$20,000 project brings city to outsiders
By Scott Bellile
Within the next month, the city of New London could debut an online video series it commissioned to market the city to non-locals.
The first in the series is a two-minute video aimed at industries that might consider forming or expanding in New London. It features Kevin Quinn of E.J. Metals and Steve Krueger of Steel King as each discusses how forming relationships with city administration paid off in the companies’ respective expansion efforts.
The video remains in the editing stage. Bill Zeinert, owner of My Marketing Director in Clintonville, screened the first draft before the New London Economic Development Committee Sept. 27 and explained the video’s purpose.
“We wanted to demonstrate that the city is pro-business and that you’re flexible and that you work with businesses that are ready to build taxable value,” Zeinert told the committee. “You work with them, not against them, to help make what they want to do possible. [In future videos] we also want to talk to entrepreneurship within the city of New London and tell the story of the growth on Main Street as well as the rest of town.”
The first video is targeted at New London residents, not just industries, Zeinert said.
“A big part of what we’re doing is reminding all those people around here that these good things are going on,” Zeinert said. “It is my humble opinion that it’s very easy for people of an area to focus on the challenges that you are facing and forget to celebrate some of the victories that you’ve won. Part of this is doing just that: reminding people that there has been success, that there is growth and that we’re building momentum.”
Committee members applauded after the showing. Asked by New London Area Chamber of Commerce Director Laurie Shaw what future video topics will be, Zeinert replied downtown New London entrepreneurship, local geography, New London Parks and Recreation and the School District of New London’s school-to-work program.
Zeinert and his crew has spent the last few months filming throughout town. He said the crew pulled through despite some comical obstacles, including almost dropping a critical screw for their boom mic into the Wolf River and scaring “the holy bejeebers out of a bank teller who was pretty sure we were casing the joint.”
When the first video is ready, it will be available on the City of New London Facebook page and the New London Access YouTube channel.
The Economic Development Committee budgeted about $20,000 for the video project after deciding online marketing would be a better use of public dollars to draw visitors to New London. The money was originally going to be used to refurbish and install lighting on a city-owned billboard along U.S. Highway 45.