Locale 2018

Locale Deep Dive 2018

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Deep dive 2018

This crazy, wild idea is dedicated to Bob and Frances Conn, the people that taught me what community was, is and will always be.

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Inspiration

+ Heart

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contents Preface Death in a Small Town Inspired Engaging a Community The Process Benchmarking Stakeholders Focus and Feedback Focus on Digital Strategy Focus on Social Media Franchising: The Final Frontier Journey Map of a Franchise Funding and Monetization Brand Aesthetic and Sample Articles Creating Community Identity Into Public Art We Dive For the Love of Chocolate Healing Powers Bibliography

7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 42

special Thank you Brian Bishop Sam Thelen Annie Thelen Cassie Gritsavage Jim Oakwood Jeanne Schuette Jill Gritsavage Loretta Fedewa Delaney Fedewa Shelly Media Nikola Brown Fatemeh Medina Judy Dershem Jean Reustman Janet Wickham

Trent Jakus Jack Bergeron Leeanna Woods Oh MI Organics Rohrback & Associates, CPA Shannon Schlegel Law Kiwanis Club of St. Johns Clinton County Chamber of Commerce Clinton County Historical Society City of St. Johns Lansing Community College Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University Collaborative Design Students and Sta Gayle Debruyn

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preface This is a journey of community, place making and being better than yesterday. This is about launching an idea to grow, sustain and improve our home, and this where the story begins.

This journey is about solving a problem. It’s about understanding the needs of people. It’s about understanding the needs of a community. It’s about solidifying our place in history. It’s about lifting others.

It’s about tragedy and triumph, taking the bull by the horns, going out on a limb, taking a chance and beating the odds.

It’s about positivity and how the glass is half-full. It’s about putting a foot forward when you really feel like crawling back into bed. It’s about dressing up and showing up; doing what you’ve got to do. It’s about handling the business. It’s about bad decisions and allowing failure. It’s about friends. Its about process. It’s about history and the future. It’s about the good, the bad, the ugly. It’s about the lost and the found. It’s about how time gets away. It’s about change. It’s about being better than yesterday. It’s about a hometown, maybe yours, maybe mine. It’s about being on the opposite side of the table or feeling left out. It’s about conservatives and liberals, farms and business and the people integral to success.

It’s about elevating people to their rightful place. It’s about disagreeing and listening and forgiveness. It’s about families. community and sustaining life.

It’s about diversity and inclusion and it’s about empathy.

It’s about a very long road and very short amount of time. It’s about conversations and confrontation and banging your head against a wall. It’s about issues, problems and the joys of solutions to problems. It’s about supporting one another in good times and in bad.

In 2008, a life changing event sparked an idea. On the beaches of Islamorada, in the center of the Florida Keys, armed with a cold drink on a hot day, Locale Magazine was born.

It’s inaugural launch was August 2009 in St. Johns, Michigan during its annual Mint Festival.

Locale Magazine is designed and developed to promote community engagement and connection through the narratives in our neighborhoods.

Locale promotes people in small towns and rural communities. And while Locale is not a news source, it is committed to telling the personal stories of triumph, creativity and local culture engaging our friends, families and neighbors in authentic dialogue about the topics we care about most deeply.

Our stories will always be rooted in people; the people that make a community our home.

In 2009, Locale Magazine secured an office suite, grew to over ten staff members and a myriad of contributors. In 2010, Locale Magazine surpassed it’s goals and later earned several awards for it’s dedication to community. Locale Magazine proved to be a local success embraced by our friends and family. This launch was simply the first iteration of a good idea.

But, Locale Magazine can be better.

This 2018 publication is a conversation starter and a case study in the continued viability of print in a small community. It is a case study in business modeling, branding, engagement and the triple bottom line incorporating collaborative design strategies across local regions.

The goal is to relaunch Locale Magazine in a sustainable way armed with new branding, content and a franchising model to grow the geographical footprint while encouraging social change in underserved rural communities. This publication is just the first step in a larger conversation about amazing people. So, lets get started.

You can crush a man with journalism William Randolf Hearst

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Death in a Small Town By 2004, the Gannett Company had purchased HomeTown Communications Network, the umbrella company for the Clinton County News, St. Johns’ local newspaper. Fifteen employees were laid off locally, and more than 780 corporate affiliate employees across two states were laid off or transferred in similar circumstances. The newly owned Clinton County News began reprinting articles from the regional newspaper as a means to consolidate news efforts. Sales took the same route. Advertising sales were bundled to appear in multiple town local weekly runs, at the expense of the advertiser.

This garnered a feeling of mistrust and eventually, advertising sales dropped dramatically. Editorial staff became non-existent. The buildings once occupied on the main streets of small towns were abandoned and subsequently put up for sale while operations were conducted regionally at a larger facility more than 20 miles away.

