's Ocean City, Plymouth has received increasing UK and international interest, with visitor numbers soaring by 25%. But the city wants to raise its profile further as a place to live, work and study as it aims to fill the predicted 5,000 posts required in key industries during the next five years.

It has not yet been revealed how much DNCO and PRD are to be paid, but funding is coming from the University of Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, Babcock International Group, Princess Yachts, The Box and Arts University Plymouth.