Branding Fort Dodge

“The Community Action Network was set up by Trinity Regional Medical Center, the local hospital, which takes 10% of its net income each year to reinvest into the town,” Randy Kuhlman head of the Network gave me a tour of Fort Dodge, IA (population 25,136) prior to my talk. They are helping build replicas of Wrigley Field, Fenway, Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium in their local park where the state softball championships are held.

Fort Dodge was an old meat packing town with a reputation for being a rough and tough blue collar town. The last meat packing plant closed their doors 20 years ago, but the reputation lingers.

Today Fort Dodge is going through a transition into a regional economic powerhouse. Newly elected Mayor Terry Lutz was elected with almost 80% of the vote over the incumbent mayor on a platform of creating jobs and opportunities, transitioning the town into the information age. He also has plans to develop the old industrial area along the Des Moines River into a green space.

Fort Dodge was chosen as an All-American City in 2001, one of only 10 in the USA to win that award each year. The National Civic League looks at the quality of life in the town and the way that reinvestment is taking place in making their decision.
Fort Dodge has great potential if you get beyond its old reputation. A branding program for the city might work wonders, because as I’ve told other towns, “If you don’t establish your own brand, someone else will establish it for you and you might not like what they brand you.”