According to Time Magazine, many towns like St. Johns are still suffering the consequences. Local story coverage is important to community engagement— when there are fewer stories, studies show the locals seem to care less about how they are being governed. Voter turnout drops, and without fresh, new opposition, unopposed incumbents are systematically re-elected.1 Each year, more and more small town and rural newspapers meet the same fate.

Newspapers are being dragged downward by two major factors. First, are the demographics. It is no secret older Americans are still reading newsprint and as their population decreases, new readers are not being replaced.2 The trend is clearly a downward spiral. Secondly, new media is an increasingly competitive market, making it more difficult to attract readers to information that can easily be seen on social media long before print hits the doorstep. An article by Belinda Luscombe writes, “Newspapers are simply being siphoned out of journalism altogether. Breaking news hits social media channels faster than any other source. Craigslist ate the classifieds ads, eHarmony stole the personals and Google took those tiny ads for weird products; and Macy’s can email its own damn customers to announce a sale.”3 Following this trend is the inevitable bloodletting of jobs. Gannet’s revenue in Q1 2009 fell almost 35 percent and laid off more than 10,000 employees. And for those not laid off, monthlong furloughs were a common affair. The newspaper industry continues to see sharp declines even in good economic times. This means newspapers are likely to suffer catastrophic declines next time a major economic downturn makes headlines.4 So what’s the good news? The death of print is NOT imminent. Print survives for many more reasons than news, and this is how magazines can enter the scene for a small community. Magazine articles are user centered periodicals, enjoying a much longer shelf life. Magazines are a great way to showcase interesting photos and illustrations with visually pleasing graphic design. Magazines can function as a piece of art, or a showpiece for the community enhancing the social construct. Magazines can highlight and craft provocative stories to be lingered over and displayed proudly like accessories on a coffee table or night stand. Magazines thrive because readers seek tailored hyper-local entertainment within their community. Locale Magazine goals seek to make this important connection in the community.

1. “The Year The Newspaper Died." Business Insider. July 04, 2009. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-death-of-theamerican-newspaper-2009-7 2. Ibid.

3. “Luscombe, Belinda. "What Happens When a Town Loses Its Newspaper?" Time. March 22, 2009. http://content.time.com/ time/nation/article/0,8599,1886826,00.html 4. “Gannett to Acquire HomeTown Communications Network." Business Wire. November 19, 2004. https:// www.businesswire.com/news/home/20041119005353/en/Gannett-acquire-HomeTown-Communications-Network.

“Our inspiration is collaboration. Maybe it’s our Midwest spirit, but as much as we love to create, we love to share: share ideas, share the things we see and like, share the sounds we hear along the way and share the credit for converting possibilities into realities.”1 Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc

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Inspired

“What Helps people Helps business.”

Leo Burnett, one of the most prolific advertising icons of our time was born in St. Johns, Michigan. Burnett, for all intents and purposes, embodied midwestern spirit, and he carried with him a glowing attitude that translated into a renowned advertising agency now spanning the globe. Leo Burnett Worldwide, Incorporated was founded in Chicago 1935, The Leo Burnett Company has spent more than a century in advertising designing some of the most identifiable brands of our time. Burnett, known for his homeliness, gentle nature and heartfelt manners transformed his personal style into a philosophy for his company centered on work ethic and the drive for beautiful, compelling design.2 Burnett started his career as a crime reporter and an in-house copywriter for Cadillac. Drawing on his optimism and love for his craft, he set out on his own.

Burnett sold his house, and in his own words said, “hocked all of his insurance, and took a drive off the end of the springboard”. In 1935, the economy was in crisis, and most successful ad agencies were found on Madison Avenue. But, even in depressionravaged Chicago, Leo Burnett opened his doors and greeted his first visitors with a beautiful ripe apple. To this day, the tradition continues in all global offices by greeting visitors with a bowl of ripe apples.

Leo Burnett’s creative style was centered in strong and often cheeky imagery as apposed to text filled

-Leo Burnett

advertising. “Dedicate yourself to making the ads— our kinds of ads”, Mr. Burnett said, “and the money will come.”3 His philosophy paid off and with driving persistence, Burnett went on to develop some of our most famous icons in the advertising industry such as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, the Jolly Green Giant, the Marlboro Cowboy and Tony the Tiger. Burnett himself called his style “sod-busting corniness” and considered his representations the antithesis of Madison Avenue sophistication.4 Burnett, known as a little guy with dandruff and a rumpled suit, without ego or a reputation as a public speaker, delivered a now well-know inspiring address to his employees in 1967.

Burnett exclaimed he never wished to be associated with the agency if it ever compromised integrity or creative spirit in the interest of efficiency— when the apples were no longer part of the tone or personality, that is when he insisted his name be taken off the door.5 In 1999, Time Magazine named Leo Burnett as one of 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Advertising Age looked back on over a century of notable advertising agencies and brand icons with four out of ten brands designed by the Leo Burnett Company, and no other agency showing more than one notable brand.6 Locale’s vision in many ways is the same as Burnett’s. Persistent optimism served with a mid-western spirit with a side of fun. Here’s to making sure this apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

1. "Leo Burnett - Department of Design." Leo Burnett - Department of Design. http://lbdod.com/.

