The development was moth-balled in 2008 when the real estate market collapsed quickly, including for luxury resort vacation homes.  In late 2009 the development team cautiously began planning a relaunch of the project with new vision and optimism and a search for marketing expertise.

The setting for this 50-unit luxury vacation condo development is a four season resort community, with skiing in the winter and golf, festivals and more in the summer.  The local town is charming and was described by the New York Times as “ the town that Aspen used to be.” It attracts 100s of thousands of visitors throughout the year from Canada, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

THE QUESTION. How to market this vacation home real estate development, newly positioned as a Residence Club in the marketplace, given the state of the economy and the current consumer mindset?

PHASE 1:

First, ask a lot of questions… then plan strategically.

Our marketing FlexTeam is following a 4-step process for developing the brand and the plan:

• Situation Analysis (market research)— What do we know about the current state of the vacation real estate market, the local perception of the project, the target prospect, brand attributes of the product, the mindset of potential buyers, the competition and more.
  

  a presentation board for research

• Brand Positioning— Based on the analysis, what are the Brand Value and Brand Benefits to the purchaser and what will be the Brand Personality? A creative brief defines these clearly and drives all future marketing work.
• Naming and Logo Development— What name and logo will concisely represent the brand in the marketplace?  Several name options have been provided. Three to five logo concepts will be offered.
• Communication Plan Development— What marketing strategies and tactics will reach the target audience with what messages? The plan will include a variety of tactics, from website and SEO to media relations, from social media to advertising, from selection of a real estate agent to a festival and trade show marketing booth.

This process is a is an expanded version of the unique and cost effective Marketing Snapshot offered exclusively by Randy Strothman & Associates.

What initial MARKET RESEARCH revealed…

LOCAL SURVEYS. The market research/situation analysis included interviews and surveys in the local town and visits to local competitor properties and websites. The local interviews revealed much dissatisfaction with the look of the initial phase of the project and the moth-balling since 2008. So the developers launched an immediate improvement in the landscaping and the condition of the site, which has created a positive buzz in town and even an interested buyer.

NATIONAL RESEARCH. Internet research clearly revealed that even upscale consumers are worried in mid-2010, although generally not quite as much as in 2009.  Very revealing was the Spring 2010 survey of the wealthiest 10% of U.S. households by the American Affluence Research Center.

Among many informative statistics in the 42 page survey report is that, among “major expenditures” planned by the wealthiest U.S. households, “purchase of an existing home as a vacation residence” is rising to a point near where it was in the winter of 2008.  But, in the same time frame, “preservation of capital” as a primary investment objective took the lead over other investment objectives.

THE NEW CONSUMER? One article, based on interviews with high level marketing strategists and on a new “How America Shops 2010 Megastudy” was revealing about the current mindset of consumers.  Read the article titled “How the ‘new’ consumer is changing the game” to find out how the state of the economy is affecting buying consumer decisions:

“They have a whole new sense of value and new habits formed during the recession. Quantifying value is key at all price levels now including luxury.”

Some bullet points from the article:

• there definitely is a new consumer
• the new consumer is still uncertain
• quantifying and demonstrating value is paramount today
• the importance of brand has changed
• social media and online count more than ever

Wordle word cloud example

The marketing team used a free, online tool for the first time for part of the marketing analysis:  Wordle.  It produces the “word clouds” that you see on some websites, telling people what’s most popular there.  This tool gave client a user friendly way to analyze and visualize the content on 17 national websites for Residence Clubs to easily identify key words and themes.

And specialized MARKETING EXPERTISE

The marketing team will also include experts from a renowned company that specializes in marketing and managing Residence Clubs nationally and internationally.

This multi-faceted team, armed with research-based strategies, multiple talents and perspectives and a fresh, clear brand will launch a dynamic luxury vacation condo marketing campaign in the Fall of 2010.

Lets talk about how we can deliver creative & strategic marketing solutions for you.  Call 412-322-9720 or email today.

