Carbondale to present draft marketing plan, proposed brand identity

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

CARBONDALE, Ill., (KBSI) — The City of Carbondale will present its draft Strategic Marketing Plan and proposed brand identity for public review during an upcoming City Council meeting.

The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25, during the City Council meeting beginning at 6 p.m. in Room 108 of the Carbondale Civic Center.

The city launched the Strategic Marketing Plan as an economic development effort to create a long-term strategy for promoting Carbondale as a place to live, visit, work, invest and do business.

The project is funded through the State of Illinois Energy Transition Community Grant program. City officials said the plan is intended to strengthen Carbondale’s competitive position, support tourism and business attraction, encourage private investment, attract and retain residents and increase community engagement.

Following a competitive selection process, the city hired Zo Agency to develop the plan.

The agency conducted stakeholder interviews, community listening sessions, market analysis and research to identify key themes related to Carbondale’s identity, assets, opportunities and public perception.

Those findings were used to develop the proposed marketing strategy and visual identity with input from a Brand Identity Team made up of city staff and community representatives.

During the meeting, Zo Agency will present its research findings, proposed strategic direction, branding concepts, logo and visual identity.

No formal action on the marketing plan, proposed logo or future spending will be requested during the meeting.

City officials said feedback from the City Council, staff and public will be considered as the plan and branding materials are refined before they are presented to the council for future consideration.