2. "Leo Burnett Co." Ad Age. September 15, 2003. http://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/leo-burnett/98551/.

3. “The History of Advertising 11 - Leo Burnett's Apples." Campaign: Marketing, Advertising and Media News & Analysis. https:// www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/history-advertising-11-leo-burnetts-apples/1064542.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. "Leo Burnett Co." Ad Age. September 15, 2003. http://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/leo-burnett/98551/.

Photo Credit: Clinton County Historical Society. Pictured is Robert Conn, shoveling snow in front of the E. F. Boron home goods store in downtown St. Johns, Michigan. Date unknown.

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Engaging a Community Community engagement is a process of working collaboratively within a community to address issues impacting the well-being of its stakeholders.

Rural communities are most vulnerable to lost community engagement, due in part to the loss or spare methods of communication. Traditionally, activities that help engage the community have included collaborative decision making across demographics and remembering to include the voices of the generally underserved. In its simplest terms, community engagement seeks to better engage with the community and to achieve long-term sustainable outcomes, processes, relationships, discourse, decision-making, or implementation and to serve the greater good.1 Locale seeks to avoid acting in a top-down manner and instead, design a communication model engaging community members directly in the conversational work of social change.

Promotional photo submitted by Clinton County Historical Society

Community engagement is both a process and an outcome, a noun and a verb propelling us to ask the question: What is state of our relationship with the community? And more importantly, how do we grow that relationship? We can begin by asking: what is special about our community?

How do we begin?

Every community has unique talents, skills, cultural heritage, experiences, beliefs, and values. It is important to recognize, appreciate, utilize and promote these strengths. This will

enable a community to see the ways in which their contributions are helpful and important to its stakeholders.

As a prototype, Locale Magazine originally launched its first issue in Clinton County during it's annual Mint Festival. St. Johns is the county seat with numerous surrounding small communities such as Ovid-Elsie, Fowler and DeWitt. Clinton County is known for its richly organic soil making the area particularly well-suited for mint farming.

Engaging community through history.

Near the turn of the century a high demand for mint oil in medicines and candy came from companies like Wrigley resulting in local mint farm production. Beginning in 1930, 60 mint distilleries made St. Johns their home.

During that time, locals and passersby testified that during the months of July and August, a heavy sweet mint fragrance would waft in all directions, detectable for miles. During the summer months to this day, the sweet smell of mint continues to permeate the air on warm summer evenings through the fall months. Even now, more than 500,000 pounds of mint are cultivated each year, making Clinton County number one in mint production. Called "The Mint Capital of the World”, the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce has celebrated it’s mint farming heritage with the “Mint Festival” since 1985.2 These unique qualities are what can make ANY rural community unique and serves as a platform to begin conversations engage citizens in authentic dialogue sparking a new sustainable communication model.

1. "Why Community Engagement Matters (Center for Economic and Community Development)." Center for Economic and Community Development (Penn State University). http://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement-toolbox/ 2. Historical Society | Clinton County, MI. https://www.clinton-county.org/446/Historical-Resources.

Design a local print magazine utilizing a new digital footprint coupled with compelling stories of local people with unique narratives to sustain community engagement through authentic experiences.

Benchmark, prototyping and conduct focus groups with community stakeholders.

Feedback for review test and implement for further analysis and iterations.

Improvements and changes implemented in the areas of digital, platform, user centered strategy along with locally sourced content.

Expansion of multiplatform delivery methods through online and mobile platforms.

Implement fresh customizable branding and identity to build product awareness. Expand geographic footprint through franchise model development streamlining process in new, untapped rural markets.

Engaging new communities, encouraging and embracing diversity, giving a strong sense of place, pride and engagement supporting community growth and promoting social change in underserved locales.

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The process Why a Magazine?

Multiple studies show consumers find magazines a keepsake. The reading is pleasurable and offers colorful, tangible long-term enjoyment readers savor for years to come, Magazines offer valuable content with a long shelf life. Forbes data shows consumers trust and recall magazine content over most other methods of traditional print, such as newspapers.1 Locale Magazine is committed to responsible circular economy strategies developing employment opportunities, cultivate economic growth while also being cognizant of eliminating waste. Locale will do this by extending it’s digital footprint and when applicable, and for printed products, use organic and recycled materials.

Locale Magazine seeks to improve current branding appealing to a larger audience elevating visual communication for rural communities. Paired with new online content and clear social media strategy, Locale Magazine will offer a broad range of content topics to a wide variety of demographics, lifestyles and interests, improving community engagement and highlighting diversity within the community. The new and improved digital footprint increases viewership and viability for stakeholders improving local return on investment while increasing revenue opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The outcome of Locale Magazine is to expand the distribution to new rural areas and cultivate additional engaged communities in print and in online. Rural community stakeholders will develop stronger interest in new products, services, ideas and creativity sparking social change and wicked problem solving at the small town, local level.

