Council insist initiative will boost area

Stirling Council this week defended the spending on new branding insisting it was important for the area to properly present itself following the clinching of the City Region Deal.

A spokesman said: “The new brand, Stirling: Alive with Scotland, will help attract investment, boost tourism and position Stirling as a destination of choice in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

“These are exciting times for Stirling and the brand perfectly captures that. We have renowned industry leaders like CodeBase choosing Stirling as a centre of excellence in digital technology.

“We have Olympians in our midst, Scotland’s National Tartan Centre on its way, and the first Stirling Scottish Marathon in May.

“Thousands of people have been engaging with the brand across mainstream and digital media and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The spokesperson explained the £150,000 spend for marketing and branding was approved by all councillors as part of the City Region Deal capital budget.

She said that there had been“absolute transparency”around the costs of the exercise, adding: “The design and creation of the brand itself cost £25,000. This followed extensive engagement across the area with business, community groups, charities, our young people and national partners.

“The brand was built from their feedback and is truly reflective of Stirling in all its diversity and with all its strengths.”