HomeMy WebLinkAbout 4.1 Village of Mount Prospect Branding Plan4/28/2020
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In February 2018, Staff presented a final draft of the Village Communications Plan to the Village Board. In it are
several recommendations associated with communications, including the creation of a Village Branding Plan. In fall
2018,, the Village hired MECO Consultants to help assist with the drafting of a Branding Plan. Throughout 2019, MECO
worked with Village staff to gather input from a variety of stakeholders, draft documents and finalize into the plan
that is attached. The plan helps identify the Village Brand and summaries community input and influencing factors
such as local demographics. The plan also provides a description of target audiences and brand strategy
recommendations which help bring the Village's brand to life.
Why Do We Need A Brand?
Staff and the Village Board recognize a need to undertake a comprehensive marketing effort to promote the Village
externally, while at the same time generating a sense of pride internally. Identifying the Village's brand is the first
step, with implementations initiatives working to support and strengthen this brand.
The goal of the Village's Branding Plan is to capture the qualities of Mount Prospect that produce positive emotional
reactions; it should capture the essence of what the Village represents and is the foundation upon which future
marketing and outreach efforts will be based.
Stakeholder Input
MECO Consulting held 19 one-on-one interviews with key community leaders, residents, and business owners, held
three focus group meetings and conducted an online survey. Staff and MECO were careful to gather feedback from a
wide variety of community members, both residents of Mount Prospect and those that reside outside the Village in
nearby towns.
Target Audiences
Having a Branding Plan will help the Village influence how specific target audiences think about Mount Prospect. Basells
upon MECO research, four key audiences have been identified; these audiences should be top of mind when draftinis
various communication messages or documents. I
• Developers/Prospective Businesses
• Future Residents
• Existing Businesses/Residents
• Regional Visitors
Brand Strategy
There are four categories of tactics to be used to "bring the brand to life": Public Relations, Marketing/Outreach,
Economic Development Initiatives, and Product Development.
Public Relations tactics help develop the brand and enhance the reputation of the Village. Communication using
key messages are essential to this tactic.
Marketing/Outreach is, much like the term suggests,, the advertising of the Village to specific
(aforementioned) target audiences.
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• Economic Development Initiatives focus on implementation of programs to strengthen the Village's economiic-1
base and public/private partnerships.
• Product Development tactics refer to the Village itself as a "product" . encouraging staff to look at the Village in
terms of what it's offering to the public by way of public spaces, events/festivals, customer service and
infrastructure.
The Branding Plan document goes into detail on recommendations for each of these tactics, supported by the
comments collected throughout the data gathering process.
At the February 25, 2020 Committee of the Whole., MECO Consulting will be in attendance to present an overview of
the Final Draft of the Village's Branding Plan. Staff will also be available to answer specific questions about next steps.,
and to gather Board feedback on the plan itself and its implementation.
Alternatives
1. Discuss the Village's Branding Plan and future steps for implementation.
2. Action at discretion of Village Board.
VOMP—BrandingPlan-021820-final.pdf (6.,453 KB)
Presentation COW—BrandingPlanO22520.pdf (4,084 KB)
Administrative Content
Executive Content
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