Marketing Blog

Over the last 10 years Randy Strothman has helped to produce or witnessed several success stories in marketing and branding historic communities and Main Streets. In these communities branding is about somehow embracing the rich past and the tentative present—along with a clear vision for the future. In the Pittsburgh area here are FOUR EXAMPLES, ranging from a new brand launch in 2010 to one that began 40 years ago.  Perhaps these provide some insights and inspiration for your own community’s marketing. (includes website & Facebook example links)

The movie Avatar is totally amazing!! The world James Cameron and his remarkable animators created with their technological innovations is just filled with magical and mind blowing imagery. Loved it!  Surprise, surprise, the promos on TV feature the battle scenes. But the real magic is in the beautiful world that is threatened with extinction. And spend the extra few dollars to see it in 3-D.  The  advanced technology is symbolic of the “brave new world” born of the last decade.

In urban community redevelopment, often you’re either pushing for something or pushing against something else.  Sometimes you’re doing both simultaneously.  It’s the yin and yang of the process. In this case it’s a push back by neighbors against a proposed intrusion into a public, historic park on the Northside of Pittsburgh by a utility company.  See 2010 updates below

In addition to the usual strategic and creative challenges of creating any website, building one by a committee of volunteers for a whole community—of many opinions!—adds some additional layers of complexity. Here is the solution we came up with for the new Deutschtown community website.

My personal assessment is that it turned out very well considering the volunteer-driven, multiple personality process.  I’d still like to see a few “missing teeth” filled in. And I’d like to see a more consistent writing style throughout—the inconsistency is a result of a variety of contributors from the committee. Maybe a stronger social media strategy going forward.  Etc.  Nevertheless, the site does a pretty good job of branding the community and demonstrating the benefits of living, working or playing here.

The marketing of “Green” thinking and technologies—I call it the Green R/evolution— continues to grow, in spite of the down economy and lower gas prices. Much of the media have embraced the new thinking, including a National Geographic cover story this month, for example. But that’s no real surprise, since NG has always been about protecting the natural environment.

The cover story this month is an interesting approach. A senior editor chose to experiment with his family and neighbors to try to reduce their household energy consumption—to 80% less than the national average. The story of their efforts interweaves with much info about national energy consumption patterns.  Who knew that the energy lost in just TRANSMISSION to your home is twice what we actually USE in our homes?!