HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Springfield Economic Look - Regional Competitiveness and Industry Assessment and Economic Strategy AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 7/18/2016
Meeting Type: Work Session
Staff Contact/Dept.: Courtney Griesel, CMO Staff Phone No: 541-736-7132
Estimated Time: 20 Minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Encourage Economic Development and
Revitalization through Community Partnerships
ITEM TITLE: SPRINGFIELD ECONOMIC LOOK – REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND INDUSTRY ASSESSMENT AND ECONOMIC STRATEGY
ACTION REQUESTED:
Provide feedback to staff on proposed scope of activities to be completed as part of the
Springfield Economic Look
ISSUE STATEMENT: In September, the City will begin a project to create a city-wide economic development strategy with a focus on regional and national competitiveness and industry
opportunities. This work will provide the foundation to later develop and market the
community and industry values and opportunities through the creation of a Springfield Economic Development Marketing and Branding plan. The economic development
strategy work is fully budgeted and anticipated to be complete in April, 2017.
Marketing and branding would occur at a later date following completion of the economic strategy. The City is proposing to sole source this work to Allison Larsen
with TadZo Consulting.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1 – Council Briefing Memo
DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT:
City Council has identified economic development and the Springfield economic look as priority initiatives, acknowledging a need to understand our competitive advantages and disadvantages in the regional and national markets. Funds were budgeted for this
work during the FY17 budget process in an amount of $75,000. The goal for this project will be to generate a strategy and marketing plan which sets clear direction for
realistic priorities while clarifying responsibilities and metrics for implementation; the
plan will identify where the City is best positioned to ‘go’ and how to most effectively get ‘there.’
Provided as Attachment 1 is a detailed discussion of the proposed work, outlining;
Why an Economic Strategic Plan and Marketing Effort, and
Phased Work and Costs to Complete the Project; o Phase I – Strategic Economic Plan Cost: $64,500 (budgeted)
Estimated Start Time: September 2016 Estimated Complete: April 2017
o Phase II – Economic Development Marketing and Branding
Cost: $35,499 (not budgeted) Estimated Time to Complete: Four Months
Funds are currently budgeted in an amount of $75,000 which supports completion of
Phase I. Phase I can be completed independent of Phase II, while Phase II will require products from Phase I. Costs for both phases combined total $99,999. Phase I work
would begin in September of 2016. The City is proposing to work with Allison Larsen
of TadZo Consulting on this project. TadZo is a leader in strategic economic development planning and marking and branding work. Allison worked recently and
extensively in the region to guide the regional “Big Look” efforts. In 2014, Allison worked specifically with the Springfield City Council and staff to explore tough questions and dialogue around our urban growth boundary expansion.
M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield
Date: 7/18/2016
To: Gino Grimaldi COUNCIL
From: Courtney Griesel, Economic Development BRIEFING
Subject: Springfield Economic Look – Regional
Competitiveness and Industry Assessment and
Economic Strategy
MEMORANDUM
ISSUE:
In September, the City will begin a project to create a city-wide economic development strategy with a
focus on regional and national competitiveness and industry opportunities. This work will provide the
foundation to later develop and market the community and industry values and opportunities through the
creation of a Springfield Economic Development Marketing and Branding plan. The economic
development strategy work is fully budgeted and anticipated to be complete in April, 2017. Marketing and
branding would occur at a later date following completion of the economic strategy. The City is proposing
to sole source this work to Allison Larsen with TadZo Consulting.
COUNCIL GOALS/
MANDATE:
Encourage Economic Development and Revitalization through Community Partnerships
BACKGROUND:
City Council has identified economic development and the Springfield economic look as a priority
initiative, acknowledging a need to understand our competitive advantages and disadvantages in the
regional and national markets. Funds were budgeted for this work during the FY17 budget process in an
amount of $75,000.
The goal for this project will be to generate a strategy and marketing plan which sets clear direction for
realistic priorities while clarifying responsibilities and metrics for implementation; the plan will identify
where the City is best positioned to ‘go’ and how to most effectively get ‘there.’
