Moorhead communications team outlines marketing wins, events, social-media growth and new website plans

Moorhead governmental affairs director Lisa Bodie and the citys communications team told the Moorhead Economic Development Authority on Nov. 3 that a focused, EDA-funded marketing program has increased public engagement, supported downtown project visibility and will include a redesigned website launching in spring 2026.

Bodie said the city moved in recent years from contracted services to an in-house model that includes two dedicated roles funded in part with EDA resources. "Kelly and Caleb are, I can't say enough good about them. They are skilled, they are passionate, and they're driven to advance Moorhead in every way they can," Bodie said, noting the partnership in marketing extends more than 30 years with the EDA.

The team summarized a year of large-scale events and earned-media moments tied to downtown projects and public spaces. Kelly, the communications lead, listed groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings including the Eleventh Street underpass, The Loop, Romke Park, Mattson Fields and the Rotary Natural Play Hill and Inclusive Playground. Caleb said the goal of the materials is to capture and convey the citys progress to visitors, businesses and potential investors.

The presenters emphasized digital outreach as a key growth area. Kelly said the city launched Instagram and expanded Facebook reach, reporting that posts and videos reached "over a 100,000 people," added roughly "2 to 3,000 followers on Facebook," and logged what the team described as strong engagement. Team members said construction updates and guidance for reaching businesses during detours have produced some of the highest engagement.

The communications team also described the annual development report, a multi-slide document that compiles permit numbers, project imagery and value trends. Staff said the report is used as a flexible presentation for prospective businesses, lenders and higher-education partners to illustrate local momentum. "We're able to pull out 8 to 10 different slides, or even less for depending on who we're meeting with and really showcase what is actually happening in our community," one staff member said.

The team announced a major philanthropic contribution for The Loop: Essentia Health has pledged a naming gift that will create an Essentia Health Riverwalk along the river corridor and a year-round indoor walking loop. The presenters said the announcement generated broad media and social attention.

On digital infrastructure, staff said Moorheads current website is no longer supported and performs poorly on mobile. The city plans a full website relaunch in spring 2026, followed by a targeted economic-development landing page and advertising campaigns to drive potential developers and businesses toward that page.

Presenters asked EDA members to continue sharing materials with regional partners. During discussion, board members praised the communications team's materials and use of earned media. The presentation closed with staff offering to make development-report slides and advertising collateral available to members for outreach and business recruitment.

The presentation included repeated references to partnerships with the Building Industry Association of Fargo-Moorhead and the West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center and noted a collaboration with the Luminary for a Sparks Center for Entrepreneurship.