Friendly Competition

Sometimes competition can spur people to take action in communities. Keeping the competition on a friendly basis ensures that there are no ill feeling and builds relationships between communities and regions. Sometimes the competition can be within a community or between similar organizations. Often these friendly competitions can help bring awareness to a cause or organization or even raise funds.

At other times, competition can get ugly. Recently, I heard of a community striving for the title of "most beautiful town in Canada". Apparently, one eastern town and one western town in Canada both claim the title and one town is pushing for the sole title. This possibly means legal action. The town who may have to remove the title would have to spend a lot of money to amend websites and print materials. Such a title is important to tourism and marketing strategies for a community. However, is such a title worth strife between two communities so far apart? Tourists will go where they want to visit and a town with a title of "most beautiful town in Canada" miles and miles apart is really in low competition of each other.

Tag lines play an important role in tourism. Tag lines to attract tourists and future residents are important to communities. Branding the community helps to build the community image and reflect community values. When that branding infringes upon another community then something needs to change. However, does it need to change to the point of potential legal implications? That strong competitive value would definitely stand out and send a message.

The answer may be to build on friendly competition where organizations or communities can build relationships and pool resources together, rather than repel each other.

If paradise is where we are, then paradise is everywhere. That means the most beautiful place to be is right where you are!