Why an Economic Strategic Plan and Marketing Effort?
Springfield has the potential to be a leading competitor on the West Coast if amenities and opportunities are
identified, assessed and strategically invested in and marketed. Industries we may have focused on in the
past may be irrelevant for future economic opportunities moving forward. An Economic Strategic Plan is a
targeted and proactive approach to help us identify and match our community assets and vision to large
scale opportunities now and into the future.
The work will address the below key questions;
How is Springfield’s economy performing?
What traded-sectors should we be focused on because they are growing and make the most sense to our
future?
How does Springfield fair against competitors? Are we paying attention to the right competitors?
How can we be more competitive for the kinds of businesses we would like to see grow in Springfield?
What distinctly sets Springfield apart from the competition?
In which sites and areas should we be investing for greatest economic impact long-term?
What infrastructure priorities should we be planning?
What local government policies, fees and taxes might be barriers and how might they be revised?
What else could we be doing to enhance the labor force for existing and prospective employers?
MEMORANDUM 7/14/2016 Page 2
How can we strengthen our business retention and expansion efforts?
What is our economic development brand?
What data do we need to prove Springfield’s advantages?
What marketing materials are we missing?
What should we stop doing because it is no longer relevant and there might be better uses for the same
resources?
Phased Work and Costs
Work is separated into two phases; Phase I Strategic Economic Planning and Phase II Marketing and
Branding. The marketing and branding phase is dependent on the completion and outcomes from Phase I
work. At this time, budget is only approved for Phase I, Strategic Economic Planning. Detailed
descriptions of the below summarized phases and deliverables are included as Attachment A to this memo.
Phase I – Strategic Economic Plan
Cost: $64,500 (budgeted)
Estimated Start Time: September 2016
Estimated Complete: April 2017
Deliverables:
Step 1 – Where are we now?
A. Economic Performance
B. Competitiveness Assessment
C. Economic Development Program Review
Step 2 – Where do we want to be?
A. Stakeholder Input
B. Target Industry Analysis;
a. Industry trends research and screening
b. Capabilities screening
c. Niche and Emerging Industry Sectors
d. Industry Intelligence
C. Competitor Benchmarking
D. Priorities Interactive Work Session
Step 3 – How will we get there?
A. Priority Strategic Initiative Work Sessions
B. Written Plan
C. Final Plan Presentation!
Phase II – Economic Development Marketing and Branding
Cost: $35,499 (not budgeted)
Estimated Time to Complete: Four Months
Deliverables:
Step 1 – What is Springfield’s Value Proposition?
A. External Perceptions
B. Internal Perceptions
C. Message Platform
Step 2 – What is our Brand?
Step 3 – How will we prepare to go to Market?
A. Website; Site Map, Website Development
B. Business Cases; worksession and template
Step 4 – How will we go to Market?
A. Draft Marketing Plan
B. Stakeholder Input
C. Implementation Work Session for Marketing Plan
MEMORANDUM 7/14/2016 Page 3
Funds are currently budgeted in an amount of $75,000 which supports completion of Phase I. Phase I can
be completed independent of Phase II while Phase II will require products from Phase I. Costs for both
phases combined total $99,999. Phase I work would begin in September of 2016. A proposed project
timeline is included in this memo as Attachment B. The City is proposing to work with Allison Larsen of
TadZo Consulting on this project. TadZo is a leader in strategic economic development planning and
marking and branding work. Allison Larsen has worked recently and extensively in the region, including
specifically in Springfield, to guide the regional “Big Look” efforts. In 2014, Allison worked with the
Springfield City Council and staff to explore to tough questions and dialogue around our urban growth
boundary expansion.
Attachment A – Phase I and Phase II Scope of Work and Deliverables
Attachment B – Proposed Project Implementation Timeline
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Provide feedback to staff on proposed scope of activities to be completed
as part of the Springfield Economic Look.