1. Sacks, Bob. "Print Mags Allive, Dead? Depends on Your Business." Publishing Executive. September 22, 2017. http:// www.pubexec.com/post/print-magazines-dead-alive-obsolete-depends-business-model/.

yet, print's sustainability wil ound in smaller circulation that can cross the divide and e from a commodity cation to a must-have ing, luxury product. To those titles the overall industry es are meaningless. Those ics, however accurate and ssing, are also irrelevant to title. The only meaningfu

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benchmarking Benchmarking compares performance and processes to standard industry best practices from competitors and like businesses.2 When planning for the next iteration of Locale Magazine, benchmarking supported the planning, delivery and visual ideals of similar products to identify new solutions in brand and business strategy increasing effectiveness. The example benchmarks included similar style magazines highlighting hyper local content, online visual presence, organizational, business and marketing strategies along with visual components for print and digital execution. During research, some magazines selected for the purposes of comparison included, Local Wolf, Salt, Local Life, Locale Magazine, California (no affiliation), Women’s Lifestyle, Culture GR and Parnassus Magazine.

These benchmarks were each selected for their unique components. Some were selected for business model and digital strategy, others were selected for content ideals and yet others selected for their visual standards.

Locale Magazine, as a goal, seeks to blend these unique attributes into one successful publications for rural communities and small towns.

Benchmarking also serves to uncover solutions through observation. While some benchmarking helps to narrow the scope of the project, the idea is to run several iterations based on applying the business aspiration matching stakeholder need to what is realistically feasible while also allowing for breaking barriers and exceeding limitations to reach common community goals and exceed expectations.3

“And yet, print's sustainability will be found in smaller circulation titles that can cross the divide and move from a commodity publication to a must-have, addicting, luxury product. To those petite titles the overall industry declines are meaningless. Those statistics, however accurate and depressing, are also irrelevant to your title. The only meaningful business statistic is your own title's sustainability and on-going profits.”

- From Forbes Magazine1

1. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Magazines." Respect for Magazines as Media – A Brief History and Why They Work. https:// www.mni.com/phone/history-of-why-magazines-work-as-media.html 2. Kumar, Vijay. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2013.

3. Ibid.

Business

Contributors

Employees

Franchise

Stakeholder Map

Mentors

Finance

Community Schools

Experts

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Stakeholders Whether the focus is on a businesses model, local engagement or sustainable practices, Locale needed to identify invested stakeholders. In order to ensure project success, Locale consulted with invested local mentors as key stakeholders in the project to better understand their preferences, needs and desired outcomes, while utilizing their specific expertise.

Locale engaged these key stakeholders not only during the research phase, but also during testing phase to help reduce risk and uncover new strategies to create community buy-in and trust. When stakeholders are adequately engaged, their influence spreads to the community as a whole, increasing the chances for success.1 Some of the ways these stakeholders are important to this project were in the areas of profitability. For example, lawyers, financial managers and small business owners shared their personal knowledge and experiences. Locale also uncovered potential government officials, community leaders and mentors that had vested interest in participating to uncover new innovations in community engagement. Potential franchisors, contributors, employees, contractors and advertisers all enjoy stronger personal and professional growth within their own community when communication is improved.2 Identifying stakeholders not only clears the path of potential obstructions, it actively supports progress and improves the quality of the results.3 Locale believes in making stakeholders happy, but also required is their time, expertise and influence to reach the goals of the business model.

1."4 Ways Stakeholders Are Important to a Project." Proficient Learning RSS2. http://proficientlearning.com/4-waysstakeholders-are-important-to-a-project/.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

c o F

s u

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focus & feedback A focus group is a gathering of purposefully selected people to participate in a planned discussion intended to elicit consumer perceptions about Locale Magazine and general observations towards improvement and expansion efforts.

Unlike an interview, which usually occurs with an individual, the focus group method allows members of the group to interact and influence each other during the discussion and invite consideration of new ideas.1 The focus group method allows for an alternative way of obtaining opinions from stakeholders without the common knee-jerk responses sometimes seen in a blind survey. Anonymous surveys can be more scientific, particularly when producing quantitative data.2 However, Locale’s strategy was to invite not only opinion but suggestion in a forum where ideas can be built on by multiple factors and where participants can influence or make positive connections. Focus groups can have a distinct advantage over some other types of research through multi-channel interactions.3 Locale’s focus group was flexible by design, capitalizing on local decisionmakers and their ability to talk through risk and opportunity while also testing their previous knowledge of the brand, We asked the group some general questions regarding the initial launch of Locale Magazine. The responses were varied and the discussion was lively.

Conversation grew into new ideas that presented as potential action plans for the next iteration. Topics of discussion included content, imagery, funding, involvement and expansion of the product.

Some focus group members for the project included a wide range of participants including community leaders and local government officials, service group organization members, small business owners, educational and medical professionals, past employees, parents, students and retirees.

