When we rolled out our new brand position as the agency of and,™ we knew we wanted to double down on one core belief: relationships matter. Whether we’re fostering strong partnerships with our clients or connecting them with others who can help them achieve even more impactful results, we’re all in on the power of collaboration.
Take our work supporting the Choose Greater Peoria initiative, our region’s talent attraction initiative. It’s a perfect showcase of our commitment to bringing people together, building momentum and keeping everyone engaged around common goals.
Aligning on a Vision — and a Plan
A shared vision isn’t just some inspirational statement that sounds good. It’s a practical tool that guides every decision you make. It shapes your brand’s identity, influences messaging and plays a huge role in how people experience your brand.
Getting everyone on the same page starts with creating space for key stakeholders to share ideas, voice concerns and reach consensus. At Simantel, we make this happen through our workshop model. Whether we’re gathering a team to brainstorm or facilitating conversations among people who’ve never been in the same room before, these collaborative sessions ensure that every voice is heard, different viewpoints are considered and the best possible solution emerges — one that everyone feels a part of.
Before we could introduce “Choose Greater Peoria” to the market, we needed to gather the key players. And when you’re talking about an entire community, that’s a lot of people. We brought together a group of community leaders from business, government, education and philanthropy — over 25 businesses and organizations had a seat at the table. While many knew each other, most had never collaborated toward a common mission before.
Through facilitated sessions and open discussions, the group landed on three goals for the region: 1) recruiting and retaining talent for priority job openings in area businesses; 2) building a brand for the Greater Peoria region; and 3) promoting positive messages about the area to community residents and encouraging them to do the same.
This group eventually became the Greater Peoria Leadership Council (GPLC). This steering committee comprised of CEOs from the area’s major employers provides oversight and recommendations to make sure Choose Greater Peoria efforts hit all the right notes—strategically, execution-wise and in line with the big-picture goals set in the original workshop.
Building Momentum and Engaging New Partners
We quickly realized that to make a lasting impact, the initiative needed to go beyond a core group of passionate people. Sure, we launched with some killer creative, but we knew this campaign needed staying power. Keeping the momentum going meant engaging those already involved and bringing new partners into the fold. Fortunately, making the right connections — whether between ideas or people — is what we do best.
For Choose Greater Peoria, we helped host a standing-room-only launch event that created the stage for community leaders to share their passion for Greater Peoria and build the foundation to engage businesses and residents in this growing community effort.
Keeping stakeholders and audiences engaged is all about creating steady, meaningful connections (there’s that word again…we told you it’s important to us!). It’s not enough to just check in occasionally; the key is building ongoing relationships that keep everyone interested and invested.
In addition to regular checkpoints with the GPLC to review (and celebrate) progress and plan for future phases of the effort, we supported our client in “roadshow” events throughout the community to educate local organizations and area residents about what Choose Greater Peoria means and how businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the community could be involved.
When we saw opportunities for conversations that could help our client achieve their goals, we jumped in to open those doors. Now, beyond the core GPLC businesses, more groups, organizations and individuals are joining the movement.
Creating a Community Movement
Creating a community movement is more than just gathering people together; it’s about inspiring them to unite around a common cause that becomes a rallying cry. For Choose Greater Peoria, we wanted residents to experience the community in a new light — one that made them proud to call it home and eager to talk about it in a positive way.
We amplified voices across the community by identifying passionate advocates and ambassadors and letting them share their own stories about life in Greater Peoria. Regularly sharing these stories, successes and progress — and tying them back to the initiative’s overall goals — has kept the energy up and reinforced the movement’s mission.
We also created a collection of ready-to-use assets that local businesses and organizations could share in their own channels to show support. Social media influencers with a connection to Greater Peoria and a passion for creating content from their unique point of view were also engaged. These additional voices helped weave the narrative of Greater Peoria as the best place to live, work and play throughout the community. Finally, we pinpointed community events for Choose Greater Peoria sponsorship and participation that would spotlight the initiative while fostering community pride and giving residents opportunities to connect and celebrate. The ultimate goal? To build a sense of belonging that outlasts the billboards and digital campaigns.
As the Choose Greater Peoria initiative evolves, we’re leaning into a new campaign adaptation: “There’s More* Here.” Through this iteration, we’re highlighting the unique aspects of Greater Peoria — those attributes and amenities within the community that people (even those who are residents) might not even know exist. And we’re continuing to invest in long-term relationships that will help sustain the movement, relationships with the media, with local ambassadors and influencers and with event organizers.
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By acting as a connector, we’re helping create a cohesive and effective community initiative — one that speaks to both people who are considering relocating and those who are residents. We’ve ensured that stakeholders are aligned, working together toward shared goals and that the community is engaged in ways that can lead to real, lasting change.
Ready to make connections that matter? Whether you’re looking to align on a vision, build momentum for your next big idea or create a lasting impact in your community, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can collaborate to bring your vision to life.