July 12, 2016
Proposal for City of Springfield, Oregon
5 Springfield Economic Look
III. PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK
This project will be carried out over two comprehensive phases, resulting in a strategy and
marketing plan - plus tools ready for implementation - that are customized to Springfield’s
needs, challenges and opportunities.
Phase I – Strategic Planning
There are three key steps for the strategic planning phase.
Step 1 - Where are you now?
To document the current situation for economic development opportunities in Springfield, we
propose three important assessments that will prime you for informed strategic planning.
A. Economic Performance
This initial step documents fundamental economic indicators to provide an understanding of
how the Springfield economy is performing in the context of state and national performance.
At a minimum, Springfield’s economy will be analyzed for employment trends,
growing/declining occupations and industries, educational attainment, population
demographics, earnings top businesses, and other pertinent data. The data will be provided in
a variety of formats to support the City in making a case for priority strategic initiatives of the
plan.
B. Competitiveness Assessment
Although a review of Springfield’s assets was conducted for the “Big Look” project, we will
analyze for current situation and planned improvements. In this case we will take a deeper
dive into Springfield’s strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of an investor in the
•Where are you now?
•Where do you want to be?
•How will you get there?
Phase I -Strategic Planning
•What is Springfield's value proposition?
•What is your brand to communicate your value proposition?
•How will you prepare to go to market?
•How will you go to market?
Phase II -Marketing
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context of national competitiveness. This analysis will provide insights for potential areas in
need of improvement that should be focused on for strategic initiatives.
The process will involve data analysis, a community tour and interviews with key service
providers as well as local employers.
A sampling of key factors of evaluation includes:
Transportation – quality and access to diverse transportation resources (road, rail,
seaport, air, intermodal) to support supplies and finished goods as well as labor flow.
Sites and Buildings - available for development.
Utilities – capacity and costs for water, sewer, electricity, natural gas,
telecommunications; reputation of service provider; quality of service; utility
incentives.
Permitting and Regulatory – speed, clarity and consistency.
Business Climate – the environment of working with jurisdiction and overall
community tone for welcoming new businesses.
Labor Force – availability of specific skills; wages and fringe benefits; major labor
force competitors; management/labor relations; general work ethic.
Ability to recruit talent to community – amenities; sense of place; appearance/curb
appeal; cost of living.
Workforce Development - available training programs that support skill development
for potential target industries.
Innovation and R&D Resources – available locally and at nearby institutions that
would support specific industry growth.
Sustainability - services and resources to support green business initiatives.
Incentives - experience with accessing federal, state and local incentives for
businesses.
Meetings will be requested with:
City authorities - permitting and regulatory process; sustainability initiatives and
resources.
Utility service providers
Workforce service providers
Education and training providers
Innovation resource providers
Local employers will be interviewed confidentially for a deeper dive into workforce
issues, regulatory environment, business climate, and any other limitations of the
area.
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Each factor will be scored on the following criteria:
A = World-class competitive advantage
B = Competitive, but missing key elements
C = Neutral; found in many communities
D = Fundamental assets are missing
F = Disadvantages so great it could be a “deal killer”
The analysis will be documented in a Competitiveness “Report Card” and utilized in screening
for target industries
C. Economic Development Program Review
To fully understand the focus of the City’s economic development efforts, a review will be
completed of:
All available economic development reports and strategies;
Relevant City Council plans;
Tracked metrics of economic development accomplishments;
And any other pertinent information.
Interviews will be conducted with City staff to clarify details, program goals and corresponding
metrics.
Step 2 - Where do you want to be?
The purpose of this phase of the planning process sets direction on priorities for the economic
development strategy. To do so, we will gather input from stakeholders and research
Springfield’s “best fit” industries as well as competitors. All of this information will help the
council and city staff to prioritize key initiatives.
A. Stakeholder Input
The first step is gather input from stakeholders via interviews, focus groups and/or online
surveys as to the vision for Springfield’s future economy and what success looks like. All City
Council Members will be invited to participate. Key stakeholders may include, but not limited
to: Springfield Development Advisory Committee, Springfield Chamber of Commerce,
Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation, FertiLab, Tech Association of Oregon, Lane
Workforce Partnership, South Willamette EDC, Rotary Chapters, even high school students and
young professional groups.
