Avondale Estates business owners discuss downtown marketing strategies
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.
