Let’s Get Right to the Point What is the point of participating in The Keokuk Branding Campaign? Simply said, “the point” is to get more people to think and say great things about Keokuk so more people want to come and see what we have to offer. The Keokuk Branding Campaign is designed to formulate a set of community promotional solutions that are true to the values, vision and people that make Keokuk what it is today and will help us grow into the city we hope to become tomorrow. There is great power in fostering an atmosphere of community confidence with our residents, businesses and local organizations. Research shows that people’s level of confidence in our community’s future, both current residents and prospective visitors and businesses, is a solid bell weather as to our ability as a community to grow our population, our revenue and our community services. Creating and fostering confidence about our future is what the Keokuk branding Campaign is all about. Technology has also opened new avenues to communities like ours to expand our reach in exciting and cost affordable ways like never before. This marketing and branding campaign plan will cover the following specific action steps that our community would like to take in partnership with you:
Step One:
Change the way we think.
Step Two:
Change the way we invest.
Step Three:
Change the future of Keokuk.
Find out more @ www.MyKeokuk.com Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step One: Change the way we think.
Keokuk. Think about our Product Is our community special, or is it just like all the rest? Are we a community or a commodity? A commodity is a product for which there is a market need, but which also has no unique difference from the other products in that market. For example: Corn is corn, steel is steel. When we are out promoting Keokuk as a great place to live and work, we are really offering Keokuk as a product. We have something to offer and our audience is looking for something to buy. They may want to buy a new house, buy land to build a business or buy services like hotels and food for their vacations. Everyone in Keokuk has a product to sell. So even our community can be seen as a commodity if the people choosing whether they want to live or bring a business here see us only as a dot on a map or as a set of nice brochures in a marketing packet -if they fail to see and to feel the relationships, opportunity and experiences that make our community unique. When people are moving a family or a business to our city or choosing us as a vacation destination, there is a “price” associated with that decision. That “price” isn’t just the value of a new home or money for gas. Its also includes the ‘opportunity cost,’ the loss they may experience by not choosing another city that they think may have offered them more. We cannot market our community as if we live in a vacuum. We are not just selling Keokuk, we are selling everything Keokuk has to offer against a wide variety of other communities and all they have to offer. If we are just offering a brochure and a dot on the Iowa map, then in many ways we are selling a commodity just like everyone else. Why is that bad? What people are willing to invest for commodity-based products and services is a lot less than it is for something that feels more special, more unique. So all things being equal, if what we are asking people to invest in Keokuk is to high compared to the confidence they Keokuk has something unique to offer, our potential residents, visitors and businesses will be off to the next city. We need to be more than a “commodity” if we want to win, we need to show the full value our “community” has to offer. Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step One: Change the way we think.
Community. Think about our People Community is a group of people organized around a “common vision.” Community is also a “state of mind” that promotes a sense of “joint ownership” and “participation.” For example, Keokuk is a community of people whose common vision is to … hmmm, wait, what is Keokuk’s vision all about? If you don’t know the answer to that question you need to take a quick time-out and read the Keokuk Vision Plan. Then come back and we will keep going. If you do then, here, let’s go on. When it comes to spreading the word about who we are, marketing ourselves and what we have to offer, it is important to remember that there isn’t just “One Keokuk.” Our community is made up of many internal and external groups of people. Existing residents and business are the obvious communities. However, there are also other groups, mini-communities, like prospective residents, businesses and tourists as well as media, legislators, and even much smaller mini-groups like young professionals, kids, and volunteers. Each of these smaller sub-communities requires subtle differences in messaging, content, frequency of contact and type of media. Older generations like billboards, younger generations like their BlackBerries. • To how many communities do you belong? (Clubs, Work, Church, School, Neighborhood) • Do you understand each of your communities’ “common vision?” • Do you have Confidence that your investment in those communities will pay off in future? Those are some of the questions we had to ask in creating Keokuk’s Branding Campaign. We think that we now have the right message and the supporting media tools to get people excited about what makes our “community” unique and inviting. We think we can do a better job of getting peoples attention than ever before. In addition to telling them about the standard quality social services, housing, work and education options Keokuk offers like every other community, we can now begin to truly inspire people to find their own unique opportunity here with us, to find their own version of what Keokuk means to them. When we talk about My Keokuk and Keokuk: Make it Yours, we really mean it. The Keokuk Branding Campaign isn’t just a pretty logo on a postcard. It is a fullfledged everyday effort to help people find that one special thing, something truly unique to them, that will make Keokuk feel like their home forever.
Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step One: Change the way we think.
Confidence. Think about Ourselves. Commodity is to product what complacency is to people. If “Good is the enemy of Great,” then saying that there may be come complacency in Keokuk doesn’t mean we have lazy people, a marginal community or even that there is anything wrong with our community. It just means that many of our residents and businesses are simply OK with being “OK” when we, as the organizations and leaders responsible for growth, need them to be excited. If we are going to grow Keokuk, having a “commodity” or “complacency” mindset just isn’t going to cut it. It’s a big problem when people’s negative, or even neutral, attitudes about our city fail to inspire them to take the critical positive attitudes and actions we really need. Positive actions like volunteering for just one more event a year, donating just a little more to fundraisers or just saying one more nice thing about Keokuk to friends or even a stranger in the airport next time we are on a trip. So to reach our vision and for our branding and marketing efforts to work we need to first get people to change their attitudes into excitement, into a winning energy. That starts with you as you read this page. It starts by you spreading that excitement to the next three people you talk to. Imagine if everyone in Keokuk told one positive story about our city to just three more, then those three people to three more. That’s what branding is: People telling positive stories worth repeating to others. With all that said, now we have to put that energy behind driving a written and well planned branding and marketing process. We need to put our “money where out mouth” is as they say. And yes, that requires each of us giving of our money and our positive voice about our future. •
Would you buy a stock if you didn’t think it would go up in value?
•
Would you buy a house if you didn’t think it was in a good neighborhood?
•
What do people need to understand & have confidence in to “Buy Keokuk?”
Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step One: Change the way we think.
Competitive Advantage. Think about our Brand. Our Competitive Advantage is what sets us apart for all other communities. Having that advantage means getting and staying one step ahead of our competitors. That is right, Keokuk has competitors just like our local business do. The Keokuk branding and marketing campaign is designed to build confidence in our residents and business owners about the future we all wish to have. We think creating that confidence in our own people will give us the edge over our competitors. In fact, growing a sense of confidence in our community is in itself one of our best competitive advantages. To accomplish that we have created a branding campaign that involves everyone in the community. We did that because we can’t just grow Keokuk alone by snapping our fingers. If we want your help in growing Keokuk, then Keokuk needs to help you grow your business, your neighborhood and your clubs and organizations first. We all have t o grow together. So our marketing and branding campaign has two critical elements that were designed to promote and reinforce a message of confidence in Keokuk’s future.
My Keokuk Keokuk: Make It Yours These two messages, “My Keokuk” and “Keokuk: Make It Yours,” will interconnect with the primary brand of Keokuk in various ways depending on the target audience of marketing message being sent. Now, how are we going to share this with Keokuk and with everyone else? We need everyone in Keokuk to invest. Does that mean get out your checkbook? Maybe, but first, why don’t we change the way we think about investing in community marketing and start with the stuff that is almost free? In fact, with digital technology and printing, the Internet and some very creative local media partners, we can do more than ever with less than you think.
Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step Two: Change the way we invest.
Campaign Theme #1: “My Keokuk” Purpose: Foster the community sprit and participation of internal residents. Investing in our community doesn’t have to mean money. One major element driving our branding campaign is that you and your organization or business can help us promote Keokuk while promoting your own products and services at the same time. In fact, just by integrating some of the My Keokuk messaging into your existing marketing budget we can all win together and save money! Here are a few ideas to bring the power of our community into your community. First is sample of using “My Keokuk Heals” as a fun way to involve employees and patients at Keokuk Health Systems. All it takes is a fun creative idea, a digital camera and a call over to the Affiliates Office and you’re off and running as a Keokuk Branding Partner. We can even match the posters to your brand colors or to ours. All you pay is the cost to print the posters on the community color poster printer in the Affiliates office. We even have an order sheet with sizes and prices to make it easy.
Another idea is just be creative. Imagine My Keokuk Welds, My Keokuk Races, My Keokuk Flies, My Keokuk Paints, My Keokuk Skips Rope, My Keokuk Prays … even like to the right, My Keokuk Rocks and Rolls. Have fun with it. Pass the hat at an office, club or church meeting then just call the Affiliates office and tell us what makes it “My Keokuk” for you. We will do the rest. How easy is that? Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step Two: Change the way we invest.