B. Target Industry Analysis
The objective of this analysis is to identify growth industries that are “best fit” with your
community’s assets and limitations. Effective targeting provides understanding as to specific
needs to be addressed in order to better position your community’s assets for realistic “wins.”
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It helps you to prioritize investment of time and resources relative to making the greatest
impact for targets.
Target identification involves four research and analysis steps to filter broad clusters down to
specific sectors that are a good fit in Springfield. For this research, we focus on traded-sectors
those industries that produce goods and services for export outside of Springfield, thus
bringing new wealth into the local economy.
Industry Trends Research & Screening
We will begin by looking at historic industry trends. This empirical analysis will set the stage
for the target industry recommendations.
Success and potential future growth – We will analyze industry trends for
employment, number of establishments and average regional wages by six-digit
NAICS from 2009 to 2014 along with national projected output and employment
growth. This data will allow us to determine what types of industries have been most
successful in the local area in recent years, and which ones are likely to hold the best
potential for future growth.
State-wide data - In order to broaden the base of potential targets, we will investigate
and compare similar data on industry growth trends for Oregon.
Manufacturing capacity - An indicator of expansion potential is national capacity
utilization rates for manufacturing industries.
State and local comparison - We will compare growth industries in Oregon state-wide
to local clusters to identify similarities and differences. We will use location quotients
to identify industries that are particularly concentrated in the local area.
We will then screen the baseline data to identify industries for which Springfield has particular
advantages over other competing locations. Several guidelines for screening and prioritizing
industries will be used.
Growth industries locally and industries that are growing at a faster rate in the county
than in the nation as a whole;
Industries that have above average projected output and employment growth
nationally over the next 10 to 15 years;
Industries that have high manufacturing capacity utilization rates nationally and are
likely to expand in the near term;
Firms that increase wealth and provide above average wages; and
Industries that will help to diversify the local economy.
Once the initial screening process is complete, the next step will be to identify specific target
clusters. We will group interdependent industries together, including primary producers as
well as related suppliers and other support industries.
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Capabilities Screening
Secondary data, while important, is only one part of the target industry analysis. These results
will need to be further screened to take into account Springfield’s capabilities to meet the
needs of the industry trends analysis. Results of Springfield’s Competitiveness Report Card will
drive this screen of potential targets. This step ensures that the resulting targets are not only
compatible based on industry trends, but are also a good fit with the competitive assets and
limitations in Springfield, specifically.
Niche & Emerging Industry Sectors
Industry trend data does not fully capture emerging or underdeveloped industries that
represent new opportunities for Springfield. Complimentary to unique assets and strengths
discovered during the Competitiveness Assessment, we will augment our research with current
location trends to identify any niche or emerging industry sectors that may not come up in our
analysis of business trends data. This allows for a complimentary forward-thinking approach
to the target industry study and leverages the current trends in site selection.
Industry Intelligence
Once all the targets have been identified, we will research additional industry intelligence
including:
Typical Company Profile What does a company within the target industry look like?
Employment, size of facility, capital investment, etc.
Priority Location Factors What drives their site location decisions?
Key Occupations For what occupations should local workforce agencies prepare
talent and skill sets?
Industry Intelligence Industry overview, current issues, conversation starters for
CEO, HR and CFO Executives.
Source Locations – Where can you find these industries to recruit?
All steps for targeting will be summarized into a final report, along with supporting data and
documentation. This deliverable report presents all data and rationale for recommended target
industry sectors, along with corresponding industry intelligence to support effective work with
local employers and targeting for business recruitment.
C. Competitor Benchmarking
To further enhance understanding of Springfield’s market position as it relates for your target
industries, research of competitors will be completed on key economic indicators and
operating costs. Together we will identify up to five competitors – either a community you
compete with frequently or one that is targeting the same industries.
Benchmark Competitiveness Measures – research and analyze comparative
differences. Identify insights that may apply to your strategy.
