Almaden Resident
News
San Jose forks out $200,000 to brand city with new identity
By Monica Heger
The search for a unique San Jose identity has a price--$200,000.
On Nov. 14, the San Jose City Council voted 7-2 to hire public relations firm Global Fluency for $200,000 to create an image for San Jose. The goal is to raise awareness about San Jose so the city can successfully recruit and retain business, talent and investors.
Councilmen Ken Yeager and Chuck Reed thought the idea lacked legs and opposed the project because they argued there was no way to gauge the success of the marketing program.
"The goals are too broad and too big to measure the impacts," Reed said.
Yeager added, "It isn't a lot of money, and a big chunk of it is going to go to staff time. It's $200,000 and probably money that we could be using to fill potholes."
The other council members disagreed and said marketing was necessary for any city.
"No matter how great your city is, you're always advertising," said Mayor Ron Gonzales. "This is not about general publicity; this is specifically tied to our economic strategy."
Paul Krutko, the director of economic development, said the initial $200,000 investment from the redevelopment agency and the city would be only the first step and that marketing is something cities such as San Francisco and New York do on an ongoing basis.
He pointed out the $200,000 was more of an investment than an expenditure, because the goal is to bring business--and money--to San Jose.
Krutko said the target audience for the PR firm would be business leaders, government officials in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and the media.
"We have an opportunity to make and sell our story," Krutko said. "What we spend on economic development compared to the rest of the budget is only one-half percent."
The proposal to hire Global Fluency included a stipulation the city staff bring back a work plan outlining the criteria for success. The plan should also address marketing for several years down the road and put together a comprehensive list of potential partners such as San José State University and the VTA.
