The strategies listed in the 116-page Downtown Plan released by the City on Thursday are broken into five categories: promotion, vitality, appearance, movement and linkages.

The document explains that the strategies are broken down in this way to make the plan manageable and ensure that it does not become “unwieldy.”

The first category is promotion, which received much of the top priority status in the plan for implementation.

The category is described in the document:

“Promotion strategies include actions that build awareness of downtown to both Troy residents and visitors. Promotion helps Downtown Troy become a destination. Promotion strategies create a positive identity and image through activities, that generate interest in and support the unique characteristic of downtown.”

There are three strategies listed in the promotion category: developing and maintaining a brand identity for downtown, developing a marketing and recruitment plan, and creating an event calendar.

The first strategy is to “establish a distinct identity for Troy that will be recognized and bolstered through traditional advertising, social media and non-traditional promotion.”

The strategy narrative explains that this branding takes research, creativity and commitment from local leaders, property and business owners and the community.

Actions for the strategy include developing a branding campaign with a recognizable logo and tagline that identify Downtown Troy, integrating the brand into the downtown infrastructure and developing a methodology to consistently promote the brand. The second strategy is to “develop a marketing and recruitment plan that reinforces the identity and showcases the assets of downtown to increase visitation and investment.”

Actions for the strategy include conducting of a detailed market potential study, identifying a “distinct niche” for downtown that complements other businesses instead of competing with them, developing marketing and recruitment plans, compiling a recruitment package, working with organizations to provide training sessions to merchants and establishing a business owner mentorship.

The final strategy in the promotion category is to “create a central, one-stop calendar with a variety of events that makes downtown the place to be in Troy.”

Actions include designating an agency and person to compiling and maintaining the event calendar, establishing a format and timeline for submitting event information to the calendar, including the calendar at downtown kiosks, building an internet presence, continuing and increasing promotion on social media and publishing a visitor’s guide.

The full Downtown Plan document can be found online at https://issuu.com/troyplanning/docs/draftdowntownplan100616.

For more information or to comment on the plan, contact Melissa Sanders by calling 334-670-6058 or sending an email Melissa.sanders@troyal.gov.