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5.4. SR 07-11-2011Item # 5_4. o~ MEMORANDUM TO: City Council FROM: Annie Deckert, Director of Economic Development DATE: July I I, 201 I SUBJECT: Branding and Marketing Update Branding and Marketing Strateey Branding consultant chandlerthinks was in Elk River Apri127 - 29 to begin the market research for this project which included a community tour, approximately 25 one-on-one interviews with stakeholders, three focus groups, and numerous mystery shops throughout Elk River. The group also completed mystery shops in Big Lake, Ramsey, Anoka, Maple Grove and Minneapolis to find out their community's thoughts and perceptions about Elk River. Using the information collected from the visit, chandlerthinks created two customized surveys; one for the community and one for employees. Surveys were completed early June. To achieve a 95% accuracy rate in results, a minimum of 300 surveys were needed to be complete. In total, 395 surveys were completed. Similar surveys were also distributed through the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to gauge Metro perceptions of our community. Chandlerthinks will be in Elk River on July 18 and 19 to present the research results and overall branding strategy to the branding subcommittee. Input and suggestions from the committee will be incorporated into the final brand and two-year plan. Staff and chandlerthinks are working together to determine a date in September for final presentation and adoption of the brand plan. This meeting is also intended to build momentum, instill pride, confidence, and buy-in of the plan. In addition to the final presentation of the brand, a meeting will be held with the branding subcommittee and all who participated in the initial market research to engage and prepare them to help champion the brand. Finally, chandlerthinks will be holding `train the trainer' sessions with interested organizations and civic groups to demonstrate how the community brand can be incorporated to their respective marketing efforts. This will provide the tools needed to explain, advocate for, interpret and integrate the brand strategies and tactics into their work in the community. The brand plan will be revisited one year after execution and applicable tune-ups will be made. Staff plans on revisiting the plan annually. Citizen Satisfaction Survey After approving the 2011 Vision and Goals on May 16, the City Council authorized staff to enter into a contract with chandlerthinks to execute a citizen satisfaction survey. Executing this survey is a step that will allow us to support two goals identified in the visioning process: "Develop nesv programs and services to meet the needs of the community", and "Enhance and expand community involvement and publicparticipation" in addition to supporting a number of tasks that rely on a better understanding of city residents, and how they use, receive, and want city information and services. This survey will help us understand the state of existing programs offered by the city, how and if they are used, as well as help us identify any new programs, services or processes that should be offered. We will also learn how citizens currently receive information, as well as their preferences moving forward. Completing this survey is necessary to allow staff to obtain an accurate representation of the voice of the community and gain a better understanding of the needs of our residents in several key areas related to the provision of services. This information will ultimately be used to form and communicate recommendations for the Council's use. The survey is currently being finalized and is anticipated to be available to the public the week of July 11. Data tabulation will occur late July, and results and final report are anticipated to be complete sometime in August. Energy City Educational Event Series Staff partnered with the Environmental Department to hold the third event in a series of business educational events on June 1. Local lenders, business owners, property managers, and realtors joined us at the Elk River Public Library to learn about the new Energy Efficiency Improvement Micro Loan Program, 2011 utility rebates, and federal tax credits. This event was attended by approximately 30 people and a survey distributed at the event indicated high satisfaction. Staff has received several follow-up calls and inquiries regarding the Micro Loan Program. Restaurant Attraction and Recruitment Efforts Identifying the community's desire for additional restaurants, staff continues to proactively market Elk River as it relates to restaurant development. Staff has created a link on the city's website (www.ci.elk-river.inri.us/restaurants) tailored specifically for those looking for a location for their next restaurant. This site includes financial programs and incentives, available sites, a map showcasing specific restaurant pads and more. In addition, detailed demographics are provided for site selectors to be able to quickly determine if Elk River meets their