Operational Cost Comparative Analysis – apply a company pro forma across
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competitors for an apples-to-apples financial assessment of annual operating costs.
Not only will the data be utilized in this analysis, you will receive a software model
(populated with data) for preparing operational cost analysis for any prospective
project in comparison of nine areas with Springfield.
The data includes:
Annual Operating Cost Comparison by Area
Total Annual Cost
Total Payroll
Fringe and Mandated Benefits
Utility Costs
Building Lease or Amortized Payment
Property Taxes
Selected Wage Rates by Occupation by Area
Industry Average Wages by Area
Benefits
Retirement and Savings
Life and Health Insurance
Workers Compensation
Unemployment Insurance
Social Security
Utility Costs
Water
Wastewater
Electricity
Natural Gas
Building Lease or Land & Construction Costs
Lease Rate per Square Foot
Total Annual Lease Cost or Land Cost per Acre
Total Land Cost
Building Construction Cost per square foot
Total Construction Cost
Total Building and Land Cost
Property Tax
Tax Rate
Assessment Ratio
Effective Tax Rate
Property Tax Cost
All research and data will be prepared in a Competitors Benchmark Report and a presentation
of key findings.
D. Priorities Work Session
In this highly interactive work session, the findings from all previous work will come together –
assessments, input, targeting and benchmarking – to help City Council, staff and possibly
others to define priorities for Springfield’s Economic Development Strategy.
Although a specific agenda will be customized based on the findings of previous work, following
are a sampling of exercises that may be integrated into the work session agenda:
Summarize Stakeholder Input to reveal insights for establishing priorities.
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Review Economic
Development
Programs and
related efforts; group
will categorize
initiatives into an
Investment Portfolio.
This chart supports a
discussion and
evaluation of how
well programs are
performing and new
initiatives that the group may want to “sow” or “seed” in the new plan.
The Five Bold Steps
chart helps to
prioritize key
initiatives to achieve
the desired
outcomes and
clarify Vision for the
Economic
Development
Strategic Plan. To
get to agreement on
Five Bold Steps we
may utilize a 25/10 Crowdsourcing exercise or a Swap/Sort exercise. Both of these
exercises yield better results than “sticky dots” prioritizing and really help the best
ideas rise to the top.
A discussion and review of the capacity to implement key initiatives could occur to
further evaluate initiatives. This discussion helps to manage expectations considering
available resources. If a solution is both needed and wanted, but resources are limited
it may also identify critical funding gaps or drive a conversation about stopping other
activities in favor of more important initiatives. Keep in mind it is important to stop
doing some things in order to make way for more innovative approaches.
The agreed upon priorities from this work session will drive the strategic plan development in
Step 3.
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Step 3 - How will you get there?
This phase is where we get into the details of developing the actual strategic plan focused on
prioritized strategic initiatives from the Priorities Work Session.
A. Priority Strategic Initiative Work Sessions
A work session for each Priority Strategic Initiative will be facilitated with representation from
people/groups interested in working on implementation. TadZo’s role in this planning process
is to coach through plan development so that the strategic plan is truly “owned” by key
implementers. Our experience working with numerous communities across North America
helps us to bring best practices to the group, as well as observations of what doesn’t work well
and can hold you back from success.
These work sessions are very important in building excitement for plan implementation
because those involved in plan development will be primed to lead and work on
implementation. We will help you identify “champions” to lead the initiative and assemble
resources and a team of implementers.
B. Written Plan
With the results of the Priority Strategic Initiative Work Sessions, we will write the actual plan.
Each Strategic Initiative in the plan will be developed using the following questions as guides:
Why is the initiative important to the strategy (context)?
What will the initiative accomplish (objective)?
What specific tactics must occur for the initiative to be successful?
What are the resources necessary for effective implementation?
What metrics will be defined for each strategic initiative to measure outcomes as well
as monitor progress through implementation?
A draft version of the plan will be presented to the City for review. Together we will discuss
feedback of the draft plan as a means to further enhance the content and ownership of the
plan before a formal presentation to the City Council.