The most compelling discussion came from the desire to improve social media management and overall online digital presence. Past history suggests lack of consistent use. Also discussed was the need for more locally-relevant content.

Stronger user-generated content for both print and online helps to build community awareness and connection to providers and their products. Also on the improvement list was imagery. With user-driven content, the project struggled with low-quality images submitted by users. New technologies now available improve on this risk.

Major needed improvements identified within the focus group:

content online

31%

photo social media

21% 7% 40%

1. Kumar, Vijay. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2013.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

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Focus on digital strategy In order to expand Locale’s digital presence, the first order of business is to find ways to attract visitors to the online environment. Getting visitors to a website is step one in building a successful online presence. Additionally, social networking sites are ideal places to get content in front of other people.1 Locale will use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to engage new audiences, build awareness and gain new visitors to the website with a formulated and concise plan that grows and engages readership.

Further, Locale will share links to user-driven content for multiple market appeal. Locale will also share content, getting this information into circulation to build a wider audience for its stakeholders. Consistently delivering valuable, useful and entertaining material, Locale positions itself as the go-to local resource.

Once new visitors arrive at the site, capturing email addresses is the next challenge. The strategy is to entice site visitors to submit their email address to receive updates, e-newsletters and additional content aligned with visitors demographic and local community interests.

Engaging readership means regular and consistent email communications keeping readers top of mind with interesting content. Every email communication is a chance to

feature something important to the community and offer the opportunity of products, service and local experts to the reader.2 Once a relationship is built using this methodology, the Locale brand has an opportunity to use this information to offset costs and help monetize the venture.

This is particularly appealing for those potential franchisees looking to build in additional revenue to their business model.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, can sound complicated, but it's actually a simple quality control method for online activity. By using critical linked words, hashtags and phrases within the website, social media and blog, readers are able to search and find content quickly and easily.

By understanding what is important to the reader, Locale will link quality products, experts and services within content, not only relevant to the site, but it's stakeholders. This amplifies web traffic and builds trust within the brand and community.

Linking content brings us to affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is best defined as a recommendation on the website or particular products and services. This could be as simple as reviews or recommendations that appeal to the viewer, but also

supporting products, services and experts within the community. This not only highlights local expertise, but builds healthy communities.

Franchisees can build an opportunity to receive percentage returns for affiliate recommendations as part of an “adverstorial” marketing strategy. Adverstorial content makes a connection with the reader through emotional storytelling, delivering the “why” rather than the “what” of any product or service. For example, a reader may not connect with a local chocolate maker in a traditional ad.

Anyone can make great chocolate, right? However, If the chocolate maker tells an amazing story about why he makes gluten-free chocolate, because he has struggled with Celiac disease, the reader will likely make an emotional connection. The reader will know his “why”. This creates a reader click to his website to purchase chocolate and consequently, Locale could potentially take a percentage of that sale.

Approached correctly, affiliate marketing can eventually turn into an almost passive income for the franchisee, but also improves sales for users as well, creating a strong local community economy.

1. Henry, Patrick. "DigiPub: The Future of Print Is Data-Driven." Publishing Executive. December 04, 2017. http:// www.pubexec.com/article/future-print-data-driven-future/.

2. Ibid.

Social media strategy is a consistent if not persistent method of posting topics on a deďŹ ned schedule to drive website traďŹƒc.

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Focus on Social media strategy Inspirational Quotes: Post popular quotes or create a new, locally sourced quote.

Popular Content: Re-post popular content from the area or favorite bloggers.

Case Studies: Share personal stories and client success.

Blog Posts: Share brand blog, or share the blogs of “adverstorial” content and affiliates.

Webinar Training: Promote or create an information-packed webinar.

Answer FAQs: Answer common questions for followers.

Epic Content: Take a popular topic and write a long, detailed post.

Behind the Scenes: Take followers on a journey through new projects or workspaces.

Quick Tip of the Day: Create themes around quick tips to get more done.

Ask Questions: Ask followers questions related to their business.

Tutorials: Show readers how to do something helpful.

Challenges: Give readers tasks to achieve something specific.

Customer Surveys: Ask followers questions about their businesses.

Facebook 1-3 PM 1-2x per day

Favorite Hacks and Tools: Show favorite resources and tools used in business.

Short Videos: Share or develop a short video for YouTube or use live feed with a quick tip.

Twitter 10am-6pm 5-10x per day

Encouragement: Give positive words of encouragement for followers.

Holiday Specials: Celebrate holidays with special themes, graphics and posts.

Promote Services: Give followers bundled packages for purchase.

Instagram 10am-6pm 5-10x per day

Scheduling and automation tools are available to assist.

LinkedIn 8am-10pm 2-5x per day

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Franchising: The Final Frontier Locale aims to grow the business and the brand by franchising the magazine to other small communities interested in making impacts on responsible social and economic change. Franchising allows Locale to replicate the idea into new markets quickly and effectively.

