IT’S A REBRANDING AND MARKETING EFFORT
By Stacy Wiedmaier
The Riverside Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a $551,300 contract with a local marketing firm to attract new businesses, developers and visitors to the city. The agreement with Woodruff Communications began recently and runs through June 2027.
The campaign highlights several projects, including debuting a new city logo, slogan and constructing three “welcome to the city” signs.
Mayor Kathy Rose said the project is long overdue.
“We have not done any marketing campaign or rebranding for more than 18 years,” she said. “Our community’s demographics have changed in age, household income, education and diversity. We felt like it was a great time to introduce ourselves to the new people who have moved here, as well as re-establish the culture and values that Riverside has traditionally been known for.”
The campaign identifies two main goals: attracting businesses and developers who “want to capture the momentum of Riverside’s major anchor destinations” and inspiring visitors to choose Riverside as “the high-energy, low-hassle city where concerts, sports, gaming, dining, trails and discovery all happen within minutes.”
A new slogan created for this ad campaign, “Where Energy Flows,” will not replace the city’s current motto “Upstream from Ordinary,” explained Shannon Rousseau, Riverside’s communications coordinator and events manager. Instead, the plan is to utilize the new logo and slogan to promote the city to an external audience.
The campaign positions Riverside as a destination for “people who want the excitement of a regional hub without the urban complexities. It describes the city as a place that “delivers world-class vibrancy with small-town charm.”
The city will hire an artist to design signage that incorporates the new logo. One of these new signs will be placed soon on the north side of the city as people arrive from I-29 along NW Gateway Avenue. The other two sign locations have yet to be determined. The campaign also calls for up to six additional signs that will highlight construction, available property and upcoming development in the city.
Beyond attracting new visitors, Rose said the city wants to highlight the advantages of investing in and doing business in Riverside to members of the development community. Projects outlined in the campaign to help accomplish these goals include hosting an invitation-only “Red-Tape-Cutting” event for prospective developers and business owners. Marketing efforts will also promote existing business success stories.
Additional projects outlined in the campaign include hiring brand ambassadors to attend up to 10 Riverside events where they will promote local businesses and attractions.
The city also plans to develop a temporary “Pop-Up District” near the Morton Amphitheater and KC Current Training Facility featuring food trucks, mobile retailers and other businesses. The goal is to demonstrate demand and foot traffic to potential permanent businesses.
As part of the contract, the marketing firm will manage Riverside’s social media, website updates, public relations and advertising throughout the year. The campaign also calls for several photo and video shoots that will be used for reels, memes and other social media content.
Rose said the rebrand is an opportunity to change how people perceive Riverside.
“Even though in size we are just six square miles, our location serves thousands of people that travel close, or through our city,” Rose said. “Our community is excited about the new look and feel of the rebrand.”
