Survey pins branding strategies

  • By Mina Williams Enterprise editor
  • Tuesday, March 9, 2010 8:31pm

LYNNWOOD — The city of Lynnwood moves one step closer to developing a branding program aimed at luring developers, residents and visitors to the area.

Along with the consulting team from Nashville, Tenn.-based North Star Destination Strategies, the City Council reviewed the most recent findings of a perception study, March 1. The aim of the survey was to pinpoint what differentiates Lynnwood.

“Without the process we would be left at the altar waiting for a groom to show up with plans for our future not knowing what or when it would happen,” Council President Ted Hikel said. “Just as we shaped the future in the 1970s by planning for the mall area, we are now determined to shape the future of the city for the 21st century.”

There were no big surprises, Hikel said. “But it is the detail that makes us think. For instance, residents seem to be more critical of our shortcomings and want change while visitors voice more positive attitudes.”

The perception study pointed out that the most defining asset of Lynnwood is the Alderwood mall, along with good, affordable housing. Business concerns peg the city’s centralized location as the best element of Lynnwood. Traffic congestion was identified as a challenge.

“We wanted to measure the strength of our reputation,” said Mary Monroe, project manager. The study will help tell the Lynnwood story, she said.

“The information we have received so far is just the tip of tip of the iceberg,” Hikel said. “The full information gathered in this project will lead to a strategy for selling the development community on Lynnwood as a great place to build for the future. The City Center project and Highway 99 redevelopment will add to our overall property valuation. It will hopefully allow us to continue to have some of the lowest property taxes in the region and some of the highest service levels for our residents and businesses.”

“The perception of our area by our own people is not as positive as we would like,” Monroe said. “We need to work hard to change that. Through the branding process we want to draw unity in the community.”

North Star specializes in building community reputations through communications and has developed community brands for more than 100 cities in 25 states, including Santa Rosa, Calif., Ft. Collins, Colo., and Dayton, Ohio.

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