Common Council receives update on Rebranding Initiative Survey

The City of Shelbyville’s Rebranding Initiative Survey is complete and pages and pages of data are currently being analyzed.

The city hired Hirons, an Indianapolis-based marketing and communications company, to implement a community survey for residents of Shelbyville and Shelby County to help create a new marketing brand – one that will replace “Pride in Progress.”

“The purpose of creating the brand was to contribute to a great social cohesion,” said Jenna Martin, the city’s director of public relations, to the Shelbyville Common Council Monday night at City Hall. “To contribute for economic growth and retention of our talent by encapsulating the values of our community in a succinct way.”

Martin said the survey was completed June 21 with 1,011 total responses. The goal was to get 350 to 400 responses.

The following is what the data shows at first glance:

• Nearly half (442) of the respondents were in the 45-64 age group; 203 respondents were 35-44 years old; 200 were over 65 years old; and 161 were 24 years or younger
• 66% identified as female
• 93% identified as White
• Top four locations for respondents were Shelbyville (81%), Fairland (2%), Marietta/Edinburgh (1.7%) and Morristown (1.2%)
• 64% identified as living in Shelbyville for more than 20 years

Along with the community survey, there were small group virtual meetings and strategic partnership large group meetings which included representatives of large bodies like the council, Shelbyville Central Schools, non-profit leaders and business representatives, according to Martin.

“We hired the third party, Hirons, to do the data collection and this is why,” explained Martin. “We wanted to make sure it was non-partisan and unbiased. … Third party to make sure we were getting raw unappropriated data.

The following is a sample of the raw data released by Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson to local media:

• 75% ranked quality of life good, very good and excellent
• 65% ranked sense of community as good, very good and excellent
• 56% ranked economy, business, environment and job opportunities as good, very good and excellent
• 68% ranked quality of education as good, very good and excellent
• 69% ranked quality and accessibility of healthcare as good, very good and excellent
• 46% ranked quality and value of housing options as good, very good and excellent
• 71% ranked travel accessibility as good, very good and excellent
• 66% ranked affordability of the community as good, very good and excellent
• 67% ranked the city’s infrastructure as good, very good and excellent
• 59% ranked the quality and quantity of cultural and recreational activity as good, very good and excellent
• 61% ranked the quality and quantity of the city’s amenities such as parks, trails, restaurants and shopping/entertainment as good, very good and excellent
• 58% ranked the quality of local government and civic engagement as good, very good and excellent

On July 11, Hirons will deliver a virtual presentation to city leaders about the themes the data produced, what common denominators they see throughout the community, and deliver recommendations on where to go with the data.

On July 26, Hirons will seek final feedback from city leaders with the goal to have a rollout of the new theme at the beginning of October.