Client: Bay City, Michigan

Does the Bay Area Need a Witty Catch Phrase or a Flashy Logo to Attract Vacationers and New Businesses?

By James Briggs - Times Writer

Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner thinks it could help.

Hickner is among more than 100 local business owners and elected officials who attended a presentation on economic branding Thursday at the Lincoln Center in Bay City.

Economic branding is a technique that markets communities by using similar advertising methods as soft drink or clothing companies. It focuses on attractive aspects of a community and uses slogans, pictures and videos to build positive perceptions.

"The idea of the community developing an identity - a brand that we can promote in all aspects of economic growth activities - is absolutely an appropriate strategy," Hickner said.

Don McEachern, president of Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies, hosted the presentation. He said the Bay Area needs a brand name that people throughout Michigan - and the rest of the country - will be able to recognize.

"No one group has enough money to compete in the marketplace with as much clutter as there is to compete with," McEachern said. "The more a community can speak in one voice, the better the chance it can break through that clutter and make an impact."

A recent study shows Bay County is virtually unknown to the rest of the state.

Detroit-based Brogan & Partners surveyed 800 state businesses and found: "The image of Bay County is essentially a blank slate, with 43 percent of respondents having no image or nothing that comes to mind when asked about Bay County."

McEachern, who specializes in economic branding for small- and mid-sized cities, is proposing a massive multi-media marketing campaign that he says would make Bay County more than just another dot along Interstate 75.

McEachern already has completed similar projects in such cities as Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss. He's also working with the city of Lansing on an economic branding strategy.

But Michael D. Seward, president of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, said the money would be well spent.

"That's probably not as much money as most people would think it would be - especially if you're getting the whole branding process," Seward said. "I was very impressed with the professionalism (McEachern) brings. The other projects he's put together look kind of like an advertisement that a Fortune 500 company would do."

The project likely would be funded through a collaboration of public-private contributions.

Robert Monroe, president of Gougeon Brothers in Bay City, said he would consider making a contribution.

"I think the funding should come from all over the place," Monroe said. "Budgets are tight, but we need to bring everyone to the table."

The Bay Area Convention & Visitor's Bureau and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce are also possible contributors.

Shirley M. Roberts, executive director of the Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she hopes all the county's government entities will get involved.

"We've been talking about a community branding effort for three years," Roberts said. "The purpose (of the presentation) was to get community leaders excited about the process of community branding. Ultimately, it won't work unless they want to be involved."

Hickner said economic branding would coincide with the efforts of Bay Futures Inc., an economic development coalition between Bay County, Bay City, Essexville and nine townships.

Not everyone is ready to jump on board, however. Bay City Mayor Robert J. Katt said it concerns him that Lansing is the only Midwest city McEachern has worked with.

"I understand why you have stayed down south," Katt told McEachern. "It's warm, and you can golf 12 months of the year. But why have you not come up north to the rustbelt?"

Katt said he'd like to see more information about the process.

"There wasn't a lot of meat and potatoes there," Katt said. "I would say a certain segment of the community will explore it if they can afford it."

State Rep. Joseph L. Rivet, D-Bangor Township, said he thinks more people would come to the Bay Area if it had a strong identity.

"Clearly, finding an identity is critical in all markets," Rivet said. "This is a good effort. Any and all efforts to improve the image of the county are worth supporting."