Marketing the Community for Economic Development

Contents

• Introduction
• Marketing Plans
• Branding
• Contracts for Marketing Services
• Marketing on the Internet
  • Advertising Economic Development Opportunities
  • Attracting New Business
  • Downtowns
• Additional Resources
• Related MRSC Web Pages
  • Developing Local Government Tourism Industry

Introduction

To attract business, industry, or visitors a community must market itself beyond its geographic boundaries. A marketing program may include advertising in printed publications, use of other media, public relations, promotions, and an Internet presence. This page offers examples in addition to examples listed on the downtown development and tourist development pages.

Sample Marketing Plans

• Tourism Marketing Plans - MRSC
• Castle Rock - Strategic Marketing Plan: Overcoming Development Barriers and Positioning Castle Rock for Success ( 670 KB), prepared by Chabin Concepts, Inc. and  Marketek, Inc., 2005
• Snoqualmie  Economic Development, Branding and Marketing Plan ( 477 KB), prepared by Destination Development, Inc, April 2006
• Central Florida Development Council Business Marketing Plan & Budget  Fiscal Year 2006-07 ( 990 KB)
• Business Development City of Conroe, Texas - Downtown Development, Branding & Marketing Plan ( 2.23 MB), Draft 11-05
• Marysville, California - Downtown Marketing Plan (1.07 MB), May 2006

Branding

• The Difficult Job of Branding  (Universities and Cities) - Smart City Radio 
• Place Branding -  A quarterly review of branding and marketing for national, regional and civic development - Palgrave MacMillian
• The Branding of Atlanta, by Bill Wolpin. Editor's Viewpoint. American City & County, November 2005
• Edinburgh (Scotland) Regional City Brand - Site developed to answer questions about the project to create a city brand
• Toronto Unlimited
  • Behind the Campaign
  • History of Branding Strategy

Sample Contracts for Marketing Services

• Snoqualamie Contract with Destination Development for Economic Development, Branding and Marketing Plan ( 949 KB), 2005
• Agreement with Covington Chamber of Commerce creating the Covington Economic Development Partnership Committee, authorized by Resolution 02/40, passed 7-02.
• Interlocal agreement for tourism and marketing services between Tukwila and SeaTac ( 98 KB), January 2002

Illustrations of Local Government Marketing on the Internet

Advertising Economic Development Opportunities

• Bellevue Economic Development
• Federal Way Business and Economic Development (See Marketing Video)
• Forks Economic Development Opportunities
• Kent Economic Development
• King County Business Relations and Economic Development
• Kitsap Economic Development Alliance
• Piece County Economic Development Division
• Port Angeles Economic Development
• Renton - Economic Development
• Seattle - Office of Economic Development
• Sedro-Woolley Industrial Parks - Chamber of Commerce
• Richland Economic Development
• Tacoma Business Assistance
• Vancouver Economic Development
• Yakima County Development Association

Downtowns

• Centralia City Guide
• Kirkland Downtown Association
• Spokane - Welcome to Downtown Spokane - Spokane Downtown Partnership

Additional Resources

• Downtown Revitalization - CTED
• National Main Street Center
• Buxton Co - Provides customer analytics - decision-making information for retail site selection and targeted marketing to major retailers, cities, economic development groups, and healthcare organizations - Web site provides newsletters (Community ID ENewsletter for public sector) and other informationon

Marketing the Community for Economic Development Related Resources
MRSC Index – Marketing, promotions, branding