Frederick Wins Two MEDA Awards

By Michelle Kershner

Frederick was presented with two Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) 2016 MEDA Awards, which celebrate the people, projects and programs bringing economic vitality to Maryland. Bert Anderson, owner of Everedy Square and Shab Row, was named the "2016 Volunteer of the Year" for his more than three decades of service to both Frederick City and County. MEDA also recognized The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development (DED) video, “Work Where There's Room to Play,”  as the "2016 MEDA Marketing Award Winner." 

“I am so proud of our team and partners and am delighted that Frederick is being recognized by MEDA for quality marketing and volunteerism in Economic Development," said Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development for The City of Frederick.

An award ceremony was held on May 2 during the 2016 MEDA Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.

2016 Volunteer of the Year: Bert Anderson

Before "adaptive reuse" was a trend, Anderson was acquiring underutilized buildings for renovation and reuse in Downtown Frederick. He bought deteriorating buildings including houses, warehouses and factories, and transformed City blocks into dining and shopping destinations for visitors and residents.

"Bert Anderson has been at the forefront of progressive redevelopment and has given his time and talent for the benefit of the community for many years," said Griffin. 

Anderson was nominated jointly by the City and County economic development offices for his contributions. Anderson has served as a founding member of the Greater Frederick Development Corporation, which is now the Downtown Frederick Partnership. He currently serves on the City’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Learn more about Bert Anderson and his decades of volunteerism in Frederick.

2016 MEDA Marketing Award Winner: The City of Frederick, "Work Where There's Room to Play"

"Work Where There's Room to Play" was developed after a local IT non-profit, Tech Frederick indicated that recruiting top technology talent to the Frederick area was a priority.

The video has been viewed over 62,000 times on Facebook and has been shared
over 1,500 times.

The video had three objectives:

• Develop a tool to support the local tech industry
• Brand Frederick as a great place to live and work
• Drive traffic to Tech Frederick’s jobs page

Learn more about the "Work Where There's Room to Play" video.

Michelle Kershner is the Business Development Specialist for the City of Frederick Department of Economic Development. 

Case Study: "Work Where There's Room to Play" Video

Watch: "Work Where There's Room to Play"

Overview 
The City of Frederick developed a three minute film, "Work Where There's Room to Play," to showcase the benefits of working in Frederick, Maryland. From thriving Downtown Frederick to outdoor activities, the film highlights the opportunities of life outside of work.  

The project was developed after Tech Frederick, a Frederick area non-profit that advocates for the local IT industry, indicated recruiting top talent to Frederick was a priority. Frederick is the northern anchor of the I-270 Technology Corridor, and is home to many IT companies. But when it comes time to recruit talent, many local tech companies say they are competing with larger cities with tech clusters such as Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA. The video was intended to promote Frederick as a great place to live and work and give IT companies another tool to attract high quality employees. The video also serves as a retention tool, giving our IT companies a way to attract talent and grow in Frederick. 

The video was launched at a live event and simultaneously via Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Facebook analytics was the primary method of tracking the viral reach of this video.

Goals 
“Work Where There’s Room to Play” specifically was produced to target the millennial workforce, and more specifically, millennials interested in tech careers. While this was the primary audience, the video was also produced broadly enough to bring out the pride people have in Frederick, so they were more likely to share the video.

The project had three main objectives:

• Develop a Tool to Support the Local Tech Industry – IT is a targeted industry for Frederick. The video was developed to support local IT companies’ recruitment efforts. Both The City and local IT companies can use the video to grow the IT workforce and strengthen the industry in Frederick. By supporting local tech companies, the project also serves as a retention tool to help keep our companies strong and growing.
• Brand Frederick as a Great Place to Live and Work -While the film was produced with IT professionals in mind, it was also developed to have a general appeal. It was important to showcase Frederick as a lively and active city with a great quality of life. 
• Drive Traffic to Tech Frederick’s Jobs Page

Methodology
The development, collaboration, and quality production of the video were keys to its success. Local company, Digital Bard, produced the video in partnership with The City of Frederick’s Department of Economic Development (DED). 

DED developed the video's talking points, secured the volunteer cast, and managed the video launch strategy at a live event and online to maximize results. Digital Bard refined the storyline and oversaw the production and editing.

Real community members were recruited to deliver the points in the video. All of the characters are strong supporters of Frederick and well-known in the community. None of them were compensated for the video and all agreed to be in it on a volunteer basis.  

