In the News

Marketing proposal presented

Friday, July 18, 2008
By JON-MARC LARSON
OCEAN SPRINGS -- Local business owners and residents met with the Mississippi Main Street Association on Thursday to view a presentation on a proposed marketing and branding campaign for the city.
The Board of Aldermen is set to vote on the proposal at its next scheduled meeting.
The proposal would require funding from one month's worth of the city's 2 percent hospitality tax, or about $80,000.
Ben Muldrow of the Mississippi Main Street Association said $30,000 would be used to launch ideas already formulated by the association.
Muldrow said this would pay for the creation of billboards, print ads, cable ads and ads on Coast Transit Authority buses.
"It is important for the community to unify their brand and own their reputation; this only strengthens the community," Muldrow said.
The remaining $50,000 would be made available for grants to help local businesses market themselves.
Voters in Ocean Springs, in a Dec. 11 election, approved the hospitality tax, which imposes a 2 percent levy on food and beverages. Revenue from the tax is earmarked for a new public safety facility, a new sports complex and improvements to existing recreational facilities.
The proposed marketing plan is centered around the motto, "A Colorful Coast Community." It would utilize synchronized color schemes and themes on signs and other promotional devices placed in businesses and around town, Muldrow said, enabling Ocean Springs to brand the city in a way that would enhance business.
"The city must have a unified, professional image if it wants to build local businesses and attract others," Muldrow said.
"The proposal would not do away with what Ocean Springs already does to enhance commerce, only build upon those efforts, making only subtle changes," Muldrow added.
"Without communication amongst our businesses, this plan won't be effective if passed," said Margaret Miller, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce.
"People are not aware of all the good we already have here in Ocean Springs. We could only make it better with this plan."
Some business owners in attendance expressed concerns about recent retail developments in D'Iberville, but were assured by Muldrow that this proposal would help divert those shoppers to Ocean Springs.