City gathers input on its branding efforts

The city of Dayton's marketing team is gathering public input on the city's branding effort it announced early this year.

Tom Biedenharn, spokesman for the city of Dayton, updated a group of about 25 downtown professionals on the marketing project at the Downtown Promotions Network meeting Tuesday morning at Mr. Hyman's Fine Dining.

Biedenharn told the group that the city is gathering opinions from across the city, and he also sought thoughts on the project from those gathered this morning.

The city is looking to brand itself and better market itself to the region. It has hired two marketing groups -- Nashville, Tenn.-based North Star Destination Strategies and Dayton-based Penny/Ohlmann/Neiman -- to work on the project.

North Star specializes in branding and marketing cities and communities. Once it completes its research, they will pass off the information to Penny/Ohlmann/Neiman for the implementation of the brand through marketing materials, Biedenharn said.

In this effort, the city is cooperating with the Dayton Development Coalition, which is working on a regional branding effort that it will market to the country and to the world. The local economic development group's results also are to be announced this fall.