Success relied on the viral spread of the video, not paid advertising. Only $50 was used to promote the video on Facebook, and accounted for less than 5% of video views across all platforms.

Casting was an important element to the video’s storyline. Digital Bard and DED identified four different “personas” to tell the story, and cast community leaders approriately. 

The Debut

A highly coordinated video release was planned to gain the maximum benefit and reach. It debuted in front of a live audience during “Movie Night on the Creek” on August 21, 2015 with 250 people in attendance. It SIMULTANEOUSLY launched on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The live debut was newsworthy, and was covered by regional news station WHAG and local newspaper Frederick News-Post. 

Collaboration

In the spirit of collaboration, partner organizations Downtown Frederick Partnership and Visit Frederick agreed to let DED use their b-roll at no charge. This supplemented original footage shot for the film. Digital Bard provided $2,500 in in-kind services to produce the project. The private in-kind contributions helped to leverage the project. For every $1 that the public sector put into the project, the private sector provided an in-kind contribution of $1.84. 

Results
The project was a success in every sense. Within 10 hours, the video was viewed 15,000 times on Facebook (organic) and it was clear it was “going viral.” 

Facebook results* (as of May 2016) were outstanding:

• 62,914+ viewed the video with a 26% completion rate (an additional 3,720 viewed the video on YouTube)
• The post reached 139,372 
• Engagement: 7,239 likes, comments, and shares
• Post was SHARED 1,529 times
• 1,221 comments 
• 22,393 post clicks

*Results are largely organic; a $50 promoted Facebook post only accounts

Reaching the Targeted Audience via Facebook
A small portion of our reach was via a promoted post ($50) on Facebook. This allowed us to access specific data on the demographics of who this post was reaching.  It demonstrated our post was primarily reaching those in our targeted millennial demographic. 

• 65% of all video views are from people under 44 (3,100 views in this sample size)
• 68% of all impressions are from people under 44 (9,056 impressions in this sample size)

Awards
The video has earned two awards: 

• Silver Addy Award - American Advertising Federation of Greater Frederick (local chapter)
• MEDA's 2016 Marketing Award - Maryland Economic Development Association (statewide) - Watch Video

PR/Additional Exposure

Because of the quality and success of this video, The City of Frederick’s Department of Economic Development had additional opportunities for exposure.  They included:

• Livability.com - Video appears on the Frederick page
• WHAG TV – TV Feature
• Frederick News-Post: “City’s new promo video will debut Friday”
• MDBizNews, a publication of The Maryland Department of Commerce: “Frederick, MD: Work Where There’s Room to Play”
• Digital Bard Blog
• The City of Frederick hits a home run with tech recruitment video
• Work Where There’s Room to Play, a recruitment video for Frederick, Maryland 
• citybizlist.com (Baltimore): Frederick, MD: Work Where There's Room to Play
• PR Web - The City of Frederick Releases New Video, “Work Where There’s Room to Play”

41% Increase in Facebook Likes on DED Page
The DED Facebook page “likes” increased from 640 August 15 (prior to video) to 901 on September 10 (after video release). This represents a 40% increase in just a few weeks.
Traffic to Tech Frederick Jobs Page

A goal was to drive people to see the Tech Frederick jobs page. 548 clicks to their jobs page was a direct result of the video marketing campaign, as tracked by a bit.ly link.  

Use of Video by Tech Companies in Frederick

Regent's Careers Page

The video was unveiled at Tech Frederick’s quarterly event. Companies have anecdotally said they are using the video in recruitment efforts and are directly sending the link to interested applicants, especially those out of town, to help influence their decision. Our largest tech company in Downtown Frederick, Regent Education, has the video posted on their Careers page. Additionally, they worked with Digital Bard to produce a companion video, “Why Work at Regent,” to accompany their recruitment efforts.

Budget and Leverage

Budget
$3,000 – Production of Video
$50 – Cost to promote the post in Facebook
TOTAL: $3,050 

In-Kind Contributions: Valued at $5,600

While there was not a direct private cash investment in the production of the film, there were several in-kind donations that contributed to the project that were valued at $5,600. The private in-kind contributions helped to leverage the project. For every $1 that the public sector put into the project, the private sector matched provided an in-kind contribution of $1.84. 