C. Presentation of Plan
The finalized plan will be formally presented to the Springfield City Council for adoption.
The final plan will include a comprehensive Implementation Guide that supports your
implementation work.
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Phase II – Marketing
As a means to enhance learning for staff and accelerate the marketing timeline, TadZo
proposes to not only advise through the planning process, but also coach in the development
of key marketing collateral, specifically a website and Business Cases for the target industries.
Working on Business Cases will contribute to staff knowledge for compelling content. In
economic development marketing, content is vital for effective marketing.
Step 1 – What is Springfield’s Value Proposition?
Key messages will be honed to refine Springfield’s value proposition – in other words, “Why
Springfield?” These messages will ultimately drive the design for an iconic brand image and
serve as the foundational explanation of the community’s brand identity. We will help you
define Springfield’s messaging platform with internal and external perspectives.
A. External Perceptions
External perceptions of Springfield will be solicited via online surveys and interviews of external
target audiences.
B. Internal Perceptions
Internal perceptions of Springfield’s current and aspirational identity will be gathered via
community work sessions with representatives from such groups as:
Traded-sector industries;
Tourism-related businesses;
Small businesses and local retailers;
Residents/community at-large/students.
TadZo will work with City staff for a good cross-section of representation and participation for
the community to provide a lot of input.
C. Message Platform
We will analyze findings from the work sessions and contextualize for external audiences to
frame up draft messages. Findings and potential key messages will be presented to City staff
and other key leaders for further vetting and refinement. The purpose is to build ownership of
the message concepts before any work is done to design brand images.
The resulting key messages will be simple, clear and achieves:
Message Feature Message Outcome
Unexpected Audience pays attention
Concrete Audience remembers
Credible Audience agrees & believes
Emotional Audience cares
Story Audience is able to act on it
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Step 2 - What is your Brand?
Building on the defined key messages, we will facilitate a design discussion with City staff and
key leaders about the elements that are desired for a new logo. Topics for discussion include:
colors, images or marks, font selection or typography and other general attributes that they
may or may not want presented with the logo. This session will merely gain general input and
not delve into actual brand graphics.
Presenting messages and these general ideas about colors, etc. to our graphic designer will
lead to the development of four diverse design concepts. City staff and Council will have the
opportunity to review and evaluate the design concepts; providing feedback for revisions or
simply adopting one of the options on the spot. If revisions are necessary, then those will be
implemented. One round of revisions is budgeted. Additional revisions would incur more cost.
Final selection supplied to client in high resolution, print format in multiple standard
formats.
Original logo concepts provided to client in digital format.
Guidelines for consistent use, brand font and colors will be prepared to preserve
brand usage.
Step 3 - How will you prepare to go to Market? Before we create the marketing strategy that takes Springfield to market, we will help you
develop key marketing tools and materials critical for success in today’s competitive economic
development climate. In this project TadZo will help the City launch a new economic
development website and build compelling business cases for Springfield’s target industries.
A. Website
A website is the most important marketing tool for economic development.
Site Map
First, TadZo will prepare a comprehensive site map for an effective city economic development
website. The site map will address specifics for:
Navigation.
Recommended content on each page.
Recommended links to related pages.
Website Development Working with EDsuite, a technology firm specializing in economic development websites,
TadZo will facilitate the development of your website to follow the approved site map. You will
be actively engaged for input and feedback on website design so that you are thoroughly
pleased with the delivered website and fully trained on content population (very easy with the
EDsuite system).
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This is a basic economic development website, designed to be a responsive site for handheld
devices and includes tools for:
Content Management System specialized for economic development data
News posting tool
Blog posting tool
Agenda posting tool (i.e. for advisory committees)
Social media integration
Analytics of web visitors
Video integration
The Marketing Strategy will likely include other recommendations for enhancing and leveraging
partner websites, such as Business Oregon’s www.OregonProspector.com, for property
listings.
