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98 | RMA | Tab 7 | Creative Ability | RFP No. 19-07-02 Agency Community Redevelopment Agency Margate, FL MARGATE Strategic Planning, Marketing, Branding & Public Relations Performance Period 2014 – 2017 Services Provided f Strategic Marketing & Business Attraction Plan f Brand Standard Design & Collateral Development f Public Relations f Special Event Management & Advertising ISSUE The City of Margate, known to most as simply a “bedroom community”, lacked a defined image which made it difficult to attract business to the city or to connect the community in a meaningful way. In addition to the lack of a clearly defined identity, brand and message, there was no strategy or strategic plan for marketing the City’s assets and opportunities. Margate did have innate assets however and a sense of community pride and cohesiveness. Without defining what makes a city unique, it can easily become invisible in a world of cities. The City of Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (MCRA) hired RMA to create and implement a comprehensive plan and campaign that would produce an identity and brand that was representative of the entire City. STRATEGY RMA had already worked with the City on a visionary downtown master plan that was adopted and being implemented. With the goals of establishing an identity, job creation, advancing the economic well- being of the community, and generating a better quality of life for all residents; RMA performed an economic analysis to better define the existing conditions and drivers that made the city unique. Then RMA drafted a strategic marketing plan that focused on the city’s potential, enhancing a positive community image among local and regional residents, and spurring visitor and developer interest in the city as a whole. The MCRA and RMA identified and engaged stakeholders in the process and achieved consensus on major elements. OUTCOME f A logo and tagline were adopted that illustrate the community pride and underlying themes that residents feel about the City of Margate. f A Brand Standards Manual was adopted to inspire and outline the brand and define the photographic style and primary message. f The new brand and message was featured on Miami’s Channel 10 News as a major headline in a story about south Florida city brands. f A brand launch event entitled “Celebrate Margate” was held to unveil the new logo, engage the community and build excitement about the future of Margate and was attended by thousands of residents and visitors. Additionally, a seasonal event, Margate under the Moon, was launched and draws approximately 5000 people monthly to the future downtown site giving residents and visitors a “taste” of what the future holds in the new downtown. f A comprehensive marketing promotional package was developed showcasing the visionary master plan and promoting the newly uncovered uniqueness of the area. f The comprehensive strategy included not only outreach to the development community and a business-centric social media strategy, but also a focus on visually creating a sense of place through the installation of branded light pole banners and development of business building seminars and special events. f The Margate CRA Annual Report won the 2016 Roy F. Kenzie Award for Best Annual Report and a 2017 Florida Redevelopment Association Best Promotion in a Redevelopment Area award for the Margate Under the Moon event. f RMA’s efforts firmly established Margate as a City engaged in the development of its existing and future assets. The social media campaign had a 2,142% increase in fans in a four month period, showcasing the interest in the City of Margate since the inception of the comprehensive branding campaign.