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City Hall

1 North Locust Street

Greencastle, Indiana

 

   

To the citizens of Greencastle,

 

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I share with you the recent work of the Hometown Greencastle Alliance: a marketing and development model and framework for the future of our city.  I believe that our Community leadership shares the same hope and dreams for our hometown that I regularly hear from many of you – a desire for higher paying jobs, smart and planned development, a hospitable business environment, better neighborhoods, and a more welcoming sense of community.  They know, as you do, that focusing on these challenges will result in better schools, higher property values, reasonable taxes, and more robust human and financial capital available for all.

 

My excitement is about the dynamic marketing and development model that is contained in this plan. For the first time ever, we are able to substantiate how Greencastle is perceived, both by our residents and by the people of Central Indiana.  We know where we stand, how we compare, and are now beginning to understand what we need to do to become a community that exemplifies both tradition and vitality.  With the growing programs and facilities of Ivy Tech’s Greencastle campus to complement the strengths and services of DePauw University we can become, and should be known as, one of the best small college towns in Indiana.  A place that is more attractive to the citizens of today, and a place that will be even more attractive to people who may be drawn to Greencastle in the years to come.

 

This model is unique in the state -- it has been designed from the ground up, and it simply cannot succeed without the participation of our people. I look forward to the involvement of many residents, of all ages, of all walks of life, that will bring together ideas for both early successes and long term accomplishments.    I have set my expectations high and hope that Greencastle will do the same.

 

Please join the City of Greencastle and the Hometown Greencastle Alliance as we begin a new and energizing journey.  We will be enormously grateful for the gift of your time and your talents.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Nancy Michael

Mayor

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hat will Greencastle look like in twenty years? In fifty?

Who will live here? Where will they work?

Will our traditions and heritage have been preserved?

 

These are some of the questions the Hometown Greencastle Alliance wished to answer as it went through a comprehensive research and planning process in 2006. The goal was to support the private, pubic and non profit sectors now and in the future, and ultimately attract highly skilled residents, businesses and workers to Greencastle.  The resulting living, breathing marketing and development model makes the recommendation that Greencastle position itself as….

The best college town in the Midwest

 

A welcoming and progressive Midwestern community developing cultural, educational, technological, and recreational opportunities for the 21st Century

 

Why “college town?”  For Greencastle, the college town claim derives from the strengths of two institutions which serve our community and which help to enhance our opportunities, facilities, programs, and services – Ivy Tech and DePauw University. College town clearly differentiates Greencastle from other county seats, suburban areas, and New Urban developments and establishes an immediate mental picture of a place that personifies both tradition and vitality. Great college towns are intellectual, cultural and economic hubs, balancing tradition with new business growth. Often, they mix urban amenities and small-town charm. College towns make great hometowns because students, singles, families, working people, and retirees can all find connections and a niche for themselves within the community. These are places where alumni want to live and where employers want to locate. Young entrepreneurs are attracted to college towns because of the often available resources and talent that can help turn their business ideas into reality.

Working toward this vision, Greencastle has established four primary focus areas, or “community foundations” on which the plan is centered:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The “meat” of the marketing and development plan contains strategies that target three groups: Greencastle residents (both existing and potential), the business community, and the Central Indiana general public.  The top three recommended strategies for bringing energy to the brand and building awareness of the community are to 1) improve Greencastle’s Internet presence; 2) promote and develop events and festivals; and 3) create a discernible sense of community through a system of environmental signage. A communications toolbox will help the city put its marketing basics into place and provides a portfolio of pieces that community organizations will be able to use as they promote Greencastle. The plan also includes dozens of tactical suggestions in the areas of advertising, public relations, special promotions, sales, and community outreach and communications. An ongoing set of research tactics is recommended to track success over time.

Evaluating Benchmarks and Long Term Success

Greencastle’s success will ultimately be dependent upon its ability to meet its mission, goals, and desired outcomes, and its ability to create benefit and value for and attract support from residents, elected officials, funders and donors, the media, and the regional general public. The basis for this is an improvement in the overall sense of community pride. Economic growth indicators will be monitored, and the marketing program will be tracked for its ability to achieve improved awareness of Greencastle’s assets and its image as a place to live and do business.

 

An Inclusive and Research-Based Process

 

The Alliance worked with F2/Inc.’s Lynne Fuller, consultant John Goss, and Strategic Marketing and Research, Inc. to develop the new marketing and development plan. The project was conducted in three phases: 1) research and discovery, 2) community participation and brand development, and 3) marketing and development plan model preparation. In the fourth phase, the plan will be thoroughly examined and modified according to citizen input and prepared for implementation.

 

The research and discovery phase included activities to gain an understanding of Greencastle’s true situation in the competitive environment.  Consultants performed a marketing audit as well as an inventory of physical and cultural assets and related initiatives in Greencastle, Putnam County, and surrounding communities of similar size. Comparative assessments were made between Greencastle and Avon, Bloomington, Brownsburg, Crawfordsville, Danville, Franklin, Greenfield, Noblesville, Plainfield, and Zionsville. Consultants also studied state and national statistics relative to population growth and commuting trends, the housing market, job and business growth, and economic, community and downtown development trends.

A critical component of the marketing and development initiative was to evaluate how familiar the general population of Central Indiana is with Greencastle, what is important to them when considering where to live, and to understand how local residents perceive their own community. Two surveys took place in the spring of 2006 – one gathered perceptions of more than 600 Central Indiana residents, and another collected the opinions of nearly 650 local residents. 

 

Phase II included direct communication with Greencastle residents. The Banner Graphic agreed to publish a series of five stories that ran back-to-back to set the stage for a series of community input sessions that took place in June. The purpose of these well attended meetings was to develop a sense of inclusiveness and broad-based community support by inviting comments and ideas in a group setting.

