Consider Marketing Materials Update Proposal

The City of Ramsey is in need of updated marketing materials for presentations to business prospects and to improve its web presence related to economic development projects.  In the past the City has developed materials to market the community, or specific sites to prospects but those materials have become dated.  Current demographics, aerials and information is needed in professionally developed documents to tell our story and position the City in the market.  Enhancements to the City Economic Development Webpage will also improve our image and market our community better.  The materials also need to be in a form that they can be edited to reflect changes and flexible such that they can be used individually or collectively depending on the audience.  Staff has asked WSB to put together a tiered proposal with the expertise of a graphic designer for the EDA to review.  Included in the attached proposal are some documents that the City has used in the past that will be used as a potential framework to development new materials.

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WSB has presented three options and a COR Mapping Update for the EDA to review.  Under each option, WSB Staff would work with City Staff to develop the new materials.  WSB understands that this process could take several iterations and this is included in the cost for each option. 

The options are as follows:

Marketing Materials / Presentation

Option A.  This would include the creation of a PDF that would showcase updated data and maps currently shown in the cities marketing flyer.  The deliverable for option A would be a packaged Indesign File as well as a static PDF file that could be posted online as well as printed. $3,000.

Option B.  This would also include the updating of data and maps as indicated under Option A, but the PDF deliverable would be created in such a way that when viewed digitally it would be interactive and allow for various data points, testimonials, or mappings to be interactive.  A packaged Indesign file would also be included. $5,000.

Option C.  This would involve the deployment of updated data and mappings into a GIS Story Map.  An example Story Map that was completed by the City of Brooklyn Park is included at the end of this proposal.  A GIS Story Map provides added capabilities not available to PDF’s including interactive maps, text, images, and multimedia content, all available over the internet. A URL address would be provided for the Story Map which could be deployed on the City’s website and social media accounts as well as distributed to various economic development prospects. The GIS Story Map is something that could be updated in the future by the City using its ArcGIS Online account. WSB would also produce a PDF of the data and mappings for offline distribution.  $7,000.

COR Map Update

WSB understands that the City would also like to see an update completed for its rendered illustration of The COR.  This illustration would show planned development, development under construction, and completed development.  While this map could be included in marketing materials it’s also desired that this rendered illustration service as a standalone marketing piece and is being called out separately.   WSB will utilize its existing AutoCAD file of the COR and gather AutoCAD files of newly approved projects as well as roadway alignments and merge them into a fully updated file.  The deliverable of this effort would be the updated AutoCAD file as well as a pdf of the rendered illustration. $1,500.

Option A or B and the COR Map Update would be a significant improvement to our current marketing materials and it would give flexibility for the City to make edits after the fact as needed.  Option C is fantastic but will certainly require more time and effort by staff and WSB to complete if so desired.

EDA Marketing Budget. All options would fall within the current Marketing budget balance.

Staff recommendation is to select Option A and the COR Mapping Update and to wait on the Story Map (Option C).

Staff is supportive of going with Option B but would like feedback from the EDA as to whether it believes that it is worth the $2,000 in additional investment as shown in the attached Interactive PDF Example.

Motion to approve marketing contract with WSB for Option A and COR Mapping Update for a cost not to exceed $4,500.

(Note: this motion does not include the interactive PDF. If the EDA wishes to include this in the package, the motion should include Option B with a not to exceed amount of $6,500)