City invests $100K in Believe W.E. Can
The city agreed Monday to spend $100,000 out of its reserve funds for a special Windsor Star magazine to promote this region’s attractions and economic opportunities nationwide and in parts of the U.S., after Mayor Eddie Francis broke a deadlocked 4-4 council vote.
Despite the concern of several councillors about spending a large sum on a one-time promotion instead of having an overall strategic regional promotion plan, the mayor countered that the city could not pass up purchasing eight pages in the publication.
“I’ve made no secret about this — we need to tell our story,” Francis said. “This magazine is one element to the whole approach.
“If we are not part of this, then what does that speak to if there is no participation from the City of Windsor. It is an important step in the process.”
Essex County council last week approved an equal $100,000 commitment to the magazine — which is a key part of the multi-sponsor Believe W.E. Can campaign, which The Star is leading.
The newspaper will print more than 500,000 copies of the glossy magazine, to be distributed during the week of Nov. 17 across Canada by The Star and its sister newspapers in the Canwest chain. In addition, copies will be distributed in a handful of U.S. markets and in England.
It’s hoped to reach about 1.5 million readers.
“We want to develop a first-class magazine that showcases Windsor and Essex County as a great place to live, work, play, learn and invest,” said Fred Labute, business development co-ordinator at The Star.
“We want this thing to be the talk of the town when it is dropped on the breakfast table and the boardroom table.”
The Star’s business and marketing officials first began discussions with Francis about the magazine and campaign in mid-June, the mayor indicated.
That didn’t sit well with some councillors, irked at a last-minute request to buy into the magazine campaign. They would have preferred more lead time, so there would be an administration report fully detailing participation in the magazine, or formation of a new overall regional promotion campaign.
Labute replied that the request may be coming late late, “but that doesn’t discount how this is an amazing opportunity for the city. It’s something I feel strongly about and your presence will add strongly to this.”
Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac was among those against spending money on the magazine. She wanted an administration report that would lay out a comprehensive strategy to market the region.
“I want to hear how best to do this over lengthy time,” she said. “This can’t be a one-shot deal.”
Coun. Alan Halberstadt agreed: “I think we need a better plan rather than once again going into reserves to fund something like this without a lot more thought put into this.”
Coun. Caroline Postma was among the councillors who called the $100,000 spent on the magazine a “good initiative” the city could not afford to pass up.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of money at this time, but what’s the cost of not doing this?” she asked. ” Sometimes, you have to put a little money forward. I believe in this initiative.”