Before last week, we had not heard of the Responsible Hospitality Institute (RHI), which organized the Pittsburgh conference and is staging similar events for “nightlife solutions” in 20 states this year.  Here are some highlights of the Institute’s strategies. (plus, read Post-Gazette article on the Conference)

What is a Hospitality Zone?

These are often located in a mixed-use business district. Within many districts a Hospitality Zone is…

“…an area of specialized mixed uses distinguished by a high concentration of dining and entertainment businesses, such as restaurants, pubs, taverns, cafes and nightclubs… (It) often has an active street life and may serve as a center for community fairs, festivals and events.”

But, according to RHI…

“unplanned hospitality zones are costly, lead to conflicts, excessive burdens on police and demands on elected officials to manage safety and quality of life impacts.”

South Side:  Working on solutions

One element that often distinguishes these zones is the serving of alcohol, which, when combined with entertainment, can cause a variety of problems in communities. For example, here are the results of a study of the South Side summer weekend night arrests from 2007-09:

• • median # of arrests/weekend:  4
  • 40% for drunken driving
  • 28% for simple assault
  • 15% for drug violations

In addition, 61 % of all South Side arrests throughout the entire day took place between midnight and 3:00 am.  And when the police conducted Operation Sweep for 12 weeks from April through June 2007, the median number of arrests per weekend jumped to 48 —up from 4 per weekend of normal policing!  That’s because an extra 33 police officers patrolled for those 12 weekends.  BTW, the South Side has 124 liquor licenses with the capacity to serve 20,000 people at any one time—i.e. 4 bar stools for each of its residents over the age of 18!

So, the key question with Hospitality Zones is how  can they contribute to the vitality of a city or a community without the downside?  The answer is in planning, management, partnerships and a new kind of enforcement strategy. The South Side now has a detailed analysis and plan developed on Hospitality Zone principles.

The other 9-5 economy

Most people work in the daytime 9-5 economy. Some of them play in the nighttime 9-5 economy, too. Despite the potential problems, a vibrant and safe nightlife can add much to a city. Consider the employment and taxes generated by this economy.  Plus the diverse venues in a hospitality zone provide varied ways for people to socialize, from residents to tourists. Read here about the potential positive impacts that well planned and managed hospitality zones can produce.

RHI spotlights six core elements to develop a “safe and vibrant nighttime economy” including:  • Entertainment • Multi-use sidewalks • Venue safety • Public safety • Transportation • Quality of life (for the community).

Targeting several ‘Social Generations’

First, in the planning process it helps to think of potential markets for Hospitality Zones.  Many districts narrowly focus on young singles and the bar and club scene.  Instead, think of 4 potential generational markets defined by RHI offering “diverse options for diverse ages and cultures:”

• Singles—individuals in their late teens and early 20s with limited funds.
• Mingles—older couples or social groups of any age with a common interest
• Families—having children often reduces the frequency of going out, but not entirely
• Jingles—business travelers, vacationers, or empty nesters with more money to spend

Planned and managed properly, a Hospitality Zone is a place “where people of diverse ages, incomes and lifestyles unite as a community to share food, beverages, music and dance in public venues.” Good planning and management makes the zones much easier to market.

A shift in thinking—to “concierge” government and policing

Sociable City advocates also make the assumption that most businesses want to do the right thing and that most consumers are well behaved. A healthy Hospitality Zone is more helpful in many ways to businesses, as well as customers and residents.  It involves shifts in thinking:

• from enforcement (catching) to compliance (educating)
• from policing to problem solving
• from security (“guns & badges”) to safety (safe environment & monitoring)

More than one speaker at the June 8^th Conference in Pittsburgh recommended not using off-duty police officers for nighttime enforcement, but rather a trained team.  In Gainesville the team includes specially trained police and graduate students.  In addition, some Hospitality Zone plans provide a variety of support systems for businesses, starting with business planning and including education on codes, compliance and approval processes.

“Soft closings” can help

More than once at the June 8^th conference the experts mentioned the strategy of “soft closings” for bars and clubs, meaning the serving of drinks ends say an hour before the establishment closes.  This can spread out the exodus from a Hospitality Zone and give people time to sober up.  Remember that fully 48% of ALL arrests throughout the day on the South Side happen between 1:00am and 3:00am and that 46% of those are directly related to alcohol.