B. Business Cases
In today’s world of “information overload” is very important to not only target industry sectors
but also clearly demonstrate why your community is the location of choice for the industry
sector. Competitive economic development organizations “connect the dots” (i.e. competitive
advantages) to link a strong case for their community relative to specific industry needs.
Business Case Work Session
In a work session with staff and possibly key economic development partners you would like
to involve, you will assemble data for your business cases with coaching from TadZo.
Research and documentation of Springfield’s specific assets and competitive
strengths as it relates to target industry needs. This information will be drawn from
Phase I, as well as education on where to stay abreast of industry trends and
important information.
Case studies on feature companies.
Differentiation: A good Business Case resembles a preemptive client proposal –
understanding the needs of the target and positioning assets to meet those needs.
As such, there could be a lot of potential information available. This step refines the
data to hone in on differentiator proof points. The outcome of this step identifies
assets that set Springfield apart from the competition for each target industry.
Specific Industry Value Proposition: With the refined differentiators determined, it is
important to frame the proof points as benefits, not just facts, to the target
industries. This step defines the compelling benefits of why Springfield is THE
LOCATION OF CHOICE for each respective target industry. The value proposition is the
culmination of research, with proof points to support the beneficial claims.
Example business cases and sample case studies will be provided to aid understanding.
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Business Case Template
Business Cases will be presented on your website and can also be prepared as a hand out
material. We recommend a print-on-demand brochure. As such, we will provide a Business
Case template that aligns with your new brand. This template will enable you to update data
on the Business Case brochure at any time so your brochure will never become outdated. This
is a best practice for economic development marketing.
Step 4 - How will you go to Market?
This step is the development of a strategic marketing plan for Springfield to conduct outreach
to key target audiences (both internal and external audiences), based on your strategic plan
priorities. In other words, how will you reach the companies and people the City aims to serve
for economic development?
A. Draft Marketing Plan
A plan will be drafted to cover key marketing initiatives, such as:
Tools: data, website enhancements, marketing collateral, media, etc.
Leverage Opportunities: what groups can you partner to increase awareness of
Springfield’s value proposition.
Marketing Communications: where to apply messages and tools for effective
communications that raise awareness of Springfield.
Outreach & Lead Generation: marketing missions, tradeshows and events aligned to
target audiences.
Marketing Plan Schedule
Budget
Performance Metrics
A draft version of the plan will be presented to the City for review. Together we will discuss
feedback of the draft plan as a means to further enhance the content and ownership of the
plan before a formal presentation to the City Council.
B. Presentation to City Council
A formal presentation will be made to City Council.
Examples, case studies, worksheets and templates will be provided in a supplemental
Implementation Guide to aid implementation.
C. Implementation Work Session for Marketing Plan
In Phase I, the Strategic Initiative Work Sessions helped to identify champions and partners as
we fleshed out the the Strategic Plan. This work session does the same to organize for
Marketing Plan Implementation, thus enhancing excitement for action without overwhelming
your team.
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For each marketing initiative, we will faciliatate:
Who has lead responsibility as the “champion” for implementation?
Who are partners or resources?
What is the implementation timeline?
When will you review results to adjust plan?
An any other questions to clarify for full implementation.
TadZo will always be available to answer questions and serve as a resource for
implementation, even after the project has been completed.
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IV. DELIVERABLES
Springfield’s Economic Performance Report
Springfield’s Competitiveness Report Card
Documentation of site selection factors and corresponding Competitiveness Report
Card “grade”.
Identification of Springfield’s key assets and gaps in meeting the needs of typical
businesses.
Target Industry Report
Recommended “best fit” traded-sectors for Springfield, including niche and emerging
opportunities.
Methodology and supporting data.
Industry Intelligence – typical company profile, key occupations, priority location
factors, industry resources and information.
Competitor Benchmark Report
Data on competitors.
Analysis of Springfield’s comparative advantages and weaknesses.
MetroComp Operating Cost Tool
Data.
Software.
Economic Development Strategic Plan
Strategic initiatives, including importance, objectives, performance metrics and key
tactics.
