Workgroup Members:
Charles Bond, Ed Dieringer, Joyce Fairfax, Mary Ann Jackson, Richard King and Connie Pacanovsky

The Marketing Committee was charged with the task of creating community identity via marketing in Akron in the year 2025. Most marketing professionals will market a product or service that already exists. In lieu of having a pre-determined vision for Akron in 2025, we have created our own and then developed a number of strategies to market that vision. We hope that this complements the work and vision of other groups.

Building on Trends
In creating a vision for Akron, one must look at the present environment and the trends that suggest where the World in general and Akron specifically are heading. When thinking about the future of Akron and its ability to be marketed, it is essential to build on our strengths and determine what makes Akron specifically viable for a dynamic and successful future. The following presents areas our committee felt were trends that when embraced and nurtured could allow Akron to stand out amongst its regional neighbors and national equals. For the Akron area to thrive, it must have characteristics unique and attractive. We don’t want to be a smaller version of another city. We must build on our strengths and enhance the best of what Akron represents.

• The major asset of Akron as a metropolitan area is the quality of life. Features that display this quality of life include:
• Highly accessible cultural and leisure activities -- tickets to events at a reasonable price -- enough for any one person to do and see in one year
• Close to a variety of sports and recreational activities
  • National Recreation Area (hiking and biking), Lake Erie (and other lakes), skiing, great golfing, etc.
• Accessible to a number of higher profile cities within a day’s drive or 1-2 hour flight
• Relatively low crime rate
• Affordable housing at all levels compared to other cities
• Entertainment and leisure businesses are growing and will continue to grow in downtown -- lots of available space at reasonable prices
• Akron continually has challenges attracting and then keeping major Fortune 500 corporations to and in the area -- this process of marketing is costly and, if overly successful, could have a negative impact on the quality of life
• By 2025, the senior citizen population will be the healthiest, wealthiest, most active, and most educated this country has ever seen
• As large corporations in larger cities run out of physical space to expand their home offices, and as the population desires a better quality of life than larger cities can provide, employees will telecommute more from home or in telecommuting centers near their homes
• The polymer industry is expanding in this country and needs qualified graduates and polymer gurus to spark more innovation and business development. The University of Akron and Kent State are presently academic hubs in polymer research

The Plans
The following sections suggest three specific directions that build on the previously mentioned trends and strengths of Akron. They can be realized simultaneously with the proper resources and attention. One can imagine a city where the entertainment and leisure options are over abundant and accessible, where those who desire to work for Fortune 500 companies use the Akron community as their home base, and where the Polymer genius that is generated from both Kent State and University of Akron is inspired and supported to build a strong economy in growing Polymer industry giants right here in the Polymer Corridor. Polymer start-ups in the Akron area could be the next dot-com revolution in the US.

1. Establish Akron as the Telecommuting Capital of the Midwest

Technology today allows even high level executives the ability to work remotely from their homes connected to their corporate headquarters. With such a strong quality of life quotient, highly educated population and strong family ties, Akron provides a viable pool of executives at all levels for any large corporation.

• Build telecommuting office communities in downtown buildings and in suburban areas of Akron to support those who telecommute to Chicago, New York, Boston and DC -- hire Akron people to work in companies in other cities and live in Akron.
  • These telecommuting centers will include
  • High speed internet access and full seamless teleconferencing capabilities
  • Shared support services for those who work out of buildings as well as their homes
  • food
  • administrative support
  • meeting rooms
  • mail and shipping services
  • etc.
• Negotiate with Akron/Canton airport and airlines to offer special one-two day fares for those who commute.
• Make sure that local infrastructure supports the strategic growth of the population to keep quality of life strong and dynamic

• If presented properly and with the proper infrastructure, residents in Akron can apply for jobs with prospective employers in targeted cities like Chicago and New York -- Live in Akron -- work in Akron -- work for Chicago/New York Fortune 500 companies -- Have a team of business and government leaders go from corporation to corporation in each city to sell concept.
  • We are educated
  • We can work more since the commute is less
  • The cost of living is lower - so you can offer lower salaries
  • Easy internet, teleconferencing and travel access at a moments notice
    • easy travel to and from airport
  • Employee base is happier because of quality of life issues
• Sell to regional population the benefits of working for a large corporation in larger city
• Sell to developers the idea that building telecommuting centers will be successful in Akron -- provide incentives to entry

Akron has been very successful in building and maintaining a strong set of leisure and cultural options for its community. With fewer crowds, less commuting time and easy access, the population can participate in more activities and entertainment than in other cities. With an educated and physically active older population, retired Akronites are looking for more things to do day-to-day. With the proper investment, entrepreneurial support and marketing, Akron can become a fuller more dynamic option for everyone when considering what to do in their leisure time.

