Smart Move Fargo Moorhead: Communications Plan for the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC
View/ Open
Abstract
An economic development corporation is, in many respects, the marketing arm of a community or metro area. The Organization needs to effectively sell the region to prospective companies and residents. The Organization also needs to tell its own story assuring its stakeholders that the Organization is effective. To do that, the Organization needs a communications plan.
This paper uses stakeholder theory to evaluate the investors’ roles to drive the communication plan. The paper also reviews economic development theories on marketing effectiveness. Finally, a survey of the Organization’s electronic newsletter recipients was conducted evaluating current communications efforts. A majority of participants represent investor companies, and the remaining participants represent partner institutions and primary-sector companies.
Together the research and survey results provide feedback to evaluate the 2008 communication plan and provide guidelines to create a current communication plan.