Marketing, Branding, & Promotion

Business Recruitment

This section explains how market analysis data can be used in the various steps of a business recruitment program. 

Marketing, Image, and Branding

March 2022 — This section of the toolbox uses market information gathered in Part I, “Understanding the Market,” to learn about your downtown’s key consumer groups and how to reach and serve them better. This includes understanding their perceptions of downtown as a place to live, work, shop and play. With knowledge of these consumer […]

Restaurant

National Restaurant Association Downtown Restaurants by N. David Milder, DANTH, Inc. March 2022 — Restaurants and culinary experiences can be extremely valuable additions to a downtown area. They serve downtown workers and residents as well as attract visitors to the center of the community. They serve both an economic and social role in the community, […]

Arts & Entertainment

Art and Entertainment events can draw people downtown and increase economic activity in a variety of business categories. These events can attract people downtown who normally would not visit.

Shaping Downtown After COVID-19 (Issue 194, June 2021)

June 2021 — This topic in Downtown Economics summarizes key points or “takeaways” from the recent webinar titled Shaping Downtown after COVID 19. The well-attended webinar highlighted examples of successful initiatives in four cities: Ithaca, New York, and Appleton, Eau Claire, and La Crosse Wisconsin. The following takeaways are presented without significant editing.  You may […]

Latinx Immigration, Entrepreneurship, and Downtown Development (Issue 193, January 2021)

January 2021 — Small towns and rural communities across Wisconsin have markedly different experiences when it comes to their downtowns and main streets. Over the last decade, some Wisconsin communities have seen their downtown district become a lifeline to a rural renewal, while others have experienced decline defined by an exodus of businesses and disinvestment […]

Downtown Business Mix Analysis: Midwest Cities with Population between 25,000 and 75,000

What types of businesses and services are located downtown today? What characteristics describe downtown differences in suburban and independent cities? What downtowns have a dense mix of businesses, employment, and residents? Introduction April 2020 — This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and business and demographic data to examine 259 cities (2010 population of 25,000-75,000) […]

Downtown Storefront Improvements Analyzing Return on Investment (Issue 180, March 2015)

March 2015 — Do downtown storefront improvement projects provide an adequate return to the property owners, outside investors, or public funding entities? If so, what are the returns in both economic and other terms? This article summarizes findings from 24 case studies of storefront improvement projects in Wisconsin over the past 15 years. While not […]

Downtown Internet Connectivity Summary of Survey Results (Issue 179, October 2013)

October 2013 — Embracing the internet can help downtown businesses grow and compete. This article summarizes the responses to a survey concerning access to and use of broadband in downtown districts. The sample consists of the 35 responses received from downtown development and Main Street professionals in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio. This was not a […]

Importance of Buying Local (Issue 169, September 2010)

September 2010 — A growing body of evidence suggests that the businesses most beneficial to a community are those that are independent and locally owned. This article provides an introduction to the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits provided by local business. Economics  Perhaps the most compelling reason to buy local and independent is economics. […]