There is a lot that goes into altering the way a community is seen.
There can be problems to fix. There can be changes to make. There can be new paths to follow.
But there is also the message that needs to be spread. Hey, we’re still here! Things are different! Come and see!
All of the modifications in the world don’t necessarily make a difference if no one knows about them.
And that’s where Greensburg’s marketing efforts come in.
“We’re not the same old city we’ve been for a long time,” said Jessica Hickey, director of the Downtown Greensburg Project. “We want more collaboration, we want a stronger city.”
The city hired DGP to market the city, and that includes rebranding — changing the image people have of the Westmoreland County seat.
It’s to the organization’s credit that it isn’t just picking a new direction and driving there at top speed. Instead, it is surveying people to find out what they love about Greensburg, what they don’t and what words they would use to describe it.
That’s a step some economic development efforts can skip on the way to a new ad campaign. It is great to try to become the next new music hot spot or microbrew destination or restaurant mecca. But sometimes it can smack of putting on a mask instead of handing out a business card.
By planning for marketing, but doing it in a reasonable, reality-based way, Greensburg and DGP are not just being aspirational. They are letting the community be their inspiration, and that’s a great message to send.
