Although attendance was small for Avondale Estates’ first marketing focus group, the eight business owners made up for it with 90 minutes of rapid-fire suggestions.
University of Georgia student Aveana Jackson is compiling a report of potential marketing strategies for the city’s Downtown Development Authority. As part of her masters-level practicum Jackson, who ran the focus group, will assimilate owners’ feedback and prepare a section on the marketing approaches of cities similar in size to Avondale.
Thursday’s predominant suggestions called for “way-finding signs” in the downtown business district and updated maps of the area. All owners agreed foot traffic has declined significantly in recent months.
At a joint DDA/commission meeting late last year, downtown business owner and former Mayor Ed Rieker proclaimed the district “needs about 1,000 new visitors a week. As it stands, people don’t think about Avondale as a place to eat and shop.”
The focus groups come at a time when Avondale’s re-organizing its DDA. Mayor Jonathan Elmore hopes the city can fund that organization beginning this spring.
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