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Client: Estherville, Iowa
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A plan for prosperity in Estherville
BY Estherville Daily News Staff
How does one community become more recognized than the next one? Why does one town seem to prosper more than the one just down the road? Can you actually plan for prosperity in a city?
There is a group of volunteers in Estherville that believe you can. Excel! Estherville the community betterment strategic planning group has announced a branding initiative targeted to increase economic and recreational activity in Estherville.
The branding initiative seeks to identify Estherville's development potential through a comprehensive review of its competitive standing as well as an assessment of the vision of its stakeholders and perceptions of its consumers. Based on this work, a brand strategy will be formulated to better position Estherville in the minds of residents, visitors and those who influence economic development.
"The intent of a branding project is to do an honest evaluation of our strengths as a community and develop enhanced strategies for promoting those strengths," said Dusty Embree, executive director of the Estherville Area Chamber of Commerce, who will be coordinating the project for Excel! Estherville. "We view this as a very important process in our community strategic planning scope of work."
The branding initiative project, which will occur over the next 18 months, will entail a range of activities and outcomes to include:
-Use of questionnaires, focus groups and surveys with stakeholder groups and the public to gain insights about Estherville's past, present and potential for the future.
-Utilize research to understand how Estherville measures up against comparative community metrics; assess local consumer buying behavior; better understand resident lifestyle habits; learn about perceptions of Estherville held by individuals outside of the community; and to complete an assessment of Estherville's strengths and resources to attract business/visitors to the community.
-An assessment of current marketing materials and media practices utilized throughout the community.
-Research outcomes and strategic priorities will be utilized to create a brand identity, clearly and distinctively expressed.
-Communication objectives will be developed to utilize the Estherville brand in effective ways to support strategic planning priorities.
-Ongoing evaluation plans to monitor the effectiveness of Estherville's branding initiative.
"A project of this scope is essential if Estherville is serious about its efforts to increase business activity and enhance recreational opportunities in the community," said Estherville Mayor and Excel Estherville leadership committee member Lyle Hevern. "The only way to get this done is to better understand what it takes to attract people and businesses to Estherville, gaining that understanding through a solid foundation of research."
Excel! Estherville has retained North Star Destination Strategies of Nashville, Tenn., to provide technical assistance to the project. North Star has assisted communities of all sizes across the United States, including Forest City in Iowa. Its representatives will be on-site in Estherville and engaging with a wide range of community citizens.
"The branding initiative has the potential to be a real game changer for Estherville," said Embree. "Through thoughtful research, analysis and planning, and with wide spread community support, we can take a significant step forward in transforming our community to be an even better place to live, work and play."