• Create an alternative to more crowded Cleveland attractions
• Create The Akron Leisure Enterprise Development Group (a professional association)-- offerings include
  • a self-funding venture capital fund to support the creation of new leisure and cultural businesses- for-profit and not-for-profit
  • create the fund with public dollars and grants-- all interest and loan payments go back into the fund for use by other appropriate businesses
  • available for new businesses or projects related to expansion of services in existing businesses
  • focus on the redevelopment of Main Street as a dynamic center of fun and entertainment
  • co-marketing efforts amongst members of Development Group
  • consulting for those entering the leisure time business
  • help to raise money for major projects
    • enclose Canal Park for 12 month usage (fantasy baseball and other sports)
    • new arena downtown
    • new downtown bike depot and support center- to support cyclists to enjoy the downtown area when riding from Cleveland or Canton on the new bike path that will be complete in the next decade
    • make Akron the only place that offers daily blimp rides for the general public -- what a great draw -- leverage the assets of the city and its corporate powerhouse -- Goodyear -- Open the Airdock to visitors everyday. . .-- how about opening up the Goodyear test track as a weekend attraction when not being used by Goodyear.
  • create an on-line dynamic multi-media Akron concierge service -- tell me what you like and we’ll set up things to do
  • Try to find the "Soapbox Derby" of the 21st Century. Akron could use something new that would spark the interest of kids internationally.

• Target audiences east, west and south to come to Akron for extensive leisure offerings -- vacation in Akron, you won’t believe how much is there.
• Support full range (cross-gender and cross-ethnic) options for increasing quality of life experiences -- make it a family entertainment center during the day and young professional center in the evening
• Increased activity in this area will also increase availability of hourly jobs for those without college educations -- increase service industry jobs -- provide jobs for retired individuals looking for some extra income
• Add a few hotels -- especially a 4 star hotel -- to support visitation from region for overnight entertainment excursions -- upgrade the level of hotel experience in Akron from functional to experiential -- build capacity to support more national and statewide conventions at the convention center
• Organize a one year Akron Cultural Center Celebration -- Jewels of Akron-- a First Night that lasts all year and throughout the area -- show local and regional population the resources that exist within arms length -- first year is a launch -- then sustain excitement continually
• Leverage the volunteer pool that Akron has to support celebration and all new leisure venues -- this supports entertainment business and provides great volunteer opportunities for senior citizens
• Establish leisure/entertainment/cultural training programs with certificates in high schools around Akron -- focus on guest services, tourism, food preparation, etc. -- take kids off the streets and provide them great front line jobs in this new exciting industry -- this could be done in special after school programs to funnel the energy of this great resource -- prepare them for the real world of careers.
• Work with all cultural, entertainment and recreation centers to establish strong senior programs that increase their quality of life and utilize the facilities when families are working and at school.

• Bring together all cultural, entertainment and recreational entities in the area to plan this one year celebration of life in Akron
• Bring in all local and regional media to publish and present weekly ideas to explore in Akron -- "Seize the Day -- Akron One Week at a Time"
• Create a leisure info organization where anyone can call to find out cool things to do --- 1-800-Akron4u
  • provide web site so that area residents and outside visitors can put in their interests, the make-up of their group and get recommendations for things to do
  • in 25 years the internet will be so powerful that virtual visits must be incorporated to support everyone’s decision making on where to go
  • this will give those who are skeptical about vacation days in Akron virtual experiences that would spark their interest
  • promote vacations in Akron to local and regional visitors within a few states from Ohio
• Tie all cultural organizations with a "branding" approach that markets, informs and lets Akron standout and the greatest kept entertainment secret in the region and state.
• Work very closely with 1-800-Buckeye

Use Stanford University and Silicon Valley as a model for building a dynamic and thriving polymer industry built on the research that is being done at U of A and Kent State. Look at what needs to be in place to support the excitement and energy of any area that supports risk taking and entrepreneurial excitement.

• Build local infrastructure to support turning the successful academic polymer research being done at University of Akron and Kent State into viable new business ventures
• add strong entrepreneurial education into Polymer program at U of A
• bring together students doing research with strong business students
• inspire risk taking by providing incubators and venture capital that will support taking the ideas of graduates, professors and students and turning them into vibrant businesses
• encourage professors to work closely with businesses to build a better environment for start-ups and breakthrough innovations in the world of polymers
• create a similar atmosphere in polymers that Silicon Valley has for technology and dot-com’s.
• create a network of new venture incubators that inspires collaboration between patent attorneys, marketeers and polymer gurus

• have ARDB support these ventures and sell products and research from these new businesses around the world
• sell this concept to venture capitalists
• work with larger polymer companies to move their R&D centers to Akron area
• think of a better phrase than Polymer Valley
• work with universities to comb through existing unused, but viable research results and help sell via licensing or product development firms

Conclusion

These three recommendations provide some initial thinking on how to better package the strengths of Akron into a future that is exciting, feasible and inspiring. One of the concerns from the committee is that our community doesn’t understand its own value and has a hard time selling Akron as a strong city. This plan is the beginning of a strategic direction that will allow the community to celebrate its successes, its strengths and feel good about their decision to live a full life in Akron.

Early in the century, when Goodyear was opening a plant in Los Angeles. The LA Times printed a headline something like, "Maybe LA could be the Akron of the West Coast someday".

Well, Akron can be the Orlando, Silicon Valley and the most sought after New York suburb to live in if we are strategic, passionate, and open minded about our thinking and actions.