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28 - Direction to City Manager regaridng Dead Cat Media serving as branding managerItem No. 28 Memorandum TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tern & City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager SUBJECT: Branding and Marketing Project Branding Manager Role DATE: January 23, 2023 BACKGROUND: In February 2022, the City of Paris partnered with the Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) and Paris -Lamar County Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) to contract with North Star consulting to perform a branding and marketing project for our three entities. We worked on this from approximately March 2022 up through this point. This process included community surveys, field observations, interviews, outside research, etc., followed up by a lengthy creative process developing the logo, messaging, tagline, etc. This was a very thorough and comprehensive process which will be discussed in more depth at a future time. STATUS OF ISSUE: North Star has completed their work, but as part of their deliverables, they have provided us with a lengthy series of recommendations for how to properly roll this project out to the public. This process and timeline must be correctly, carefully and thoroughly thought out and managed. As such, they recommend that we hire and/or contract the services of someone(s) to serve as a branding manager to focus on managing this process. It typically can take any months to roll this out as there are presentations, social media, messaging, websites, materials, and much that must be developed and addressed. This is frankly beyond the three partner's expertise, experience and workloads to perform, The three partners in this project would like to entertain contracting with Dead Cat Media, a local firm, to assist us with this branding manager role. Dead Cat Media played a critical role in the final creative elements of this project, therefore they have intimate knowledge of what has occurred up to this point. They have the expertise, experience, and knowledge that we feel will give us success in rolling this new brand and marketing out to the public. The PEDC and Chamber have contracted with the on many other projects, and therefore have excellent experience and relations already established and working, which gives me the confidence in their ability to help us in this important project. iming is oi Me essence as we ao not T7777, W SiOW Our MOTTIMILUT1 ILLU Yw [Is -W around the City Council, PEDC Board, and Chamber Board meetings and scheduling. We have received a draft proposal from Dead Cat Media which the three entities are reviewing and negotiating with Dead Cat to perform. However, should we come to a mutual consensus, I would like to have the authority to bless the beginning of their work if timing prevents an immediate approval of their contract through a City Council meeting, This way, the PEDC and Chamber can get started, which ultimately means we are getting started as the three must move in unison. I will bring back a contract for your approval that I feel you will be comfortable with at the earliest possible meeting. At this point, and in line with what the PEDC Board authorized Ms. Hammond in a similar approval given to her on 2/17/23, 1 would request permission to work with Dead Cat Media to negotiate this proposal and agreement, not to exceed $15,000.00 to the City of Paris, and implement the scope of services, in good faith, to be followed up by your review and approval at the next available council meeting (tentatively planned for 2/13/23). 1. Authorize the City Manager to work in close partnership with Maureen Hammond (PEDC) and Paul Allen (Chamber) to negotiate with Dead Cat Media a scope of service for branding management services for all three entities and implement, bringing back a contract to you afterwards to approve, with authority not to exceed $15,000.00 in expense to the City of Paris. 2. Request that the contract be brought to you before implementation and/or not grant the City Manager a financial authority to get started under. RE, COMMENDATION: 1. Authorize the City Manager to work in close partnership with Maureen Hammond (PEDC) and Paul Allen (Chamber) to negotiate with Dead Cat Media a scope of service for branding management services for all three entities and implement, bringing back a contract to you afterwards to approve, with authority not to exceed $15,000.00 in expense to the City of Paris.