Ultimately, the key to recognition is to build the Locale brand and market presence as quickly as possible.

Franchising also allows Locale to expand alongside the franchisee’s investment, combining the leverage of a great business system and idea with the energy and motivation of a local business person. Franchising is one of the expansion vehicles allowing the rural community to create a significant market in a relatively short period of time.1 First, Locale will need to map the business and customer journey. Franchisees will receive details and guidelines placing Locale into local markets quickly, from marketing strategy and online execution to staff training and template prototypes for print publications. Locale will develop a brand operations manual to give franchisees a quick way to reference policies and best practices.

A Franchise Disclosure Document will be drafted to ensure all parties are protected, and a lawyer will be consulted. Locale will set pricing and create a Franchise Agreement to determine intellectual property protection.

Locale will actively search to find the ideal Franchisee. Locale will be selective based on location, population and demographic viability. The franchisee will be representing the Locale brand and therefore, needs to be a good fit. The goal is to protect and grow the Locale brand within the franchise model. An interviewing process can be developed to ensure a profitable relationship for the local organization and Locale. Currently, the ideal target market of franchisees will include organizations with ties to the community such as service organizations, downtown development authorities, chamber of commerce locations and potentially city management. Locale’s initial locations, ideally, will be within communities with populations between 10,000 and 30,000, but not generally outside of the state of Michigan.

This will help to manage logistics and conduct site visits with attention to franchisee support.

Locale’s most valuable asset is the brand and it should be protected. Locale represents culture, beliefs and positive attitude toward community. Guidelines will be established for all of the brand assets to ensure a consistent message. Locale will continue to oversee the content and market conditions to assist locations under the Locale brand name.

We will continue to support the franchisees through consultations and frequent site evaluations. Locale plans to encourage franchisees by celebrating victories and milestones. Steady, strategic and supportive growth is the overall goal for franchising Locale Magazine.

1. Mathews, Joe. Street Smart Franchising. Place of Publication Not Identified: Mcgraw-Hill Education, 2016.

Stakeholder Buy-in Stakeholder Feedback

PROMOTE FRANCHISE ENGAGE LEADERS COMMUNICATE IDEAS

IDENTIFY IDEAL COMMUNITIES MARKET SURVEYING

CUSTOMIZATION PROTOTYPING REFINE | EDIT

Define Agreement

Define Community Brand

Franchise journey map Collaboration Test Ideas

PROMOTE ENGAGE ASSIST LAUNCH

MEASURE SUCCESSES DEFINE RISKS REFINE & ITERATE

Communicate

Expanding Market

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Funding & monetization Traditional Advertising.

As with traditional or digital magazines, ads play a big role in funding. Display advertising means showing an ad ‘in print or on a website. Display advertising can take the form of traditional print ads to digital banner ads or short-form video ads, all of which are viable options for bringing in revenue. However, ad sizes location and orientation per print product or website will need to be determined based on available space and ease of configurations. Limiting sizes and available options helps create a streamlined operation that can be executed quickly and with less overhead.

“Adverstorial” content.

This is also known as “native ads” or affiliate marketing in the digital version.

When an ad is integrated into the content, it becomes a native ad. The word "native" here signifies that it blends in with the website content, meaning it doesn't look like a traditional ad. Ad clarifications through labels will need to be used to maintain ethical standards.

Content will need to blend seamlessly with website or social media solutions, but the content can and should align with education or entertainment, or causes that support the mission of the brand.

Subscription Models.

As Locale Magazine becomes a trusted source for quality content by providing a unique perspective in local areas, the model will gain a loyal following of subscribers. Subscriptions are a particular helpful source of revenue because they are more consistent than a one-time ad buys. Many online digital magazines have found success here, attracting a loyal fanbase by consistently putting out engaging local content. Subscribers receive unrestricted access to all the articles and blogs along with archival materials.

Utilizing Sponsorships.

Locale Magazine can and should depend on the goodwill of larger local businesses and organizations such as manufacturers and hospitals to increase revenue. These important stakeholders have a vested interest in community growth. a sponsorship model gives them a chance to contribute to what they consider a worthy cause. A welldesigned publication and supporting digital presents quality content elevating the local community, and those interested stakeholders will want to offer support. Offering incentives for sponsorships will boost revenue not only for Locale Magazine, but for sponsors as well.

brand aesthetic Finally, Locale Magazine has been redesigned to better align with company values for a unique reading and visual experience. paired with user driven content. making the most of local experiences, creativity and connection.

The logo for Locale Magazine has been updated to present a casual and contemporary aesthetic customizable to other geographic locations as the brand expands and grows to new markets. A unique subtext can be used to signify location alongside the umbrella brand allowing for quick recognition and strong, recognizable affiliation.

