Placemaking is a huge passion of mine. After all, that’s why I started this business. I believe there are certain principles and philosophies that ultimately drive successful places from my experiences over the years. I thought I would share some of those ruminations with you as lessons learned or just some food for thought…
Seth Godin once said, if you make a difference, people will gravitate to you. They want to engage, to interact and to get you more involved. If you make a difference, you also make a connection. You interact with people who want to be interacted with and you make changes that people respect and year for. This is a solid strategy for thinking about who you want to be, what your place wants to feel like and how your audience engages you.
In a down economy – particularly one that has taken most of us by surprise – things get very tactical. We are just trying to survive. What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today. What works today may not necessarily work tomorrow. Decisions become pragmatic. When times are tough, vision is the first casualty. Before conditions can improve, vision is the first thing we must recover.
Be honest, be genuine and be authentic. Speak from your passion. Yes, it means taking a risk, but the results may surprise you. People can see right through you so dare to be different, dare to have a unique voice and dare yourself to be daring in this market. That’s what will make you stand out from every other place or brand out there.
William Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company said it perfectly. For decades organizations and their leaders were comfortable with strategies that kept them in the middle of the road – that’s where the customers were, so that’s what felt safe and secure. Today, with so much change, so much pressure and new ways to do things, the middle of the road is the road to nowhere.
The beautiful thing about being on a team is that, believe it or not, lots of people love doing the things you hate. And hate doing the things you love. So quit diligently developing your weaknesses. Instead, partner with someone unlike you, share the work and share the wealth and everyone’s happy. The team approach brings all the experts in all disciplines together so the collective brain power is overflowing. We can help you build that team, it works every time.
And finally, know your customer and who you are truly connecting with. Know what they look like, what they talk like, what they act like, what inspires them and what makes them tick. Do your homework and never ever underestimate the power of research. That’s a cost you cannot afford down the road. You are not the buyer. You are not building a relationship with the place like they are. Find out what they want and build placemaking strategies, social and community programming and lifestyle offerings that meet their needs socially, emotionally and professionally. Be fearless when it comes to getting to know them. They will reward you for your hard work to make a connection with them. My advice, just jump in… the water is fine!
PLACEMAKE 