Stakeholder groups

To make it work, the planning and management process needs to involve a variety of stakeholder groups. RHI’s Sociable City Network unites leaders from six primary stakeholder groups – hospitality, safety, development, community, entertainment and research – with online forums and access to the latest news and event calendars.

MORE INFORMATION at The Sociable City Network.  See the board of directors for the Responsible Hospitality Institute. Find out more about another excellent organization: Project for Public Spaces.  On a related topic check out our blog post on “Revitalize communities and Main Streets with branding and marketing.”

Call or email to discuss your Main Street or Hospitality Zone strategies today.

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Something similar happened with a simple, low cost promotion Strothman Associates did for a great client in Pittsburgh—The Park House tavern.  Customers stole it… and we called it a nice compliment!  Find out more about this amusing, insightful story… plus the power of Google Calendar.

Backstory

Last winter a small team of Associates completed a pretty cool website for The Park House—a site that has great hidden features to save the owner time with 3 kinds of online promotions. (find out what in this blog) This new low cost, 24/7 small business marketing strategy has paid off well, especially for the big nights when bands are playing. With this new tool in his marketing toolkit, the owner asked what else we could do to boost business.

New ‘marketing lite’ efforts

A simple idea that came out of brainstorming was to create “mini billboards” for in the tavern.  No customer should leave there without knowing about the great, free, live band music he books for weekends—when profits jump.  So Randy drafted a simple concept for a small table top display and a poster… and then turned it over to the amazingly creative illustrator, Dan Wintermantel.

Dan came back with 3 designs that were great! Tough choice.  In an email the owner said: “Houston we have problem. They’re all freaking awesome!”

So Randy suggested surveying his customers in the pub… and one design clearly stood out from the rest.  Time to go into production…

Success = they steal it!

Posters went up in the bathrooms and at the bar.  Thirteen two-sided, laminated table top cards went into stands and onto the tables on Tuesday. We joked that fans might like them so much that they’d steal them… and help spread the word virally among friends.  Like Virgin Atlantic.

The next morning the owner called to say that 3 of the 10 table tops were missing. At least one woman asked “Could I take this for a bookmark?”  That day we produced 6 more… and the next day 2 more were missing.

Our take on this is that:  1) customers like the promo enough to steal it and carry it out into their world for us and 2) this simple traditional strategy has taken on viral quality, much like social media can.  And 3) we’re flattered that people are taking them!

Drive them to social media too

An important part of the strategy here was to build additional fans on The Park House Facebook page and get more people signed up on the website for the weekly e-newsletter—i.e. traditional media supporting the growth of new and social media.

Google Calendar:  another value-added strategy

At the same time that the designer was working on the table tops, associate Don Orkoskey was installing a Google Calendar on the website. This would complement the weekly blog and emails the owner sends out announcing his weekend bands, new beers and new menu items.  (Note: every time he sends these out his website traffic spikes up immediately).

The Google Calendar is up and running and is providing The Park House three valuable marketing services 24/7… 

Calendar also provides map

First, people can now see out into the future what bands are coming and plan for it, even 3 months out.  Second, with one click the Calendar can add dates and events to people’s desktop or mobile electronic calendars. Third, the Calendar also provides Google Map directions to the tavern by simply clicking on “map” in each of the event descriptions. Cool.

This simple web marketing tool gives The Park House a marketing reach long into the future with very little cost or investment of time.

IRWIN | DEUTSCHTOWN | MEXICAN WAR STREETS | DESIGN ZONE  | FACEBOOK

IRWIN, PA—Launching a fresh branding strategy…

In early 2010 this small historic town east of Pittsburgh launched a Main Street branding effort with Randy Strothman and two talented associates—both with marketing and branding experience, as well as fine design track records. This community branding project is a component of a larger streetscape, gateways and infrastructure improvement strategy for the future of the town.

What’s a “bug” got to do with it?

