The Winnipeg-based company was created 17 years ago by seven aboriginal tribal councils in Manitoba, one of Canada’s three Prairie Provinces. The brand behind TCIG was to effectively represent tribal communities and values by appealing to local consumers with the message of establishing financial independence and economic fortitude. Each tribal council invested CAD$ 25,000 into the kitty for a total of CAD$ 175,000. Soon after, its first company, Arctic Beverages, became Pepsi’s official bottler serving primarily aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut, a geographic area covering about 20 percent of Canada.

“In order to get a return on their investments and more access to capital they had to look at a much more mainstream approach,” he says.

Anderson says TCIG’s plan all along has been to bring a First Nations branding to mainstream companies with which it partners. There’s no doubting the economic clout that comes along with that branding perspective, as there are more than 100,000 indigenous people representing 55 First Nations communities in Manitoba, equal to about 10 percent of the province’s population.

“Our people spend billions of dollars a year in Manitoba,” he says. But until the First Nations organized themselves and established a contemporary brand for their people and TCIG, their purchasing power and market influence was haunted by the negative bias held by much of the mainstream in the past. Times have changed.

Arctic was recently presented with Pepsi's "Canadian bottler of the year" award, and Anderson says he’s optimistic the “snowball effect” will continue with a recently announced agreement with its sister company, Frito Lay. The plan is to leverage the pride of ownership to gain the same market penetration in its Arctic Beverages territory with Frito Lay potato chips and other snack foods that it did with Pepsi products.

Allan McLeod, CEO of TCIG, said the Pepsi award is recognition that its business plan is working. But even more crucial is TCIG’s long-term goal of helping an often downtrodden people succeed financially, under their own management, and without government aid.

"Our vision is long term and it must happen for our people," he says. "We have to become financially independent and significant players in the mainstream economy. Financial independence means you don't have to worry about money. We're about creating wealth for our future generations and providing them with opportunities in management. We want to give them opportunities to be successful and to be a productive part of society."

Warren says one sure-fire sign that the TCIG has gained full membership in the mainstream economy is the fact its executives are invited to a never-ending stream of corporate golf tournaments in the summer—a relatively new venue for discussing business for the tribes.

“That means they’re an investor in Winnipeg that has clout. You can’t afford to do something in this town that TCIG isn’t a part of (now). They’ve got to be seen as at least supporting it, if not being actively involved,” he says.

By successfully branding themselves beyond shallow stereotypes and ill-informed preconceptions, the tribal councils of Manitoba have empowered themselves with the truth of who they are and what they are capable of accomplishing in mainstream business.     

[7-Jan-2008]