6.C.(4) Proposal Marketing MIND area

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(~ < ~~i ~ ~ ^ C 4(ll TII y`F' ' F-,~ 1 .^~~~~ ~ Community & Economic Development ``~`'~~ ~V~~_,.. ~tl6~ 1200 County-Cny Bcllaioa, 227 Vdest Jefferson, South Bend. Indlona 46601-1830 ~ Phone 5741235-9371 • Fox 574/235-9021 To: Redevclopmcnt Commission From: Don Inks and Tom Price Subject: Staff Report on Contract for Marketing Consultation and Communication Scr~ices Date: 10! I ~/0~ The City of South Bcnd is pc~i~~rming due diligence to ready acres of land in the Sample Street portion of its Certified Technology Park f~~r ~~raduates of Inno~~ation Park and nanoteclu~ology'high- tech companies locating in South Bcnd. In concert with acquiring property and getting it prepared fbr construction of ne~~~ facilities, strategic marketing and connnw~ication ef~fr~rts also arc needed. Staff seek authorization for entering into a contract ~~~ith the Bluc Waters Group to pro~'ide marketing.; consultation and communications ser~~ices to position South Bcnd to make the most of the opportunity offered by the Mid~~~est Institute fur Nanoclecnonics Disco~crv (MIND). The contracted amount fur the first phase. not to exceed $>>O,000. includes both labor and production costs. The first phase ofthis initiati~~c in the nextsi.x months ~~~il] include: • Detining roles. responsibilities, priorities, expectations and a working relationship with Notre Dame and Project Future. Der~cloping a communications plan and positionin~~ strate~~y in relation to potential competitors seeking to recruit similar economic dc~clopment. G~eating a marketing plan and brandingidcntity campaign for the Sample Street site. Initiating a national free media campaign to hi~~hli~~ht South 13end~s economic-dc~~clopment opportunities. • Strcngthcnin~~ the Cites «eb site and producing collateral materials ibr use in this effort. Conductin~u pre-tests regarding perceptions oi~Suuth Bend by a ~~aricty of target audiences. Staff intend at a later date to seek authorization for a second phase in ?U09 and a third phase in ?O10 and beyond. Priorities in those phases include deg eloping a brandin~~ campaign tier South Bcnd based on its strengths. creating a recruitment campuig^ tur potential tirms and producin~~ media in support of those effr~rts. Total cost for all tlu cc phases is cstinruai at 51 ?million. Document3 What We Do Today Makes A DKference!