As Locale Magazine shifts it's mission in a new direction to expand the brand to entrepreneurs within their own locale, stakeholder focus groups can provide an opportunity to refine the aesthetic to align with local needs, focus on local content and provide a visually pleasing product. Locale aims to connect readers through a narrative by focusing on empathy, creativity and diversity of community inhabitants— within business, educational or local service, and as such, the brand should be tailored to those specific local needs when possible.

Locale intends to work with local organizations taking on this new venture to ensure that brand standards are met, but also customized for their individual needs. Stories will be appropriated from interviews, websites or previously published content at the local level. Artful use of photos, graphics, typography and editorial will be paired together for a unique reading and visual experience making the most of hyper local highlights, creativity and connection. To further the effort, Locale will seek to incorporate sustainable papers and inks through local resources when possible to ensure responsible practices. The overall visual impression should be midwestern inspired: a little fun, a little serious and a whole lot of heart.

St. Johns

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Creating community identity This article is intended to be a sample piece and is excerpted from Small-Town America: Finding Community, Shaping the Future by Robert Wuthnow. © 2013 by Princeton University Press.

One of the most popular events in small towns is an annual festival, usually held in conjunction with the homecoming weekend, or at another time when residents and former residents gather to promote community spirit plus remind themselves of the community’s traditions. Fall harvest celebrations, county festivals, and rodeos are common examples. In most instances the festival celebrates something distinctive about the community, whether that consists of commemorating its founding or drawing visitors from the region because of its ethnic traditions.

“The only way you’re going to survive is to make the community unique, different, even odd,” Wuthnow observed.

“Make it an antique capital.

Restore the old opera house.

Offer the best fried chicken.

Have an Oktoberfest.” That view was generally shared, although occasionally we heard mixed opinions. These came from town leaders who worried that festivals were taking the place of more serious discussions about their community’s future. It was good that the festivals were happening, they said, because organizing them brought people together and sparked

conversations about the town’s history. But coming up with a comprehensive plan for the future, including something about historical preservation along with applying for grants or raising money locally were much more difficult. As one town manager noted, “Those are great things to talk about, and everybody feels good doing it, but implementing things becomes very hard.”

Small-town festivals are largely organized and staffed by local volunteers, which means that the meetings during the year at which planning occurs provide occasions for sharing information about other community developments and exchanging gossip with neighbors. As is true of other aspects of small-town life, festivals are changing as a result of demographic shifts and different means of communication. The towns we studied with declining populations were finding it more difficult to organize festivals, but other communities were attracting visitors by advertising on the Internet and magazines, and were supplementing local traditions by hosting antique car displays, tractor pulls, and craft fairs. Small towns are also benefiting from regional celebrations in which they can participate, such as festivals that combine events up and down a river, or commemorations of an early expedition or along a pioneer trail.

At their best, festivals spark community spirit. The lightheartedness plays an important role. Beneath the fun is a layer of serious commemoration. For better or worse, community festivals selectively emphasize some aspects of reality and neglect others. Just as weddings and funerals do in families, they present the community in its most favorable light. Whole sections of the community— minorities, the poor, and newcomers—may be left out.

Celebrations work because they are clearly demarcated from everyday life. They punctuate time with levity, lifting spirits above the ordinary humdrum, adding color, drawing people loosely together, and perhaps most important, giving them something to talk about. This is why festivals so often commemorate the town’s history. In collective memory, the festivals both retell and become part of that history.

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into public art we dive This article is intended as a sample piece and was submitted by Brian Bishop, Artist and Art Professor at Lansing Community College.

As students walk down the stairwell to the LCC Commons they may see something new that catches their eye: a vibrant colorful mural on the wall. The mural was the idea of LCC President Dr. Brent Knight. It was created by LCC Art Design and Multimedia Professor Brian Bishop. Bishop said Knight approached him with the idea of the mural last October. “Dr. Knight requested ideas that were large, filling most of the wall, and … colorful as the rest of the commons,” Bishop said. “And that the image was positive.” The image, which measures 16 feet by 16 feet, was created over a fivemonth span. It was altered digitally using the software program Photoshop.

Bishop used an array of different flowers in the mural’s design.

“I started with poppies but eventually I thought the images were a bit restrictive and that the poppies had limited range in terms of color,” Bishop said. “Eventually I started thinking about Michigan flora, and ended up with my backyard as inspiration. Every year we have geraniums, coneflower, black-eyed susans and snapdragons; many just growing wild. That became the inspiration for this image.” Bishop said he brainstormed with many hand sketches, which he sent to Dr. Knight and a committee, before deciding on the finalized image.

The mural was paid with a portion of the $67 million grant the college had in place for renovations. “We saw a great opportunity for art on the wall,” Dr. Knight said. “I am delighted with the

outcome.”Bishop said he is pleased to see so much artistic expression on LCC’s campus. “Any time you have public art I feel it is a good thing,” Bishop said.

“It can make people think about art and its public role in society.”

