The image of a Main Street town will determine its potential for vitality and prosperity. When a town’s image declines, consumer confidence drops, businesses close, property values sink and the community deteriorates. But physical image, addressed by design improvements, is just part of the story.

Promotion strengthens the town’s image and marketability in several ways:

• Changes community attitudes by focusing attention on the town’s best assets and potential;
• Builds a unified image by targeting a clear niche with materials and activity;
• Generates fresh activity, helping reestablish downtown as the center of community life;
• Communicates progress and excitement, attracting more investors, residents and visitors.

The elements of the Greater Bandon Association’s promotion work include:

• Promotion: Marketing the town’s unique characteristics and assets.Promotions encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in the downtown area. Marketing the downtown’s unique characteristics to residents, investors, business owners and visitors encourage commercial activity in the area by identifying and appealing to downtown Bandon’s market niches.

  Objective One: Create experiences that celebrate Relaxed Coastal Living to attract more visitors and locals downtown

  GBA already has a solid mix of events and activities that meld well with Relaxed Coastal Living transformation strategy and its subcategories. The focus is on continuing to enhance and support this base of activities while looking at opportunities to add less intensive, smaller scale activities.

  Actions:

  • Gorse Blossom Festival – GBA’s signature event
  • Christmas Celebration
    • Night of 10,000 Lights
    • Christmas Parade
  • Fourth of July – clearinghouse for dawn to dusk community activities, helping cross promote and generate new events
  • Focus on smaller scale activities to enhance the visitor experience and to off-season local engagement
    • Cranberry Festival Parade
    • Lighthouse Blues
    • Amphitheater History Readings
    • Pet Parade
    • Western Days
    • Art Walk
      • Mural Competition for Youth
      • Chalk Art Competition
    • Driftwood Art Day

  Objective Two: Develop a marketing plan that minimizes seasonal variations to help support the Relaxed Coastal Living visitors and locals enjoy

  The marketing focus for GBA should be to enhance, not duplicate, the efforts of other organizations.

   Actions:

  • Work with area hotels, restaurants, activities to offer offseason weekend passes to promote weather year-round
  • Bandon passport card

  Objective Three: Increase Local Shopping

  While the many physical and cultural resources in Bandon are clearly liked to the Relaxed Coastal Living, it is also the mix of businesses that are part of making Bandon more livable. Connecting residents more with the variety of goods and services available in Bandon will strengthen the economic base that is the foundation for residents and visitors to enjoy relaxed coastal living.

  Actions:

  • Alive After Five
  • Experiential Business Tours (on-site production)