Early in the Irwin identity development process, Randy suggested that perhaps what Irwin and other historic communities need to do is something comparable to what Volkswagen did for the beetle:  reinvigorate “the old tried and true” for today.

About the same time the Pennsylvania Downtown Center announced its 2010 conference theme:  “The Future of the Past.”  Meanwhile, here is the Irwin branding process and the results…

CRITICAL COMMUNITY PROCESS

4 concepts by 2 designers

Community buy-in is so important with any kind of community branding, marketing or development effort. People can be very passionate, opinionated and defensive for their community. So the process of decision making can be as important as the end result.  Here in Irwin, a savvy Steering Committtee, a focus group and a community opinion survey helped to assure that the logo design would meet approval and be embraced going forward.  In this case 95% of the people surveyed opted for the final choice of two community logo options.

CREATIVE CHOICES & BRAND MESSAGE

6 color schemes-final logo

This project also intentionally tapped the diverse styles of two designers in two different settings. No cross-fertilization allowed. That gave the Irwin committee 4 distinctly different logo style options to choose from initially, plus two dozen tagline options.  Once they chose a design the creative team offered 6 different color schemes to choose from. The creative choices are all about how best to reflect the personality of and vision for their community—and appeal to their target audiences.

After two and a half months of research, discussion, designing and strategizing, the branding and marketing deliverables for the Irwin community include:

• New logo and call-to-action tagline
• Brand Standards outline
• Creative Brief and Positioning Statement
• New market research: demographic & lifestyles
• Community branding opinion survey
• Marketing Snapshot analysis for planning

This FlexTeam project launched in January and wrapped up in mid April.  To see more examples of community logos, click on the icon to the left [PDF].  Plus… get a free ESRI community lifestyle report on your community by entering your zip code in the “What’s in a neighborhood?” on the right side of the ESRI home page.

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DEUTSCHTOWN—Multi-faceted branding tactics

In Randy Strothman’s own community of Deutschtown, redevelopment and re-branding are working hand in hand to create positive momentum in a stressed urban environment—disrupted decades ago by an 8-lane freeway project and flight to the suburbs.  While the real “heavy lifting” is about investment and renovation—the community loves dumpsters and the music of circular saws and hammers—branding and marketing have encouraged that in recent years.

One of the biggest boosts for the brand image of the community was the staging of its first historic house tour in 2005.  Deutschtown had witnessed the success of nearby neighborhoods with their tours and decided to go for it.  Eight wonderfully restored homes were featured, 675 pleasantly surprised people toured and the publicity helped not only with the image challenge, but also with rebranding and renaming of the community—from East Allegheny to Deutschtown. Bonus: this fund raising effort netted $10,000 for the community council for ongoing renovation.  2010 will be the third tour for Deutschtown.

Plus, new signage and a large German-themed mural convey the new message and brand to thousands of commuters everyday at the gateways to the community. And the opening of several popular new businesses helped to spin the district in the right direction and generated additional positive publicity.

BRANDED COMMUNITY WEBSITE

A new community website launched in 2009 helped to clearly define the unique offerings of this community on the rise.  Part of a volunteer team, Randy created the user friendly architecture for the site and set a warm tone for the site with his writing style and passion for including vibrant images on the site.  In addition, the website clearly establishes a group of “ambassadors” for the community willing to talk with various kinds of interested parties about the community.  That’s part of the welcoming tone of the site, offering real people to talk to. (read more about the creation of the site by volunteers)

MEXICAN WAR STREETS—a brand 40 years in the making

Part of the inspiration for Deutschtown’s launch of a house tour was their success at fund raising and branding for neighboring Mexican War Streets, which has staged fund raising tours for more than 40 years.  It no longer surprises Randy at all that when he says he’s from the Northside of Pittsburgh that they inevitably say “Oh, Mexican War Streets?”

This neighborhood has shaped a strong brand through this and other efforts, particularly the ongoing renovation of homes—one friend has restored more than 30 there!—and most recently a large new townhouse development that is part of a revitalization of a critical traffic artery through the community.

