Council PKT 04-06-2004 Special
VPI Media
Summary of Research fin ings
Federal Way Video/CD/D D
March 10, 2004
This document serves as a s mmary ofVPI Media's meetings with key stakeh ders in
the City of Federal Way's ideo/CD/DVD. The intent is to express common themes,
ideas, and concerns. Beginn ng on page 3 are VPI Media's initial recommendations for
objectives, content topics, d general recommendations. Finally, a list ofIocations from
braInstorming sessions is in luded.
City Management Team ey Comments/Discussion points:
. General agreement at focus should be on Marketing rather than an Image video
. Video should be mo e general in terms of narrative while CD should specifically
focus on business as ets including some specific facts and figures as warranted.
. In terms of tone, the video should have a fun, energetic feel. Show people in
action, modem buil ings, new schools, infrastructure.
. Federal Way 'comp tition' is generally considered other areas of Western
Washington rather t an nation-wide or international
. Mention amenities t at are close to FW but do not talk about amenities that might
compete with FW a enities. Example: talk about the Port of Tacoma since FW
does not have a port but not Tacoma arts that compete with FW arts.
. Testimonials are ap ropriate in written form only.
. Focus on location
City Council Key Comme ts/Discussion points:
. Agreement on mark ting focus
. Location is key, tal about workforce, access, housing, fine arts,
. Education and educ tional opportunities important
. May need to have v. deo in Spanish language
. Diversity important
. Eight arts groups wi hin FW
. High- Tech business s desired
. Okay to see ameniti s in other areas as long as they don't compete with FW.
. Several suggestions for locations (listed in location section)
. Good weather critic I to success of video.
. Location is key.
. Access to healthcar
Relevant Summary of De "red Themes from 2002 Branding Study:
. Location & access i key marketing message
. Natural beauty, exc llent parks
. Friendly people
. Progressive and ene getic city
. Transportation acce s
. Sports facilities, rec eation
. Schools
Economic Development eeting Comments/Discussion Points:
. Should talk about r asons other companies chose to relocate to Federal Way
. Residents have high st average household income in S. King
. Working age indivi uals exceeds jobs; thus potential
. Retail sales per capi a are under county average so more retail capture is a great
potential
. Businesses choose W to be near Tacoma and Seattle without actually having to
be there.
. St. Francis hospital ne of top 100 in nation
. City has no B&O ta and low tax burden per capita compared to other cities.
. Excellent office ca puses
. USPS bulk mail ce ter in city increases speed of mail
VPI Media Key Findi gs/Recommendations:
VPI Media's recommendati ns are based on:
a) Discussions wit key staff, city, and business leaders.
b) Research on the ity of Federal Way branding and marketing materials
c) Location scouti g
d) Prior experience ofVPI Media in marketing for economic development and
tourism.
1) Primary Objective:
VPI Media recommends a c ange of objective from "Federal Way is the ideal place to
live and work," to "Federa Way is the ideal place to live and do business." While this
may seem like a subtle ch ge, it focuses the message to that of marketing to businesses
specifically. To back up thi claim the primary theme to be used will be location. To stay
consistent with research fin ings, a possible tag line will be "Federal Way; it's all
within reach."
2) Secondary Objective:
Businesses want to know t t the city they do business in can support their employees. In
addition, a common theme uring meetings with the City was an upbeat tone that focuses
on families, amenities, and ther positive aspects ofliving in Federal Way. The lifestyle
section ofthe video will ad ress both ofthese needs and serve as the secondary objective
of Federal Way being an id al place to live.
3) General Content Topic
. Location: Ideally 10 ated in Western Washington between two major cities. Close
to several transport ion routes and hubs.
. Opportunities: Fede al Way is an excellent choice for corporate and retail
businesses with acc ss to underserved population and surrounding areas. A wired
city ( conduits), in t 10 oflargest cities in W A. Visuals include light industrial,
high-tech, office, an retail.
. Great place to live: everal housing opportunities plus:
0 Education: ighly educated workforce and great local & regional
education 0 portunities.
0 Natural bea ty: Parks and outdoor adventure, recreation.
0 Community, Arts, and Civic events: Neighborhoods, local arts
organization, diverse population.
0 Sports and e tertainment: Close to major leagues and also a hub for
amateur spa s. Wild Waves!
4) Style Recommendation:
. Less than half of vi eo should have narrative. A) Images often speak louder than
words and we'll be ble to show more diverse images if they don't have to be
closely tied to narra 've. B) Translation to other languages will go more smoothly
with less original native. C) When shown to other language populations, a story
told through images will have more meaning.
. A faster pace than e isting video.
. With respect to crea ive approach, we recommend not using an approach based on
humor.
. We suggest an appr ach that specifically discusses the benefits to business.
. We recommend not sing on-camera interviews in the body of the video. The will
tend to slow the pac of the video and may shorten its shelf life.
5) Next Steps:
VPI Media will be developi g several script approaches utilizing the summaries from
stakeholders and style reco mendations above.
Possible Locations for inclusion:
*Possible locations may not ALL be included and are listed in no particular order. Locations will be ranked
and chosen at a later date.
Location emphasis:
1-5, ] 8 to 1-90 and other ma or roads
Port of Tacoma (with rail)
Sea-Tac airport
Relation to other areas usin aerials, maps
Trucks on road
Overall geographic layout sing maps and aerials
Business Opportunity:
West and East campus dev lopments
SeaTac Mall
Other retail (TBD)
Example businesses: Wort Vision, TOTE, Capital One, Weyerhaeuser.
Restaurants
Shots inside of a business ( ffice)
Shots in light industrial bu inesses (ideally high-tech)
Great Place to Live:
Multi-family housing
mid-range housing
High-income housing
Education:
De V ry University
New public schools (Sagha ie Jr High, Tod Beamer High School), kids getting offbus
UW Tacoma
CWU @ Highline
UW Seattle
Students reading, working t gether
Teacher working with stud nt
Natural Beauty and Outd or Adventure:
Steel Lake - playground
Panther Lake
North Lake
Dash Point
skate park
BP A trail
Celebration Park
Hylobos,
Walking trails
Rhododendron gardens
Bonsai garden
Mt Rainier from 1 st and fr m aerials.
Skiing
Boating
Hiking
Mountain biking
Dumas Bay Park
Public beaches
Sports and Entertainmen
Aquatic center
Twin Lakes and Marine Hi Is summer swimming
Soccer
Restaurants
Wild Waves
Softball and Baseball
Pro-Sports such as basebal , basketball, and football.
Community, Arts, Civic:
Red White Blues Festival
August parade
MLK celebration
battle of the bands
Healthcare - shot of St. Fr
New City Hall
cis hospital and other clinics
New community Center
Local performance hall
Knutzen Family Theater
Summer concerts at Steel
Park