Feedback aus dem Vereinigten Königreich

Im Kreativurlaub auf Zakynthos habe ich eine sehr nette Dame kennengelernt die für eine kleine Ortschaft im Vereinigten Königreich Standort-Marketing betrieben hat. Wieder zurück in Wien schrieb sie mir eine tolle Liste mit Anregungen und Fragen zum Stadtmärchenpfad.

Hier ihre Liste (auf Englisch):

• The project sounds both very interesting and a wonderful idea to help revitalise a neighbourhood.  (…)
• You mentioned funding. Is there a government fund for this? Or were you looking to ask Vienna companies either within or outside the area for financial help? Many companies these days have a 'conscience' about areas in cities that are no longer vibrant. Perhaps you could appeal to them.
• Also what about sponsorship? Either from one company or from any smaller ones possibly in the area as they will have an interest in their neighbourhood.
• Have you decided on your target market(s)? Is it just to appeal to local residents or to tourists too? If also to tourists then of course it is a bigger task in terms of marketing, however the potential could be much more.  And bigger companies with more money could be interested. You don't need me to tell you that the success lies very much in your promotion and marketing whether on a smaller scale to locals or to a wider audience. There may be tourist organisations whose websites you could link with?
• You mentioned creating this over 8–12 months. How long do you see the exhibitions being there for? Is it a one-off project for a while and then finished? Or would you wish to then carry on with another theme. Or of course do you see this one as being permanent.  If permanent, it might need freshening every now and then to stimulate new interest.  So really how sustainable do you see the project being? Once you have gained funding, stimulated interest, got people excited, do you see this going on into the future?
• Are there any other projects you could if you wanted to, link up with nearby?  I guess if you want to appeal to a wider market such as tourists, then linking with others and creating a trail might be a good idea?
• Will you have a website. Useful for information but of course also promotion and marketing? 
• Is the exhibition available in the daytime or just nighttime?
• How will you engage with local residents to stimulate interest? And how will you involve them.  Often people have great ideas and want to contribute and actually do things when it is about making their community better.
• Will other local businesses be involved ie cafés and restaurants and shops, so that there is not only more for the visitors to do and see but also generate business for them. Maybe they could have some special offers for this time, or menus coordinated to your theme?
• Have you thought about what the knock-on  effect could be both for residents and business? Once you have got them all enthusiastic and involved, it could be just the start of things like this?
• Have you thought about how you might stimulate a 2nd visit? Would you want to? Keeping people -either locals, people from other parts of Vienna or tourists - interested and engaged by refreshing the exhibition in some way, could make them want to visit more than once.
• Could you include a competition for the children? Perhaps a treasure hunt or quiz where they look for certain things? This could be on paper and then entered on the website? Children love this sort of thing. And if the website could be interactive with a blog, area for comments etc etc for the kids, they will love it even more!
• Is there an opportunity to generate some income? If of course you wanted to do this? Would the artists and students involved be able to showcase their work either just for promotion or to make some money? Or after the exhibition could they use the empty premises to showcase their work.
• Maybe the project is just to be small and local and that is fine if that is your idea.  I guess I have perhaps looked at the bigger picture and how this could grow!

I hope somewhere in my rambling questions I have helped a little!  Please let me know how it all goes and I wish you lots of good fortune with it. Often once people start to be interested, ideas come and the whole thing takes off!