DESIGN ZONE—the arts as an economic development driver

A final example is the creation 10 years ago of a marketing concept for redeveloping the business corridor for Lawrenceville and the Strip District:  the 16:62 Design Zone. It was a visionary branding and marketing effort the community hoped would shape a vibrant, arts-driven future here.  Over time this strategy has attracted scores of new, independent, creative businesses—initially slowly, but then building momentum as more and more of the targeted types of businesses invested.

The websites for Lawrenceville and the Strip District also do a stellar job of branding, positioning and marketing.

FACEBOOK, too— social media for communities

In addition to websites, many communities are using Facebook and posting regularly. Take a look at three in action…

• Strip District Facebook
• Lawrenceville Facebook
• Bloomfield Facebook
• Northside Facebook

To discuss or create a success story for your community contact Randy Strothman & Associates.

Whether you are a fan of Avatar or not, it demonstrates one of the many technological leaps of the last decade.  Lets look at some others and reflect on how these have evolved the world of marketing communication in Pittsburgh.

DEFINITION of avatar:

A graphic identity you either select from a group of choices or create on your own to represent yourself to the other party in a chat, instant messaging or multiplayer gaming session—from PCMag.com

WEBSITES:  old news, but always evolving

Strrretching the definition, a website is a kind of marketing avatar for a business, acting as its salesman and showroom. While a website is not the company—except for ones that exist only on the web like Amazon.com—the site is out there 24/7,  representing it, acting on its behalf world wide.

One site we completed this year for a remodeling contractor allows visitors to flip through a portfolio of projects—from kitchens to outdoor living spaces.  And an interactive quiz asks homeowners 10 basic questions about where they are in the planning process—and rates the answers in terms of  “readiness”—much like an initial meeting would do.

Since websites compete with each other for attention—and with other traditional and interactive media—the gaming metaphor applies too:  it’s about winning the marketing battle for customer eyeballs and dollars. Not too much of a strrrretch of the analogy.

CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS:  do it yourself

Allowing you to easily manage your “avatar” without the help and expense of a webmaster, CMSs are becoming more popular with businesses. Part of the decade’s technology revolution is about making technology more user friendly.

Three of the six websites we worked on this year offer the versatility of managing and updating a website easily—on Joomla or WordPress platforms—giving the owner much more control of the site from day to day or hour to hour.  Combining CMS with Google Analytics, which reports on the activity on your site in great detail, businesses can now fine tune their marketing messages and offers as often as necessary based on actual consumer behavior.

Easing off on the avatar analogy, many other technological innovations have come on quickly and are widely used by millions, even hundreds of millions, of users.

NOTE: In the Old Days you had to tantalize the mass media gatekeepers to tell your latest story; it’s still a good idea.  Nothing like a good story in the mass media.  But now you can tell the world without their help, using your website, blogs, social media and YouTube, to mention a few.  Self publish.

BLOGS & SOCIAL MEDIA:  talk with your customers

A blog or social media platform creates the opportunity for dialog between the business and the customer, enabling a kind of conversation, if set up to allow comments. So, if you like or hate this blog post, you can respond right here and now.  And I can respond back very specifically, not generically.

A recent report by Advertising Age announces there is “no more Joe Consumer… the average American has been replaced by a complex, multidimensional society that defies simplistic labeling.”  Social media, along with rich variety of other Internet options, now enable niche marketing like never before, down to the individual, not just her demographic group.

Fans, Friends and Followers on Facebook and Twitter, for example, mean that you are communicating directly to people  interested in you and/or your business.  These new options—available since 2005 and 2006—take a little time to get working for your business, but not necessarily money.  And they can pay off big time in terms of reaching the people who really do want to hear about you.  There are hundreds of examples of social media marketing having a huge impact on the success of a business.  I’ve got dozens of these stories bookmarked.

TIP:  Use Key Words or Tags in your posts that people will search with.

BTW, the Google search engine discovered this blog within 1 hour of posting.

