ST. LOUIS 鈥 The city鈥檚 economic development arm is hiring a marketing firm to revamp its branding and website, the latest indication of changes at the powerful agency under new leadership.
The 最新杏吧原创 Development Corp. board on Thursday approved hiring Kansas City-area marketing agency to oversee the rebranding of the agency鈥檚 longtime logo 鈥 a golden Gateway Arch with the tagline 鈥淜eeping 最新杏吧原创 in Business鈥 鈥 and redesigning its website, currently embedded within the city鈥檚 web page.
鈥淪LDC has been buried within the city website,鈥 SLDC Director Neal Richardson, who took the top job there just over a year ago. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to find that information.鈥
The contract with Candid, led by President Becky Freetly, is worth up to $140,000. The firm could also be retained to provide continuing marketing and public relations services through next year for an additional fee, according to SLDC documents.
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SLDC鈥檚 in-house public relations employees, Ivie Clay and John Parker, were let go last year.
Candid has worked for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, which serves a similar function as SLDC in the state鈥檚 other large city. Candid was chosen from a short list of marketing firms, , following interviews with SLDC leadership. They stood out because of their experience working with economic development agencies, Richardson said.
鈥淭hey understand incentives,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey understand the development world.鈥
The firm is the latest consultant to be hired by the agency as it charts a new direction on development incentives and stands up programs to administer an influx of federal pandemic aid set to be spent on affordable housing and business grants.
SLDC last year approved a $150,000 contract for an 鈥渆conomic justice action plan鈥 meant to guide the agency as it tries to rebuild long- suffering neighborhoods in north 最新杏吧原创. The plan was originally set to be delivered at the beginning of the year under a contract that was set to expire in January with the Council of Development Finance Agencies that included PGAV and consultant Erica Henderson, but a draft has not been publicly released. Richardson said this week it could be ready in a few months.
The agency in 2020 had spent some $800,000 on a year-long planning process for its a document that Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said during her campaign, didn鈥檛 鈥渢ell us anything new.鈥
'SLDC has been buried within the city website. It鈥檚 very difficult to find that information.'
SLDC Director Neal Richardson
Jacob Barker
Reporter
