Marketing Chatham: strategies and recommendations to support a strategic marketing plan
Creators: name: Johnson, Megan Elise
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2010

description: Implementing the strategic plan's recommendations and executing the Opportunity Chatham initiative will require a sustained investment in and emphasis on marketing. In the pages that follow this report will provide detailed analysis of the current marketing situation and propose a five-year marketing plan. First, it will address overall recommendations with regard to marketing capacity, partners, resources and strategy. The EDC (Economic Development Corporation) needs a staff member dedicated to marketing. The current EDC staff will struggle to support new marketing activities. Staff resources could be used more effectively if existing staff focuses on developing and expanding innovative economic development interventions, building relationships, and connecting stakeholders, while a specialist coordinates all EDC marketing efforts. An experienced Marketing Manager is good; entry-level specialist could be better. The EDC needs a storyteller, someone adept at weaving vibrant words and memorable images. An experienced marketer will offer the professional polish: a good understanding of marketing research, segmentation, and positioning, as well as experience building brands and messaging. On the other hand, if the EDC is willing to take a chance on a recent college graduate, it can save on salary and benefit from a fresh and innovative approach. If the EDC wanted to explore this route, the ideal candidate would likely hold a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree, have experience in public relations and graphic design, and ideally, will have taken a business class or two. Committees can richen the EDC's marketing efforts; they should not be expected to lead them. One of Chatham's best assets is its active local citizenry. Residents want to help, but they will need direction. Effective marketing for economic development requires a careful consideration of target markets. An image of a cow may vividly represent Chatham's culture and heritage to a long time resident involved with an EDC committee, but the same image is likely to resonate differently with a prospective business. The EDC will need to help keep Attraction and Communications committees on track. With a clear marketing plan and strategy, the EDC will be able to use committee members' time more effectively and ensure it is making the most out of their individual expertise. Tourism efforts should be part of an integrated place marketing strategy. The Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Economic Development Corporation are coming from different directions to pursue the same goal--improved economic growth and prosperity (Figure 1). From a strategic place marketing perspective, neither has a chance without the other: "place marketing succeeds when stakeholders such as citizens, workers, and business firms derive satisfaction from their 8 community, and when visitors, new businesses, and investors find their expectations met." From a practical perspective, they are doing the same work communicating Chatham's image: We define a place's image as the sum of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a people have of a place. Images represent a simplification of a large number of associations and pieces of information connected with the place.