YOUTUBE:  instant fame and quick success

On a kind of opposite end of today’s high tech spectrum is an example I discovered at a holiday party.  A kind of shy, average neighbor is into “hooping,” a mini revival of the hoola hoop phenomenon for exercise and sporting purposes.  On a laptop at the party I saw for the first time his very primitive video… and was astonished to hear that it had been viewed 4,097 times and got a 4.5 rating out of 5 by reviewers. And check out the comments too: “You rock!.”  This is an amazing example of how the world of marketing has moved from the mass, one-size-fits-all approach to very finely defined niche markets with very special interests.

A much better example is the amazing success of Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent through YouTube.  Her first appearance alone has had more than 80 million viewings.  This has lead to the release and success of her new album. Clearly YouTube, launched in 2005, can reach huge audiences and even give you some indication of the size of that audience.

SMART PHONES:  the web any time any where

The word Crackberry is now officially in the dictionary.  And pretty much everyone knows what iPhone, iPod and iTouch are. This portability revolution—which also includes compact net books and ebook readers—means your message can reach people instantaneously on the road. With tens of thousands of “apps” available, including Twitter and Facebook feeds, your promotions can reach many customers right now on the road, not two hours from now.

It’s a brave new technology world.

Take the leap  if you haven’t already.

A little scary at first, it offers powerful, new and user friendly tools.

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MORE TECH REVOLUTION INFO

For more info about the decade’s technological advances here are two articles in the pre-New Years Sunday edition of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Decade’s technical developments have virtual impact on culture

TechMan: In the tech world, this decade was one to remember

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Importantly all of these have installed analytics to reveal traffic patterns and all have some form of Search Engine Optimization, because it isn’t necessarily true that “if you build it they will come.” Copy writing for the web requires a strong awareness of what keyword phrases will attract the best search results.

Costs for these new builds or refinements ranged from $1,000 to $12,000, depending on the degree of complexity. On the biggest of the projects, four bids came in with a wide range of costs—from a $3,700 to a $15,000 for the programming only—for the same website specifications.  Shopping and researching pays off in this marketplace, not only for price but also for reputation, reliability and experience.

MASTER REMODELERS

In 2008 RS&A rebranded this upscale contractor in ads and with a new identity package, including to place him in the elite group of contractors with tomorrow’s solutions for home energy efficiency. In November 2009, Master Remodelers’ 9 year old website was replaced with a new one featuring a Joomla content management system that allows his staff to update the site on their own. It also features an interactive portfolio of project photos and an innovative interactive quiz for visitors.

Since the launch of the site, Randy has done a lot of tweaking to improve performance with search engines and to increase visual appeal.  And this April a new WordPress blog was integrated into the site, featuring events, updates and special topics. Like green home remodeling.  A special challenge was working over distance with a developer in Atlanta. (more)

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PARK HOUSE

We completed this simple, fun and colorful site in early January.  Built on a simple WordPress content management system, the owner learned the system in two lessons and is now in full control.  It also features Google Analytics and lots of enticing photos.  Check it out at ParkHousePgh.com.

BONUS:  The site has a strong tie in to Social Media, particularly to announce musical events.  Facebook and email are integrated with a simple Events blog.  In one step the owner:  1) creates a blog announcement, 2) posts on his Facebook page and 3) sends an email to his list.  A real time saver.

DEUTSCHTOWN

For several months a committee of volunteers working with a paid web developer and funded by Pennsylvania Elm Streets honed this new web site to promote the community. Randy developed the web architecture, tone and much of the writing and imagery. More about the committee process in an earlier blog, plus insights on branding and marketing communities.

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FIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISING

While the new Deutschtown site was being built, tragedy struck the neighborhood in early January:   a fire destroyed an apartment building leaving nearly 20 people homeless. Many of the volunteers who were building the Deutschtown site rallied to create a multifaceted fundraising campaign, including a temporary website with PayPal contribution options. More than $5,000 came in to help the homeless neighbors. More about this effort in an earlier blog.

