Lightfoot’s ‘authenticity’ to be center of plan to re-brand Chicago
“If you look at the mayor and what she represents — her history, her background, her personality — people are very intrigued by that. They might not agree with everything. But, they’re intrigued and believe she’s authentic,†Michael Fassnacht, the city’s chief marketing officer, said Thursday.
By Fran Spielman Oct 15, 2020, 5:13pm CDT
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her “authentic†personality will be a cornerstone of the plan to “re-brand†Chicago and help the city recover from the economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus, the city’s chief marketing officer said Thursday.
Michael Fassnacht. a former commercial advertising whiz, donated his time to work on former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s failed pitch to attract Amazon’s second corporate headquarters.
Now, he’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $1-a-year chief marketing officer, charged with developing a “master brand†for Chicago to rebuild a convention and tourism industry decimated by the pandemic.
That would be a mountain to climb even if Fassnacht had an advertising budget to support the re-branding campaign. But a city struggling to close a record $1.2 billion shortfall doesn’t have, as he put it, “the luxury to spend a lot of media dollars to try and buy eyeballs.â€
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2020/10/15/21518197/chicago-marketing-campaign-economy-travel-leisure-business-covid-coronavirus-looting-lightfoot