Canadian cities such as Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, and
Toronto are attempting to "replace disappearing tax dollars with
private-industry money." This past week the Vancouver City
Council "decided it was going to start the process of listing
everything in the city that could be put up for corporate
sponsorship and developing a policy that will establish where the
ethical line is." Surrey and Edmonton started a similar process
last month, and Edmonton has signed a $C4M deal with Pepsi-Cola
to be the exclusive supplier at city facilities and events for 10
years. Dale Boniface, president of Spectrum Marketing, which is
serving as a sponsorship broker to Victoria, Edmonton, and the
Vancouver park board: "There are millions of dollars on the
table with regard to this question. This is something that is
really the wave of the future." Logo placement seems to be a
particularly high-growth area. Wayne Hartick, president of
Vancouver-based Verus Group Int'l: "The implication is that the
city would be selective about who gets to use the logo, so they
are implying this is a credible business. It's like getting the
royal designation. Instead of 'Supplier to Her Majesty' it's
'Supplier to the City of Vancouver'" (Frances Bula, VANCOUVER
SUN, 9/17).
