A New Image Stimulates Economic Development for Aurora, Illinois

PCI was retained by the Aurora Economic Development Commission to help reverse the city’s economic decline. The Commission, a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce and the city, had considerable contact with the business community outside Aurora and determined that the city’s public image was a major obstacle to economic development.

In the absence of positive information about the city, media coverage described only strikes, layoffs and unemployment in Aurora. Developers in nearby Chicago, industry prospects and even existing Aurora businesses understandably were being scared away by media reports portraying Aurora as a city on the brink of oblivion.

PCI was retained to reverse that image by showcasing Aurora’s strengths to key target audiences, including business leaders and the media. The objective was to communicate that business and industry would thrive in Aurora's economically fertile environment and to enlighten the national media, the “gatekeepers” of public information, to the positive attributes of Aurora.

A long-range plan positioned Aurora as the newest point on the “high-tech” corridor stretching west from Chicago, not as a separate city 40 miles from the Windy City. This positioning of the city became the theme in the communications campaign.

The city’s development initiatives and revitalization projects were communicated first. Eventually, lifestyle topics were added, recognizing that industry must consider neighborhoods, schools and an area’s social activities, as well as favorable financing, when making site selections.

An annual Development Expo reaching realtors, developers, bankers, government officials and the general public through media coverage was a key part of the program.

As a result of Aurora’s revitalization effort and the communication of its success to key decision makers over a three-year period, more than 50 businesses chose to locate or expand in the city, creating 65,000 jobs. A second Development Expo drew more than 300 participants and prompted more than 200 calls to the Commission.

One of the keys to the program’s success was that the Commission recognized that creating a new image for the community was a long-term effort. The formal campaign lasted three years but the communications effort and theme were ongoing.