Brian’s work is featured throughout campus. He designed and created two 8 foot by 8 foot abstract art pieces for the University Center’s first floor lobby. Each of these abstract “diptych” style pieces were painted on two separate 4x8 acrylic paint on aluminum panels before being framed and mounted onto our two main walls in our lobby. Brian has been very busy as 13 pieces of his work are displayed in the main campus Gannon Vocational Building and 15 pieces in our main campus Arts and Sciences building.

Brian’s current project is a tryptic depicting riverine imagery for the Grand River room at the LCC conference center. The work is currently in process and is expected to hang within a few months.

photo by Locale Media

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a love affair with chocolate This article is a sample piece and is excerpted from ohmiorganics.com.

Why make chocolate? To put it quite simply, food allergies. Brent & Megen Hurst began making chocolate because it was difficult to find sweet treats that weren't loaded with processed sugars, gluten, dairy, and preservatives.

With Megen being diagnosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 31, the doctors chose to use harmful medications as a course of treatment, showing no positive results.

Learning that RA is a disease of the gut, Brent suggested that she try an all promotional photo organic diet that was restricted to ingredients known to be antiinflammatory to arthritic conditions. With much research and experimentation, taking a solely holistic approach, Megen achieved great goals in taking back control of her health. After about a year of a healthy eating lifestyle, Megen managed to regain increased mobility, lost a considerable amount of weight, and experienced less pain without any medications. She was healing herself with food. One night, Brent asked Megen what she missed most about the culinary changes. "Chocolate" is what

she replied. He said "We're going to make it! People make chocolate. We’re qualified.” So they gave it a whirl! Their first words were "Oh my!" So they started thinking of other things to add to the chocolate such as goat milk caramel, pecans, coconut, dried fruit. The possibilities were endless!

The Hursts started sharing their sweet creations with their friends and family.

Everyone that tried the chocolate exclaimed "Oh my!” After many suggestions from their new chocolate fans, the Hursts decided to figure out a way to use their new discovery in a way that would help others suffering from food allergies or dietary restrictions.

So what’s with the name?

The Hurst grandkids names are Owen and Hollie (hence the OH). The Hursts love the great state of Michigan (there's the MI), and love our hometown, Saint Johns, the Mint Capital of the World!

And "Oh my" is generally the first two words heard when people try the homegrown chocolate. It's that simple, just like the original recipe chocolate that has, and always will be, handmade with love. The Hursts opened their new location in March in downtown St. Johns.

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Healing Powers This article was submitted as a sample piece by LeeAnna Woods, Owner, Healing Feather Massage healingfeathermassage.com.

Choosing to name my healing therapy practice, Healing Feather. in memory of my parents, after their early deaths, was done to keep their spirits alive and their memories living on, as they do in my heart. Our heritage is Native American and the feather is a sacred symbol in my family. I grew up appreciating Mother Earth for the nutrition she provides and Father Sky for his nurturing elements, Grandmother Moon for her guiding light and Grandfather Sun for the loving warmth.

As long as I can remember, I have been a care giver.

I know by giving my clients the special personalized care they need, that they will benefit. I enjoy giving people relief from their pain and discomfort, whether its physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. Healing is what they need and through Healing Feather I provide the care they deserve. Everyone has stress in their life. It manifests itself in different ways in each of us. We might have to live with the stress in our lives, but we can also receive relief by getting massages, Reiki therapy and Native American healing on a regular basis. The question I now have for you:

are you ready for a positive change in your life?

Topic of the Day: Crying Crying is a defense mechanism to rid the body of stress, pain, hurt, fear, and all negativities wreaking havoc on the self. Unfortunately, many have been taught crying is not acceptable; it points to personal weakness and should never happen or be seen publicly. Crying, however, is the most cleansing emotional function.

This feeling is the strength of our own body. Our bodies are letting go of useless and even damaging emotions keeping us healthy. Crying allows happiness in our lives and also discards sadness for healing purposes. To say crying is a weakness is no different than saying laughing is a weakness. There’s no logic in either statement.

The human body is perfectly designed to go through, withstand, endure and discard life events because of its capability to eliminate waste through emotions, including crying. By not allowing yourself to cry, all of the waste continues to fester inside the body over time, creating a huge mess the body can no longer handle. Enter the negative emotional wrecking crew as it becomes a major factor. Your health declines.

Your relationships with family, friends and significant others

are being negatively impacted, and even work becomes a daily struggle. In fact, soon effect every aspect in your life will be in dire straits. Emotions are not meant to be suppressed, yet society teaches us to do just that. Our emotions are designed like finely tuned machines, running smoothly until we, ourselves, throw a wrench into the gears.

Pent up emotion can lead to issues of fear, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, anger, health problems and more.

The body becomes unbalanced and stressed out.

So what can you do?

We need to listen to our body and allow it to function properly. Lowering stress levels can be done through yoga, massage, meditation, smudging and Reiki therapy.

These therapies are best when combined for health and well-being.

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+ Luck

= success

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For more information, please visit us at localemedia.com

Laura J Bishop | Capstone Project | Collaborative Design | KCAD April 2018