In-kind contributions included:

Digital Bard - Production costs for the video exceeded DEDs budgeted contribution. Digital Bard’s costs were a total of $5,600, which means they contributed $2,500 in in-kind services to produce the project.

B-Roll Footage – In-kind video footage was donated for the film from the following:

• Tourism Council of Frederick County
• Downtown Frederick Partnership
• Mike Purks, citizen drone footage

Digital Bard, the production company, estimated that footage licensing from these entities is valued at around $2,000. 

Talent Fee for Narrator, Ashley Miles - Digital Bard, the production company, estimated that a reasonable talent fee for the narrator would be $600. She donated her time and talents. 

Use of video equipment and screen to debut film before feature presentation at Movie Night on the Creek (Downtown Frederick Partnership) – no hard figure

ROI
Cost Value of Project (calculated in December 2015) - To evaluate the value of the project from a cost perspective, DED determined the 
1) cost of each impression 
2) cost of each video view compared to the cost of the video production. Here is a summary of the results.

• Cost per impression: $0.016 The total cost of the video production ($3,000) and to promote the post via Facebook ($50) was $3,050. The video’s Facebook impressions were 138,730. Additionally, a press release was distributed via PR Web. PR Web reported that there were an additional 49,988 headline impressions from the press release distribution. The total impressions from these two measurable distribution channels combined were 188,718. Considering these figures, the total cost per impression was approximately 1.5 cents or $0.016. 
• Cost per Video View: $0.05 - The total cost of the video production ($3,000) and to promote the post via Facebook ($50) was $3,050. The video’s Facebook views were 62,126. Additionally, YouTube views accounted for an additional 1,494 views. The total video views from these two measurable distribution channels combined were 63,620. Considering these figures, the total cost per view was approximately $0.05 or a nickel. 

Based on these calculations, the exposure the video generated was pennies on the dollar compared to the costs of the project.  

Best Practices
A similar project can be developed within other communities. Attracting and keeping a skilled workforce is important for business retention. Developing a video that highlights the benefits of the community helps all businesses attract talent.  

Best practices for this project included:

• Using local, volunteer talent to talk about the community 
• Targeting the intended audience on a platform where they are active (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter)
• Launching the video during a live event proved to draw additional media attention with local TV coverage
• Leverage the opportunity for additional PR – Offer to guest blog about the success of the project and submit it to partner organizations
• Provide a “toolkit” to businesses with links to the video and instructions on how to use it in their recruitment efforts 
• Never underestimate the power of a proud community – The genuine pride in the video shines through in the testimonials from the characters and contributed to the viral spread of the video 

Frederick's Bert Anderson Named MEDA Volunteer of the Year

Bert Anderson, owner of Everedy Square and Shab Row, was named the "2016 Volunteer of the Year" by the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA). He was recognized for his more than three decades of service to both Frederick City and County. MEDA Awards celebrate the people, projects and programs bringing economic vitality to Maryland. Anderson was honored at an award ceremony on May 2 during the 2016 MEDA Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.
 

Anderson has been serving in leadership roles for over 35 years in Frederick County, and is still an active leader today. He has served with six different economic development organizations or commissions over the decades, and has been on numerous boards. He is a founding member of the Greater Frederick Development Corporation, the organization that later became the Downtown Frederick Partnership that implements the Main Street Program for community revitalization.

"Bert Anderson has been at the forefront of progressive redevelopment and has given his time and talent for the benefit of the community for many years," said Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development for The City of Frederick. 

MEDA 2016 Volunteer of the Year
Bert Anderson with Richard Griffin

Before "adaptive reuse" was a trend, Anderson was acquiring underutilized buildings for renovation and reuse in Downtown Frederick. He bought buildings, including houses, warehouses and factories, and transformed City blocks into dining and shopping destinations for visitors and residents.

2016 marks the 40th Anniversary of Anderson’s Shab Row redevelopment project and the devastating Great Frederick Flood of 1976, which inspired today’s Carroll Creek Park and flood control project. In 2016, Frederick will commemorate the 40 year anniversary of the flood, the transformation of Everedy Square and Shab Row, and the rebirth of Downtown Frederick. These events are interconnected, and Anderson’s leadership role was fundamental in the revitalization of Downtown Frederick.

"As we celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of his accomplishments, there is no better time to recognize Bert Anderson’s four decades of vision, service, and investment in Frederick and Maryland," said Griffin. 

