City to hire community marketing manager

The Newton City Council unanimously approved the creation of a community marketing manager position at its Monday meeting. The position, in part, will take over responsibilities previously handled by the Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Establishing the community marketing manager for the city does a few things besides just marketing,” Newton Mayor Mike Hansen said. “It also establishes a communications function, which we had in our workshop, discussion how other cities have used that position to enhance communications among the citizenry as well as our partners and our volunteer groups.”

The position was initially explored during a CVB study group consisting of council members Steven Mullan, Evelyn George and Jeremy Biondi. The group’s report recommend establishing a new community market board and the creation of the new position.

The development of a communications department is trend the council identified. In central Iowa, the group reviewed three communities — Johnston, Ankeny and Waukee — and their relatively new communications departments.

They found the department has limited staff and work in conjunction with other departments to promote effective communication to public and private parties interested in municipal issues.

The position will be housed within the department of finance and development and has an anticipated salary and benefits costing approximately $79,000. The pay range will be based on the qualifications of the new hire and benefits needed.

The money used to fund the position will come from the hotel/motel tax that was previously allocated to the CVB.

“It serves, in my opinion, two functions,” Hansen said. “It serves as a marketing arm of the city, and we also had in the study group that we wanted to take a different direction with our website and the websites of our partners in the community. I think that is one of the key items that this particular individual will be working on to begin with.”

The position will be the first step in moving forward with the city’s new marketing plan that showed several goals. Those goals include a community centralized web presence, ensuring a cohesive and audience appropriate message is communicated, a broad market approach, grow the number of visitors to the community and data collection and measurements of activities and successes.

The council also approved the first reading of an ordinance to establish a community market board. The five-member board will provide support and guidance on local and regional communications, community branding, marketing, engagement and outreach for the city’s communication and marketing program.

“Members appointed to the board should demonstrate an interest in those areas and represent key local industries or have knowledge in marketing, communications, real estate, education, health services, hospitality or tourism,” city administrator Bob Knabel said.

The ordinance will have two additional readings before its final approval.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com