Situated at the intersection of five major roadways, Anna, Texas, is the ideally positioned along the northern corridor of expansion of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. As the metroplex has grown, more people have moved north to Collin County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, to find affordable housing, good schools and a better quality of life. A trusted partner of the Anna Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Cooksey Communications focuses on driving awareness for the rapidly developing outer-ring suburb as it grows to its full potential at the crossroads of rapid development in the North Texas region.
industry
- government & economic development
services
- communications assessments & planning
- creative services – branding and collateral
- creative services – web and digital
- crisis communications & issues management
- key message development
- marketing strategy & planning
- media relations
- public involvement & stakeholder engagement
- special events
- thought leadership positioning
the challenge
Build a presence and create a lasting impression in a sea of thriving communities
For many people not living in the immediate area, Anna, Texas, was once best known as a “truck stop city,” in the far reaches of northern Collin County. In addition, in recent years, a number of other outer-ring suburbs also began to emerge in the area, creating further challenges as Anna worked to establish itself as a pro-business, pro-growth city focused on providing an attractive location for businesses and a home for those searching for affordable housing and close proximity to both the Dallas area and the rising tech hub in Grayson County just north of the city. Once Anna adopted its new strategic plan and reduced permitting process timeline, the need arose to raise awareness and educate target audiences, including real estate developers and brokers, homebuilders and the business community, about Anna and its business-friendly trajectory for growth.
the strategy
Create a brand that reflects opportunity and capitalizes on North Texas’ momentum as a destination for growth and relocation
Cooksey initiated its efforts for the Anna EDC with a comprehensive communications audit and plan that would lead to the creation of a lasting brand and ensure on-target messaging. The audit included conducting interviews with city officials and key stakeholders and a review of peer and aspirational cities’ marketing and branding efforts. As part of the final plan, Cooksey refreshed Anna’s branding with a modern, eye-catching look-and-feel, developed key messages sharing Anna’s pro-business mindset and growth potential, and created the EDC’s signature tagline, “Groundbreaking Possibilities.” This audit and plan set the stage to launch an ongoing marketing program that would raise awareness about Anna and educate target audiences about its pro-growth strategy.
the solution
Implement a comprehensive marketing plan that highlights Anna’s potential and attracts developers
As part of its efforts, Cooksey keeps Anna top-of-mind among the developer, broker and business communities by employing media relations, advertising, and paid content. To combat the challenge of Anna’s northern Collin County location, Cooksey and the Anna EDC regularly host key media contacts for city tours, resulting in features and numerous stories in target media outlets including the Dallas Business Journal, Dallas Morning News and Bisnow, while also sharing Anna’s business and residential real estate development progress in media outlets including DCEO, Texas Contractor, CoStar and REDnews. In addition, Cooksey developed a video of Anna that showcases its numerous attributes, from vast land available for development to infrastructure connections to the region and a high quality of life. The video provides an easy way for target audiences to get a firsthand look at Anna, whether at tradeshows, sponsored events or on the Anna EDC website. Award nominations and commercial real estate event sponsorships also play a significant role in furthering exposure among Anna’s key target audiences. Finally, Cooksey develops engaging ads for placement in business and real estate-related trade media publications that are often accompanied by advertorials and sponsorship recognitions.
