HOUGHTON - Houghton residents will have the chance to weigh in on some proposed marketing ideas for downtown this week.
The ideas are part of developing a marketing plan for downtown Houghton, said Karyn Hanks of the Marketing Department, who presented some preliminary ideas at Monday's Houghton City Council meeting.
"It's probably been one of the more fun projects we've gotten to work on in the past couple years," she said. "It's been very exciting for us."
Hanks said downtown needs to develop a brand identity that will make the downtown more visible and attractive, stimulate and unite the downtown's businesses and magnify the downtown's importance as a premier destination in the Keweenaw.
According to their research, Hanks said, people see downtown Houghton as historical, changing, remodeling, safe and clean. When asked what they want Houghton to be, they still said historical and safe, but added things like "vibrant," "progressive" and "more fun."
Hanks presented graphics for some proposed slogans, such as "History in the Making," "The Good Life," and "Let's Get To It!"
Hanks showed a "Go Downtown Houghton" graphic where the O was the sole of a foot. It was a favorite of younger designers she'd shown it to, she said.
"They all gravitate toward this one, because it's a hip-looking logo," she said.
The options will be put online at cityofhoughton.gov at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Hanks also plans to survey 25 people on the street.
Hanks said there will also be a meeting on Feb. 11 for people in the downtown.
"I'd like to show up on the 11th with a logo, but we also want to take the right approach and do the right thing," she said.
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.