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What makes Prairie du Chien stand out to potential consumers?

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The city’s welcome signs were refurbished this spring, at a cost of $8,100. They had not been repaired or retouched since installation in 1998. Now, the community’s civic organizations have planned a branding session for June 29, as an effort to determine how Prairie du Chien can do more than simply market what it has but, instead, market what makes it stand out. (Photo by Correne Martin)

Featuring the same theme at the top as the city’s welcome signs, the city’s wayfinding signs show a drawing of the Villa Louis as well as a river boat.

By Correne Martin

Prairie du Chien’s civic organizations are fishing for ideas. They are seeking creative, passionate stakeholders and citizens who want a seat on the boat of brainstormers as they start developing a brand for the city of Prairie du Chien.

A community branding session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., at the city hall community room. Those interested are asked to RSVP by Monday, June 27 to mainstreetpdc@gmail.com. Anyone interested in learning more might have some questions.

What exactly is a brand? Doesn’t Prairie du Chien already have a brand? What is “Wisconsin’s Second Oldest City?” And what about the city’s prevalent history or its scenic, recreational location along the Mississippi River?

A brand is a promise, according to MJ Thornburg, a PdC Main Street board member who has worked in marketing for 25 years with Fortune 50 companies, technology companies and small businesses. A brand is a unique combination of attributes that work together to convey what a community represents. A strong brand delivers a clear and memorable message, evokes emotions, sells a feeling, motivates a target, reinforces the target’s loyalty, and communicates a perception.

“We want to attract tourists, new industries and consumers. We want to stimulate advocates in the community who are excited about our brand,” Thornburg noted. “Branding is more than just a logo or a slogan. It’s what people think about the community.”

“We need a cohesive message,” added Chris Mara, past-president of the PdC Main Street board.  “What do we want to be? We can’t just choose something willy-nilly, we can’t use everything in our brand and we can’t please everyone. So this is an opportunity for people to participate and share their opinions.”

In selecting a brand, it’s important that it creates a perception and carves out an experience, Thornburg said. Don’t just market what you have, market what makes you stand out. Community brands are built on things-to-do, not just things to look at.

“When you’ve got it all, you can’t stand for something,” she stated. “‘Wisconsin’s Second Oldest City,’ that’s a feature. Outdoor recreation, business, birding, hunting, fishing—those are all features. What can we use out of those characteristics that would make us a little more marketable and draw people here?”

Next week’s two-and-a-half-hour branding session is not likely to result in the perfect brand, right then and there. It’s more likely just the beginning of a process that will take quite a bit of work to key in on what’s the “secret sauce” for Prairie du Chien.

The ultimate intent for the branding process is to discuss participants’ passions, choose a cohesive brand and start designing wayfinding signs for around the community. Mara said the city has agreed to cover the costs of brand marketing as a capital expenditure.

The next steps will involve getting the community to buy into the brand and the private sector to invest in it. Also, the theme will need to be made obvious throughout Prairie du Chien.

“The hope is that the brand has ‘legs’ that can extend from that brand,” Thornburg added. “We want people to get involved and to have a say in the legacy that comes out of this process.”

The June 29 branding session is a collaborative event of PdC Main Street, the PdC Economic Development Corporation, the city of Prairie du Chien and the Chamber of Commerce. Darrin Wasniewski, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation downtown development program manager, and Mark Tallman, WEDC regional economic development director, will facilitate the session.

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