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PITTSBURGH WATER LIMO

In a quick turn around before the Pittsburgh Pirate season opened in April, the owners wanted new branding and a revamped website to better market their various river shuttle services. In a matter of a few weeks the revamped website more clearly spelled out the offerings, although it still needs some additional work. New Google analytics now tell the client what promotions are working best. (blog post)

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RANDY STROTHMAN & ASSOCIATES

Our website had become outdated after two years and it was time to put a fresh face on it, sharpen the messaging, and streamline the content with some major editing. The result is a cleaner and more contemporary home page, simpler menus, improved search function, links to social media and two blogs.

From the beginning in 2007 it has been housed on a WordPress content management system, allowing us at no cost to quickly and easily make additions or changes. But we still keep a WordPress guru or two a phone call away.

Randy Strothman wrote all of the website copy for this site, as well as for Master Remodelers’ and Park House’s, plus much of the writing for Deutschtown and Pittsburgh Water Limo.

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THE CONFLICT

The story began in 2003 when a big Northeast electric grid blackout wreaked havoc from the Midwest to New England.  Fast forward six years to May 2009 when Duquesne Light (DL), now an Australian owned utility, announced that it needs to quickly build a large “Crossover Station” in Allegheny Commons park.  Part of a cooling system for underground multi-megavolt power lines, the station is intended to mitigate the likelihood of another blackout.

Acknowledging that there is a need for a solution to this technological challenge—and that the Feds require a strengthening of the grid— the surrounding communities say “There must be a better solution.”  Many say it in terms that are less civil in response to DL’s proposal for an above ground 28’ x 9’ x 9’ structure in the heart of the park, only yards from the weekly Farmers Market, the annual Pumpkin Fest and restored homes across Cedar Avenue.

It’s also in the section of the park that is about to be restored with a $2,000,000+ investment. (photo shows location ——>)

THE PUSH BACK BEGINS

After a summer of negotiations— during which the Station proposed by DL grew in volume by 2000% —in September the Allegheny Commons Initiative and several community leaders decided it was critical to hear the voice the community. Collaborating with their two City Council representatives, they scheduled a Town Hall meeting for September 28^th.  DL had already launched its public relations campaign for the project earlier in the month and one of the community leaders had already launched her own counter campaign by speaking at several neighborhood meetings.

In preparation for the meeting, the experienced, yet volunteer leadership group built an outreach platform under the banner of “A SHOCKING addition to our park?  Town Meeting Sept. 28”:

• press releases went out to dozens of media
• email invitations went to hundreds of residents and other stakeholders
• a PowerPoint presentation was created
• a panel of experts was assembled to speak
• a full size mockup of the Station was built ———>

TOWN MEETING

The result was impressive. Approximately 200 people representing 11 Northside neighborhoods showed up. There was consensus that the current DL strategy was inappropriate for a wide variety of reasons. Three City Council representatives spoke out in support of a better solution for the Station. They and other city officials pledged to pursue political and legal avenues for a better solution. DL did not attend.

EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE

That night KDKA, WPXI and WDUQ broadcast stories about the meeting and the issues. Starting the next day and continuing for a week, more stories appeared in the press, including in the Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, Northside Chronicle and even on financial websites like iStockAnalyst.com.  Perhaps the most supportive and compelling were two from the Post-Gazette:

• an editorial endorsement of the community position under the title of “Power Grab”
• an article by Ruth Ann Dailey:  “Can citizen power prevail in Allegheny Commons?”

CALLS TO ACTION:  an email followup

Following the meeting, numerous local and regional organizations were solicited for letters of support for the community position.  In a followup email to hundreds of Northside stakeholders four calls to action were offered (exact text follows):

WHAT YOU CAN DO #1: email or call your elected officials

Even a dozen emails or calls can make a huge difference in building our officials’ case for support. While most of them already support this cause, telling them what concerns you gives them more leverage:  Aesthetics/blight?  Preservation? Safety? The precedent? Economic impact? Other? Perhaps use “Stop Duquesne Light” as subject of your email. Simply click on the live links below and send your message or call NOW:

• Councilwoman Darlene Harris
• Councilwoman Tonya Payne, 412-255-0738
• Mayor Ravenstahl, 412-255-2687
• Representative Jake Wheatley, 412-471-7760
• Representative Don Walko, 412-321-5523
• Senator Jim Ferlo, 412-621-3006