Campaign Theme #2: “Keokuk: Make It Yours” Purpose: Invite an external audience to come experience and invest in Keokuk. This is the part of the branding campaign that will take a bit more than your voice. We need your help. Yes, that means we need to raise money. We also need you to know that while we all understand that the economy has been tight these last few months, we also know that after a long period of decline, Keokuk finally has the momentum of growth turning our way. We need to capitalize on that momentum right now. We can not afford to wait. But like the page above, let’s change the way we invest. We are not asking you to spend more money, just spend it differently. That’s right … there are a few big things that will need major sponsor or communitywide support, but to get started all we need is a little creativity and your imagination.
Keokuk Branding Partnerships o My Keokuk Poster Partner o Promotion Packet Partner o Print Ad Co-op Partner o Radio Ad Co-op Partner o Television Ad Co-op Partner o Bill Board Co-op Partner o Event Partner o MyKeokuk.com Partner o Vehicle, Bus, Office & Tower Partner o “Coins of Keokuk” Partner
Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008
Step Three: Change the future of Keokuk
7 Ways You Can Make a Difference: Check One Today o My Keokuk Poster Partner Let's face it: since we were kids, everyone likes posters, be it for events, promotional campaigns, announcements, what have you. Guess what -- we'll make cool posters for you! You can't say you wouldn't love, for example, to have your store emblazoned upon a "My Keokuk Shops" poster with your photo and logo on display for the whole community to enjoy.
o Promotion Packet Partner The creation and printing of personalized individual promotional packets that share the message and philosophy of the Keokuk Branding Initiative is another integral component of spreading a universal idea about growing Keokuk. What that means is making cost-effective specifically targeted materials for each new resident, tourist or business prospect branded both to your company and our city.
o Print/Radio/TV/Billboard Partner When your institution is ready to begin a new promotional campaign, why not take one additional step and not only promote your institution on the ad, but Keokuk itself? For a hospital, a "My Keokuk Heals" run of advertisements would be an excellent example, "My Keokuk Creates" for arts-related projects, "My Keokuk Invests" for banks. The possibilities are endless! If enough people see and hear a clear, consistent message, and if they see that message across multiple forms of media in many different locations, they begin to repeat it, believe it and make it real.
o MyKeokuk.com Partner MyKeokuk.com will serve as Keokuk’s primary front door on the world=wide-web for new residents, tourists and prospective businesses to learn what we in Keokuk have to offer. It will also link to other existing community Web sites as well as popular social media web sites like YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. It will also be a central on-line hub for the Keokuk Branding Initiative. Help the Web site tell Keokuk's story by sponsoring it, either through banner advertising or category sponsorship. By doing so, not only do you help Keokuk remain visible to the rest of Iowa and beyond, but you also tell your story to each viewer of the Web site.
o Event Partner We've all had the challenge of trying to promote events and tell our stories in an effective manner. If you take the step of branding your event in alignment with the Keokuk Branding Initiative, we'll take the step of promoting it everywhere with you. You win, we win, Keokuk wins!
o Vehicle, Bus, Office or Tower Partner While taking part in a cooperative branding campaign doesn't necessarily entail spending money ... some parts of it do. Branding our buses, city and tour vehicles, office spaces and more, with the "My Keokuk ..." message, ensures that everybody shares in the excitement. And while it is just an idea, the WaterTower is simply the "big enchilada” of them all. While either a small, medium or sizable investment, sponsorship of the branding of these various Keokuk resources is vital to our success.
o “Coins of Keokuk” Partner One of the key elements of the Keokuk Branding Initiative is the creation of symbolic coins representing not only the "My Keokuk" campaign, but also the Keokuk Branding Affiliates of Government, Chamber, Main Street, Economic Development and Tourism. These coins, targeted to be released beginning in the spring of 2009, are tangible symbols of Keokuk that can be used as tokens, giveaways, (endless possibilities), as well as something that can be given to tourists and visitors and then taken elsewhere across the state and beyond. By using the Coins of Keokuk in your efforts, you are not only furthering the message, but you are fulfilling Keokuk’s brand theme: "Make It Yours." Copyright 365, Community, Incorporated 2008