Once the research and citizens had provided direction, the team of consultants and Alliance members considered the principles of branding: Greencastle’s attributes and benefits, unique selling propositions, its personality, and potential positioning statements. This exercise resulted in several logo design options that were rendered by the SevenTwentyGroup of Indianapolis. 

 

A follow-up community focus group was held in September to gain agreement on the tactical direction of the plan. The result of these meetings was the formation of two new committees: the Summit Taskforce, whose job it will be to address the asset-building parts of the initiative and to plan a community retreat to be held in early 2007; and the Design Review Committee, a group interested in taking the logo design and other graphic representations to the next level.

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Population growth projections confirm the greater Greencastle region’s need to examine and take control of its future. In the last five years, Greencastle’s population has grown at a slower rate than other communities studied, with the exception of Crawfordsville. At the same time, by 2040, Putnam County is projected to grow at a rate that is greater than what is considered to be a “natural increase,” placing Putnam County squarely within what will be considered the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area.

 

In a clear indication of how awareness can impact favorable opinions, Greencastle is tied with Crawfordsville as being the least desirable place to live among the communities studied. Greencastle fares better overall when respondents were split to include only those who prefer to live in a town of 50,000 or less.  Residents of Central Indiana gave Greencastle a higher rating as a place to live than did the citizens of Greencastle themselves. Additional below-average ratings clearly suggest that citizens want a better sense of community and more shopping and dining, leisure and recreational opportunities.  Forty-five percent of the survey sample is either considering a move to Greencastle or has not made a decision one way or another, and this group rated the community’s features and amenities higher than did the general population.

Greencastle Ratings - Central Indiana Residents

While DePauw University is a defining attribute in Greencastle and contributes a significant economic impact to the area, those outside the community are in general not very familiar with the connection between Greencastle and DPU.  More Central Indiana respondents said they were “very familiar” with DePauw University than they were with the city of Greencastle. The presence of a college or university is not necessarily a core decision-making factor for the general population. However, the amenities that are often associated with a university are important to the general population, and even more so to those that prefer living near a college.

 

There is evidence that most Central Indiana cities and towns are not viewed as particularly community-minded or hospitable, and that Greencastle shares the challenge of building these sensibilities among its residents.

 

In the short term, Greencastle can make strides in building awareness by listening to customers and residents, understanding the trends, finding a unique selling point, creating a memorable and distinctive brand image, and putting together an effective sales, media and Internet strategy.  In the long term, the community will need to understand, develop, and invest in its “sense of community.”

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“Government works best when it reflects the will of an informed and engaged public.”  

-- Former United States Congressman and DePauw University graduate, Lee Hamilton

 

here are powerful social and cultural forces working at the foundation of communities in Indiana and America; inclusive of government, social organizations, churches, and businesses.  These forces are changing the way our communities deliver services and provide security and a future for their citizens. 

 

The preservation, cultivation, and building of the economic and social foundations, economic fitness, communication, educational engagement, and asset development, and all that involves, is essential to supporting the Pillars of Community; government, business, and non-profits.

                                                                                                                                                                           

The critical level that lies between government, business, and social services is the community. The healthy community includes strong neighborhoods, successful businesses, vital churches, effective schools, and active volunteer organizations.  These institutions encourage cooperation, build trust and confront social problems before they become large enough for politics or the police.  Informed and engaged citizens of a healthy community are its immune system.  The excitement for the future of the Greencastle Hometown Initiative is the anticipation of the rise of the citizen, active in numbers in community leadership and a community with the economic and social foundations to raise the standing of all.

Hometown Greencastle Alliance

The essential task of the Hometown Greencastle Alliance is to assemble the key leaders and citizens from the community to facilitate implementation of the “marketing and development model” and the four focus areas of the “community development mission.”  The Alliance represents the leadership capital of the community.  Their historical knowledge of the community and its culture are supported by their leadership interests, responsibilities, elected or appointed, public, private and non-profit.   The Alliance has acted through a twelve month process that produced this document, “The Hometown Greencastle Marketing and Development Model.”  The Alliance continues to function as gatherers of information, initiators of the vision, and cultivators of resources; financial, educative, and individual.  The members have a heart for the community and citizens; are encouragers and mentors; initiators of social, economic, and community quality of life and change.  

 

Hometown Community Summit

               

The Hometown Greencastle Community Summit convened by the Alliance, will be a dialog of issues and challenges generated from the Alliance and the Marketing and Development Model.  Its goal is a presentation of the community’s assets and challenges for conversation and debate, opening the process to further ideas and participants.  Conducted by a seasoned facilitator from outside the community, the Summit will be broadly representative of the community.

 

Hometown Greencastle Citizen Core Groups

 

The Citizens Leadership Groups will result from the Summit.  The Groups may represent the emerging leaders and citizens of principle constitutes, business, government, and non-profits; stakeholders, present and future, in the social and economic foundations of the community. 

 

In collaboration with the Alliance, implementing the visions and actions from the Hometown Summit, the Groups will develop and accept the primary challenges facing the community; facilitating the systems and processes to introduce topics to the community at large.  The structure and composition of each Group depends on its distinct mission, but represents citizen involvement from the grassroots; bottom-up.

 

Group sessions will consist of open discussion of a community issues and challenges and presentations on the development of systems and processes for implementation. 

 

The group is to define the issues, gauge citizen interest and enthusiasm, and put forward the challenge to the larger community.  The citizens group is to be a forum for conflict and compromise; a time for commitment and ownership in solutions by the citizens and leaders, of their own free will.  

 

Following is a sample matrix of community organizations, boards, and stakeholders displaying the interconnectivity of the proposed Hometown Greencastle marketing strategy.

 

 

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