Rebranding firm posts community survey for Rowan residents
Published 12:05 am Wednesday, February 3, 2016
A Tennessee-based firm last week launched an online survey to gather information for Rowan County’s rebranding effort.
The survey is part of an extensive research process involved in the rebranding. Tennessee-based Chandler Thinks, picked to oversee the rebranding, began conducting its research late last year through in-person interviews and focus groups. Now, the firm has posted a survey for Rowan residents. It’s available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/
In the survey, some questions ask respondents to type a few sentences as an answer. One, for example, asks whether Rowan County is a good place to start a small business. Another requires survey takers to rank Rowan’s towns by importance.
“Our goal is trying to find out how people feel about their community,” said Chandler Thinks owner Steve Chandler.
He said the firm hopes for a minimum of 300 responses to its online survey.
“We obviously would want more than that, and would love to get several thousand,” he said.
So far, the survey already has 400 respondents. It will remain open until Feb. 28.
By mid-March, Chandler’s firm will have a presentation in Rowan County, where it will give results of its research, he said.
Chandler has been tight-lipped about responses received during his firm’s research, but on Tuesday said that Rowan County “knows it needs to look ahead.” It may be the perfect time for a rebranding, he said.
“Everyone agrees that we have to work together to build and manage a positive Rowan County reputation,” he said. “It’s not a secret that at times in the recent past it hasn’t been great.”
Chandler’s company is scheduled to officially finish its part in Rowan rebranding in late July, he said. Before then, his company will present the most visible parts of a brand — the logo and a potential slogan — to a small committee that will help in the rebranding rollout.
However, the new Rowan County brand may not be “out in the community” by late July, Chandler said.
For more information about Rowan County’s rebranding, visit brandingrowancountync.com.
The Rowan County Convention and Visitors Bureau is paying for the rebranding with a local tax on hotel occupancy. Before the rebranding began, the CVB took out a $500,000 loan, which it plans to pay back using the tax.
Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.
