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Council approves $32,900 billboard contract for downtown Wixom campaign
Summary
The council approved a one-year advertising contract with Lamar of Westland to run a downtown Wixom billboard campaign at a total budgeted cost of $32,900, with campaign creative and timing to be developed by city committees and Lamar.
The Wixom City Council approved a one-year contract with Lamar of Westland, Michigan, for a downtown billboard advertising campaign at a total cost of $32,900, funded from the Economic Vitality account.
City officials said the Economic Vitality Committee and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) want a billboard on the north side of I-96 between Beck and Wixom Road to draw more visitors into downtown. Lauren, representing the Economic Vitality/DDA team, told council the contract is structured as 13 payment cycles (four-week cycles), allows four creative change-outs per year and includes an 8% discount, which staff said reduces the base advertising cost to $29,900. A one-time design fee applies per creative; the first design cycle is provided free, and other design fees were estimated to total about $3,000 over the campaign, producing the $32,900 total.
The memo and discussion clarified that campaign creative is not final: possibilities mentioned include highlighting Wixom as a trail town, the "Wednesdays in Wixom" promotions, a Derby Day event and summer activities. Lauren said Lamar will prepare initial concepts and staff will circulate them to the Economic Vitality and promotions committees for feedback.
Council members asked about the meaning and reliability of reported "impressions." One member said the impression estimates provided in the packet did not include supporting backup and cautioned against treating a circulation-figure as a guaranteed audience. Lauren explained how Lamar calculates impressions (counting vehicles and estimating occupants), and another council member said impressions are a weak metric without source documentation but that they would support the contract despite reservations about the impression numbers.
There were no requests to remove the item from the consent/unfinished business agenda after the clarifications. The council authorized the city manager to sign the agreement.
The campaign will move forward with creative development between Lamar and city committees; those designs and any subsequent design fees will be reviewed by staff and the committees before final production.