site selection criteria. Major restaurant chains have site criteria which must be met before locating their restaurant in a community. The Elk River City Council recently approved a sewer access charge and water access charge payment program available for full service restaurants. Also approved by the Utilities Commission, this program is one of very few in the state which allows applicants to pay these fees over a period not to exceed five years, in conjunction with their utility bill, instead at the time of building permit. This is a unique financing tool staff can use and partner with our Micro Loan program to utilize when responding to inquiries, meeting with developers and marketing our community. A direct mail outlining these incentives is anticipated to complete later this summer. An advertisement appears in the 2011-2012 Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) directory outlining this program, in addition to other programs and incentives attractive to developers. EDAM is professional association of individuals and organizations (approximately 800 members) throughout the State of Minnesota who strive to advance economic development in the state. Staff attended a Retail & Restaurant Summit through the MN Real Estate Journal (MREJ) to hear about the current retail and restaurant climate, strategies, trends, and opportunities. Staff has since spoken with the MREJ to provide additional information about available sites and financing programs to be considered for a future issue of the MREJ publication. Staff has begun working with a restaurant broker to raise awareness about available sites/property owners, financial programs/ incentives and demographics. Staff will continue to provide updates as they occur. ATTACHMENTS • Community branding timeline • www.ci.elk-river.mn.us/restaurants Elk River Community Branding Timeline April May June July August September :Task Weeks ' ~HilO©i~li~mii~~lm~l ':Contract awarded _ :Community Footprint Audit , .... Digital Footprint Audit Community Brag Tour (in-market) - Stakeholder Interviews (in-market) Focus Groups (in-market) Community Mystery Shoppers (in-market) .~ ..~_. .:.~_.... 'Community Online Survey k _.n_ ' -:- Attitude Awareness & Usage Study ~: ~~;. " ~ ~ t Community Segmentation Analysis ,,. ) ' '. .~ SWOT Analysis ' r', ~ ' _.. Community Brand Profile Community Brand Promise ~ "' Brand Strategy IN PERSON PRESENTATION of RESEARCH & I } ''OVERALL BRAND STRATEGY . ' -- ~ . __ __ .. :3= , . Positioning Copy I _,: ... _ _. ~_._ ~ _ w ~ s ~ , ;Brand Boards y - _ _ _. _. ; ., ;Brand Activation _ _ _ _ , , .~:~ ~~ ~.v ~,. . ~;: Resource Allocation Audit/Community Brand " ~ "" _. 'Intro. Plan ' ' , x. .~~ . Train the trainer for key groups _... FINAL REPORT PRESENTATION . .Brand tune up (6-12 months program concludes) Follow up community survey ? Restaurant Sites -City of Elk River `~ r, ..~.~ °,,. ~~:. , r Page 1 of 2 HOME REQUEST SERVICE LIN145 MAPS ENERGY CITY About ElkRiuer Re$taUrant Sit@S Population: 23,792 Events Elk River is an ideal location to locate your restaurant. With Labor Force: 13,631 nearly 90,000 people in a 10-mile radius, Elk River is located Job Growth: 38.05% Prsss Releases & Publications halfway between Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Cloud. Elk River is the Sherburne County seat and home of the Elk River % with Bachelor's Degree: Your Government School District 728 offices. 27.77% Departments Sherburne County has a workforce of nearly 50,000 people Median Household Income: and the Northstar Commuter Rail began service in late 2009; $76,759 with average weekday hoardings of 382 people, making Elk Parks & Recreation River the busiest train station along the HWY 10 corridor. Travel time to Mpls: 26 Business & Housing Assistance Looking for the perfect site for your restaurant in Elk River? minutes We've made it easier for you; Permits & Licensing • Financial programs and incentives City Code ~ Document Search SAC & WAC payment program for full service restaurants Employment & Volunteer restaurant pads in Eik River • Eik River's 'Urban Spoon' restaurant listing Elk River restaurants map existing Legal Notices _ Thinking about opening up a restaurant? Here are some e-Subscribe Service helpful links to get you started: • Franchise information In Departments: Franchise restaurants for sale Administration If you have a restaurant idea, or are interested in touring potential sites, please contact 763-635-1040. Community Development ERtV Channel 12 Printer-friendl+LVersion Fire Department Finance Liquor Operations Municipal Utilities Police Department Public Works Home ~ Abcut Elk River ~ Events }Press Releases ~ Publications ! Your Gcavernment (G3~oa•tments j Parks & Recreation ~ Business & liousinq Assistance ~ C?mrmits & Licensing ~ City_Cod~,_~._~?ac~v€men# Search. ~ ~m~laymert_i~ V~`unt~er (L~t~al_Noti,ce5 ~ e.=S~gGsc~ihe_Service I t~egLFest Service E Links k Maps ~ Errergy Cif http://www.ci.elk-river.mn.us/index.asp?SEC={DSCC3 82C-8129-4509-A502-210AAD6... 07/06/2011 _~ SEARCH ~~ ~~ _~ ~ ~Go~