WHAT YOU CAN DO #2:  circulate a petition

Attached is a petition you can have signed by neighbors and other stakeholders.  Please return this to Alida Baker at the Allegheny Commons Initiative by October 19th.  She will forward them to various elected officials and other influencers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO #3:  send a donation

Since this issue arose in May, more than $7,000 has already been committed by local organizations in seeking a different solution, money that was not budgeted for by these organizations.  Please make checks out to Northside Leadership Conference and send to:  Alida Baker, ACI, 4 Allegheny Center, Suite 601, 15212

THE STORY IS NOT FINISHED

As of October 20^th negotiations are still underway for a “better solution.”  And stakeholders in the community and their allies in organizations and government continue to push back. There are rumors of new and better options being put on the table.  Stay tuned.

1/29/10 Update: Read the Post-Gazette article “Doing the Electric Slide” and Randy Strothman’s comment there.

1/30/10 Update:  Read the Post-Gazette article “Yep, They Want the Garage“.  It appears DL has made a choice which is not necessarily a win-win.

Randy,

a member of the volunteer community team

Phase 1 of the site will be streamlined for budgetary reasons. It will feature About Us, a portfolio of projects, as well as 4 key components of his service: Design, Construction, Craftsmanship and Sustainability.  It will also feature a blog about new products, energy audits, sustainability and homeowner tips.

Randy is developing the content and design with art director Robert Sands, who created an innovative icon system for the four Key Messages of the client. Site construction is being subcontracted to a developer in Atlanta, GA.   In addition, the SBDC at Pitt’s Katz School of Business is providing SEO support to the project.

Part of a campaign to launch in October

Synchronized with the launch of the website will be several new efforts, all including the new branding and icon system with a modern, clean look:

• A new rebranded ad in three magazines

• A postcard mailing to their warm market

• New signage for their vehicles ———>

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Won three awards in 2008 and went Green

In the summer of 2008, Regis McQuaide earned his Certified Building Analyst credential and the company is now “certified to deliver whole-house energy savings to improve comfort while reducing home energy use.”  [press release PDF] Even before that McQuaide has begun to apply his “home performance” knowledge to projects.  [read  PopCity article]

This includes one that won two awards in 2008:  from the Post-Gazette and Master Builders Association.   It’s also featured in a story in the Post-Gazette, a result of persistent media relations efforts.

This repurposing of a century-old church for 80+ year old Mrs. Hulley has made her senior years more comfortable… and brought mother and daughter together again on adjacent properties.  It is a major transformation of the structure to a cozy, affordable home for an adventuresome senior citizen.

Much of it an open space design plan, this renovation features:

• all living on a single floor
• a new picture window in the living room
• a wheel chair accessible entry and deck
• many accessibility features in kitchen and bath
• breakfast table next to island for eating/additional counter space
• inexpensive, durable white appliances
• colors reflecting her previous Victorian-style home

This renovation blends modern with traditional and “aging in place” accessibility features.  The result is a warm, open and imaginative new home for a senior citizen, showcasing her numerous antiques and spotlighting her art collection (with recessed lighting).

Plus a “lite green” treatment for energy efficiency

• high efficiency furnace/AC
• ceiling fans to reduce heating and cooling costs
• high performance low-e glazing
• ceilings lowered to 12’ for insulation (and scale).

In early March Randy had completed a Marketing Snapshot for Pittsburgh Water Limo. This new promotional effort is a direct result of the planning and recommendations included in the Snapshot.

The new season opened with a bang! As a result of media relations efforts, two stories appeared for the opening of the season: in PopCityMedia and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This drove traffic to the improved and rebranded website (interim site) and resulted in numerous new bookings. A second effort in early July, increased website visitors by 600%!

This low cost and concise analysis-with-recommendations has been very well received by the 19 businesses that have participated. (customer reviews PDF)

In 2009 the Strip District will provide 4 Snapshots to its businesses; the first two were Pittsburgh Water Limo and the Right By Nature natural foods grocery.