Brooklyn master plan effort involves interviewing new residents for branding purposes

BROOKLYN, Ohio — As part of its master plan process, Brooklyn is paying Fahlgren Mortine $40,000 to develop a brand identity and marketing program that builds awareness and preference for the city.

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Brooklyn, Ohio.

That effort includes the advertising agency interviewing new residents for insight into the community’s appeal.

“Part of a branding process we’ve identified through the master plan process is the need to hone in our community’s identity,” Brooklyn Mayor Katie Gallagher said. “Specifically, how we describe our city, how we sell our city to residents moving in and how we sell our community to businesses relocating here.

“We want to make sure that people understand what Brooklyn is all about so we’re drawing them here to invest.”

Over the last five years Brooklyn has completed a few surveys and focus groups; however, Fahlgren Mortine said the one area that lacked information had to do with a new resident point of view.

This summer the city reached out to interested new residents who moved into Brooklyn over social media.

“The interviews haven’t started,” Brooklyn Economic Development Director/City Planner Jeremy Rowan said. “The marketing firm is going to reach out to the handful of residents who said they were interested in participating.”

As for Brooklyn’s current master plan effort, which is funded by a $50,000 Cuyahoga County Planning Commission grant, Gallagher said it’s nearly completed.

Residents are currently encouraged to view and offer feedback regarding the Master Plan Virtual Public Presentation, which will be online through Sept. 13.

“We’re in the stage where they’re ranking the priorities,” Gallagher said. “We haven’t had our final plan approved or published. Right now, it’s just at the resident level, but part of those areas they’re trying to prioritize was to brand the identity of Brooklyn.”

The branding of the city is also tied to a soon-to-be newly designed city website, which will be updated based on a selected Fahlgren Mortine’s recommendation.

That mayor said residents will see the branding with a slogan, as well as on business cards and letterhead.

“We’re undertaking this initiative to develop an identity and marketing component that really captures the city’s unique characteristics and also future aspirations,” Rowan said.

“The goal of the new brand identity and marketing program is to bring out the history of the community to the present and develop an image of the city that will tell a story to the region. The new brand identity will inform other actions to beautify and define specific areas of the city such as streetscape, public spaces and city buildings.”

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