Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Main Street consultant begins engagement to sharpen Royal Oak downtown marketing and recruitment
Summary
Consultant Scott Sool began a multi-month engagement with the Royal Oak DDA to gather market data, lead stakeholder focus groups and recommend strategies for business retention and recruitment as part of the DDA's accreditation and strategic planning work.
Scott Sool, a Main Street consultant with decades of downtown-development experience, began a visit with the Royal Oak DDA on June 17 to collect stakeholder input and prepare recommendations for marketing, business retention and recruitment.
Sool told the board he will gather market data, run focus groups and return in late summer with recommendations to strengthen the downtown's "storytelling" and investment readiness. "A big part of what I've heard so far is having strategic plans and strategic processes for retaining your existing businesses, but finding new businesses that will fit in your market mix," he said.
Directors pressed for clarity on retail recruitment strategy and market-definition work. Sool recommended a market-driven approach, pointed to tools such as Placer AI for visitation and market-analysis data and emphasized retention as the most cost-effective first step. "You have to use market data to support your strategic actions that you take in your downtown," he said.
Staff said the consulting engagement ties into accreditation work and will culminate in recommendations in September following surveys, market analysis and stakeholder meetings.