Executive Summary.
Implementation Guide with implementation timeline, budget, examples, worksheets,
templates and other relevant resources for implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Key Message Platform & Branding
Key Messages
Logo
Tag Line
Font, Colors
Design Guidelines
CBM, Attachment A, Page 14 of 15
July 12, 2016
Proposal for City of Springfield, Oregon
19 Springfield Economic Look
Economic Development Website
URL
Site Map – including content recommendations for each page and plan for
populating website content
Design and built out Navigation
Content Management System specialized for economic development data
News posting tool
Blog posting tool
Agenda posting tool
Social media integration
Analytics of web visitors
Video integration
Business Cases
Brochure template.
Examples.
Marketing Plan
Marketing initiatives, including importance, objectives, performance metrics and key
tactics.
Executive Summary.
Marketing Implementation Guide with implementation timeline, budget, examples,
worksheets, templates and other relevant resources for implementation of the
Marketing Plan.
Facilitation Charts
All charts prepared during work sessions will be provided in original and electronic
formats.
CBM, Attachment A, Page 15 of 15
V. PROJECT LOGISTICS
In order for a smooth project that is completed within your desired timeline, it is important to
lay out a timeline and TadZo’s approach to project management.
Proposed Timeline
The following table presents an estimated timeline for the proposed scope of services
described in this proposal, assuming we start in September. During the Project Kick-off call we
will further detail the project timeline and confirm dates of on-site work. We will do everything
possible to accelerate the project while focusing on preparation of quality deliverables and
exceptional engagement of stakeholders.
Scope of Work Month
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Phase I – Strategic Planning
Project Kick-off/Update Calls
Step 1 – Where are you now?
Economic Performance
Competitiveness Assessment
Economic Dev. Program Review
Step 2 – Where do you want to be?
Stakeholder Input
Target Industry Analysis
Competitor Benchmarking
Priorities Work Session
Step 3 – How will you get there?
Priority Strategic Initiative Sessions Written Plan
Presentation of Plan
Phase II – Marketing
Step 1 – What is Springfield’s Value
Proposition?
External Perceptions
Internal Perceptions
Message Platform
Step 2 – What is your brand?
Design Concepts
Brand Image
Guidelines
Step 3 – How will you prepare to go to
Market?
Website
Business Cases
Step 4 – How will you go to Market?
Written Plan
Presentation of Plan Implementation Work Session
CBM, Attachment B, Page 1 of 2
This schedule encompasses extensive on-site work, as described in the seven trips below:
Trip 1 - Presentation of Economic Performance; on-site meetings and tours for
Competitiveness Assessment; Economic Development Program Review meeting with
City Staff. (September)
Trip 2 - Stakeholder Input Work Sessions (October)
Trip 3 - Presentation of Competitive Report Card, Target Industries and Competitor
Benchmarking; Priorities Work Session (November or December).
Trip 4 - Strategic Initiative Work Sessions (December or January)
Trip 5 - Presentation of Strategic Plan to City Council (February – March)
Trip 6 - Key Message Work Sessions; Business Case Work Session (February - March)
Trip 7 - Presentation of Marketing Plan to City Council; Implementation Work Session
(April)
The activities listed for each trip are suggested to limit travel expenses. During the Project Kick-
off Call we will discuss and modify to accommodate the highest level of community
engagement in this planning project.
Project Management
TadZo’s approach to project management is to communicate throughout the project and be
available as a resource at any time for added value. This involvement ensures that project
outcomes are aligned to the needs and wants of your team and will involve:
Project Kick-off Meeting to review scope of work, plan specific dates for on-site work
and subsequent Project Update Calls.
Project Update Calls - Regularly-scheduled conference calls to report progress,
request additional information, ask questions, coach through the planning process,
etc.
Share draft plan for input and feedback.
A private workspace on the internet (a.k.a. TadZo Teamwork
https://tadzo.teamworkpm.net/) will be made available for the City of Springfield and
any others you would like to share documents and project progress.
CBM, Attachment B, Page 2 of 2