With the departure of IBM, its largest employer, an eroding tax base, and a string of shaky development moves, the City of Poughkeepsie was left without a coherent identity or economic direction. In my role as Brand Marketing Consultant I was retained to develop a strategy and produce a marketing toolkit built to reverse the decline. I led a civically diverse marketing committee spanning municipal officials, business owners, cultural institutions, and a variety of groups, to ensure many voices were heard. We conducted a research audit of the city's place-based strengths, I.e., commercial, historic, natural, cultural, and educational assets and how they differentiated Poughkeepsie from other regional destinations. Quantifying these strengths we derived the rational for a destination brand-marketing strategy that would reposition the city regionally and beyond as a college town and historic destination.
This became the foundation of a brand marketing toolkit built to drive economic development by attracting new residents, businesses, and regional alliances. I presented the strategy and findings to the committee and city stakeholders throughout development, and the resulting campaign was anchored by the tagline "Forward Thinking, Historic Beginnings” and incorporated into a redesigned city seal. The enhanced seal was mocked up across the city's website, main street signage, and promotional materials. That seal remains in official use on city properties today, two decades later.
Walkway Over The Hudson
Also noteworthy, was the herculean restoration effort to save Poughkeepsie's majestic rail bridge. During the time of the marketing engagement the rail bridge was condemned and facing possible demolition. While I had no direct hand in that project, the transformation of the historic bridge into a popular destination, embodies the spirit of the campaign. Today the Walkway Over the Hudson is one of the most visited attractions in the region, drawing an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 visitors through the city annually.
