6. EDSR 12-13-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The two day visioning seminar held in September by various Elk River staff and Council Member Matt Westgaard has put us in the right direction, and completed a vital portion of the branding process. The Vision will be incorporated into the process and implementation plan. Below is the vision and goals adopted by the City Council in October: The Vision Abounding in natural beauty, Elk River is a vibrant, historic river town that promotes an active lifestyle in an innovative and involved community offering unlimited opportunities. Goals supporting the vision: • Innovation- Develop new programs and services to meet the needs of the community • Community Development- Enhance community involvement and public participation through a variety of innovative outlets • Beautification- Have attractive welcoming streetscapes at City entrances and primary corridors. Enforce zoning ordinances • Opportunities-Foster apro-growth atmosphere that provides incentives and other opportunities for new and existing business growth BRANDING AND MARKETING STRATEGY A branding and marketing strategy is an action step which will assist in meeting the goals adopted by Council in October. What do people (residents, businesses, employees, outsiders, etc.) see when they look at our community? We want to ensure they see a community working together and a City that gives off a strong, unified message. A branding plan will send a unified message to the community as well as those outside of Elk River. Currently, there are different messages that the City conveys to the community, businesses and outsiders. Some of the examples include: Elk river Economic Development location-e~ciency-innovation The Light Industrial Hub of the Northavest Metro Elk river Parks and recreation He pingyou lead an active, healthy lifestyle. Elk river Energy City This may cause confusion and may not portray Elk River has having a solid identity. These different messages may create the misconception that different departments within the City do not work together, when in reality, they do. It may also appear that there is no `one voice' of the City. A national survey completed in 2008 among CEOs found that 71% of the time a short list of locations to consider for capital investment is created without talking to an economic development professional. The implication is that for 71 % of investment occasions, your community's image determines if it is on or off the short list for additional follow-up. Therefore, to encourage economic growth it is beneficial that your community have a strong and competitive image. N:\Departments\Community Development\Economic Development\Marketing\Branding\Memos\12-13-10 EDA Action Requested.doc