Along with the effort to increase customer traffic for Kenneth Village businesses, Development Services is working on the “Buy Glendale” campaign to promote city retail districts and encourage residents to keep their spending in the city, and just recently began a larger initiative focused externally on developing a city image and messages that will draw businesses, tourism and retail customers to Glendale.
For the latter, the city published a request for proposal from firms with experience in helping cities craft an image or “brand.” Bids on the consulting contract are due this Friday, July 31st. Link to city’s RFP page is below:
RFQ# 071309 – Request for Qualifications for Marketing Consultant Services [Closes: 7/31/2009 5:00:00 PM]
The Glendale Redevelopment Agency (“Agency”) is requesting qualifications for a Marketing Firm to assist the Agency with drafting and implementing a comprehensive citywide marketing campaign. The Agency is seeking qualifications from qualified firms for professional consulting services with experience in the research, design and development of marketing plans with an emphasis on economic development.
If successful, this program would have a much greater impact than the Kenneth Village or other neighborhood farmer’s markets, or even the “Buy Glendale” campaign, which have the limited goal of attracting residents to a local retail area.
Promoting Glendale’s hotels should raise Glendale’s visibility as a business destination. Coordinated marketing efforts to attract businesses to locate here could build on tourism, retail strength, and Glendale’s location (which the Kosmont-Rose Institute cited as preferred in Southern California).
If Glendale can attract more successful businesses, especially currently sought-after and (presumably) recession-proof “high-tech/green” businesses with educated and skilled employees, some of that well-paid daytime workforce might decide to live close to where they work, and spend close to where they live.