Imlay City Marketing Campaign

Imlay City Marketing CampaignJune 26, 2015

America’s Best Communities Competition

Background . » America’s Best Communities competition

–50 communities celebrating victories in the first round

» 3 Million Dollar Initiative –awarded to stimulate economic revitalization in small towns and cities

» Dixon Schwabl, a Rochester, N.Y.-based advertising and marketing agency, has adopted one of those communities

–Imlay City, Michigan

» Dixon Schwabl as Imlay City’s strategic advisor –help develop a comprehensive strategy to accelerate the revival of their local economy and improve quality of life.

© Dixon Schwabl Inc. 20152

Economic Development Goals »Business development program targeting manufacturing, retail, or food based to promote entrepreneurship

»Bring more visitors –tourism, highway traffic

»Build a medical facility to supply urgent services»Generate greater awareness of the strategic geographic location of the region to business owners

»Install a more expansive broadband service»Educate the local school districts to provide more skilled laborers


Community Pride Goals

»Gain community spaces and centers that offer places for neighbors to gather and enjoy entertainment

»Roadway, walkway, and commerce improvements»Bring more residences


Goals and Objectives » Where we are now...

–Current Business Environment »banks (i.e. CBS) » insurance agencies » lawn and garden stores »website design companies »home health care »golf club

»Where we want to go…–Future Business Opportunity

»small food markets and cafes (to enhance “keep it local” campaign)»day care (to promote communal support)»senior citizen assisted living (to promote communal support)


Goals and Objectives


Our Solution Jam Company » supports blue collared and white collared workers» therefore, large opportunity » small town feel

Pure Michigan Opportunity » platform for young talent recruitment » avenue to promote new company


Advertising Strategy and Tactics » Logo


Advertising Strategy and Tactics » Print ad


Advertising Strategy and Tactics » Digital Advertising » Meet Imlay City Video Synopsis

The objective of this video is to introduce the world to Imlay City. We plan to do this by loosely following the residents of Imlay City through days in the lives of chosen citizens.


Media» If Imlay City wins this contest, we will utilize these media

outlets...» We will target our audience in surrounding cities such as Flint, Detroit

Lansing, Saginaw, and Ann Arbor. » We will also target a jam manufacturing company

– Opportunity with unemployment in Detroit and ImlayT.V.

- buy between 100-150 rating points per week for several stations in each city for the Early Morning, Prime Time, and Late News. Radio

-buy between 100-150 rating points for 60 seconds spots per week for the AM and PM Drive.

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Media Outdoor- Construct billboards along the major highways such as Highway 69 and

Highway 53. - We will show these billboards for a 2-3 month time frame to increase

awareness about Imlay City and America’s Best Communities. - With constant travel on these roadways it should increase awareness about

Imlay City, Michigan . - Digital Billboard

- DS is proposing that a portion of the prize money awarded be spent on constructing a digital billboard.

This digital billboard will advertise all of the popular events Imlay is hosting each month.

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Media

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Public Relations Tactics – Community Team Dinner Media Alert and Press Release

» Goals− Alert the media about the event that’s taking place− Get the community excited about their progress in the competition

–Bring the Community Together »Pitch to local media outlets

−Tri City News, Imlay City News, WDTR Smile 89.1 FM, and Mlive.com » Pitch for a Weekly Segment» Imlay City SPARK! group


Social Media Tactics 》 Organize Social Media Profiles

- Create consistency with profile names, pictures and create vanity URL’s for search engine optimization.

- Build Facebook and LinkedIn pages for Imlay City’s SEED program. The only IC chapter without social media presence. Good for promoting local business and catching the eye of new businesses

- Update website so that social media pages are present and visible so people who visit can access and follow these pages.

- Optimize Imlay City DDA Twitter and YouTube accounts. Include and update information, include new logo and match Twitter content with Facebook content.

- Create an Instagram account and integrate posts to Facebook to create a millennial audience. Simple and practical because it works with Facebook seamlessly.


Social Media Tactics 》 Content Strategies

- SEED: Small Business Spotlight. This will promote all businesses in the area and it will encourage new business to sprout roots in Imlay City. It will also help maintain the small-town vibe of the city while still encouraging economic development.

- Separate content for specific events. The community chapter (4 total) that is organizing an event should post for that event and have other community programs share content on their page.

- Share Adam’s “Meet Imlay City” video and share it across all channels. Promoting this video will bring attention at America’s Greatest Cities competition and it will create a sense of pride in the community.

- Gear content rhetoric towards ABC campaign. For example, in Small Business Spotlight, say “Company X is doing their part to take things to new heights”

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Promotions » Imlay City Blueberry Festival

–Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th–Hundreds of businesses in the area donate time and money to the festival–Free T-shirts and Water Bottles will be handed out to those who attend the festival with Imlay City’s new logo and “America’s Best Communities” contest inspired

–This will create a sense of awareness and excitement of the competition in the community


Advertising Strategy and Tactics » T-Shirt


Advertising Strategy and Tactics » Water Bottle


Vision for the Future » “Investing our time to bring ‘big-city’ opportunities with a

‘small-town’ feel”–Protection and maintenance of existing residential neighborhoods–Support for new residential developments that offer a variety of quality housing options.

–Quality public facilities that offer social gathering and entertainment opportunities, public and private parks, and education facilities

»Maintain its historical character and aesthetics while stimulating a prosperous and active environment



Documents

Imlay City Marketing Campaign