Anderson was nominated jointly by the City and County economic development offices for his contributions. Anderson has served as a founding member of the Greater Frederick Development Corporation, which is now the Downtown Frederick Partnership. He currently serves on the City’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.

5 Reasons the Biosciences Thrive in Frederick, Maryland

Carroll Creek and Cycling Photo Credit: Visit Frederick

Located less than an hour from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Frederick plays a key role within Maryland's bioscience cluster and has much to offer new and expanding biotech businesses.

Below are some of the top reasons the biosciences thrive in Frederick, Maryland. 

5 Reasons the Biosciences Thrive in Frederick, Maryland

1. Location, Location, Location
Frederick is the northern anchor of the I-270 Technology Corridor in Maryland, which is one of the largest bioscience clusters in the U.S. Frederick is home to Fort Detrick, the Frederick National Laboratory, 9,000+ businesses, and 80 bioscience companies. Less than an hour from both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, it also offers close proximity to federal regulatory agencies.

2. Opportunity & Collaboration
Businesses enjoy strong biotechnology transfer opportunities from the federal labs at Fort Detrick and the National Cancer Institute. Start-ups can thrive in Frederick's local biotech incubator with state-of-the-art wet labs and offices available. The community is supported with partners offering local networking opportunities and workshops. 

3. Educated Workforce & Great Schools
Ranked among the 2nd smartest cities by Forbes.com, 36% of the workforce holds a bachelor's degree or higher and 13.3% have earned a Masters degree or Ph.D. Local public school achievement exceeds Maryland averages with scores that consistently surpass state and national averages on measures such as the College Board SAT.

4. Transportation
Two-thirds of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive of Frederick, and the location provides convenient access to all major markets on the eastern seaboard. It is within 50 miles of three international airports (BWI, Dulles and Reagan National). Two commuter rail stations serve Frederick, offering daily weekday service to Washington, D.C.

5. Award-Winning Place to Live
     Frederick was named one of the “Top 100 Best Places to Live” in the U.S. by Livability.com in 2015.  It was also named one of the "10 Best Places Near Washington, D.C. For Young Professionals" and Frederick County was named among the “Top 10 Counties in America.” Downtown Frederick is bustling with independently owned shops and restaurants, while close to area hiking, biking, wineries, and historic sites.  Frederick offers the ability for residents to “live, work, and play” and experience an excellent quality of life.

Frederick in the News: "Bio-tech hub in Frederick, Md. continues to expand"
Watch this 2015 news report on the expansion of the bioscience industry in Frederick and the importance of collaborations. 

"Bio-tech hub in Frederick, Md. continues to expand"

Want to learn more? Contact us and we can assist you with site selection assistance, how to start your business in Frederick, relocation assistance, and more information about the biosciences in our area.  

For more information on the biosciences in Frederick, visit our partner, Frederick County Office of Economic Development. 

New Funding Available to Continue City's Facade Improvement Grant Program

Business owners along the Patrick Street Corridor may benefit from new grant funding from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Community Legacy program.

DHCD awarded $100,000 to The City of Frederick to continue and expand a city-wide façade improvement grant program and to pilot a building reuse program in Downtown Frederick. 

Frederick’s program funds supports the continuation and expansion of a Façade Improvement Matching Grant Program within the Patrick Street Corridor Community. 

The Frederick Façade Improvement Project is administered jointly by the City of Frederick’s Department of Economic Development and its partners - the Downtown Frederick Partnership, the Golden Mile Alliance, and East Frederick Rising.

Of the $100,000 grant award, $56,000 will be allocated to the Downtown Frederick Partnership, $22,000 to East Frederick Rising, and $22,000 to the Golden Mile Alliance.

Details on each grant opportunity is provided below:

Downtown Frederick

• Facade Improvement Program - Eligible businesses may receive a 1:1 match on qualified exterior facade improvements up to $10,000. For details, contact the Downtown Frederick Partnership at 301-698-8118 or download the application.  Applications are accepted on a first-come, first served basis.

• Mission Interior - Eligible businesses may receive a matching grant of up to $5,000 on qualified interior improvements. For details, contact the Downtown Frederick Partnership at 301-698-8118 or download the application. The deadline to apply for this program is Friday, May 18th at 5:00 PM.

East Frederick

• Facade Improvement Program - Eligible businesses may receive a 1:1 match on qualified exterior facade improvements up to $10,000. For details, contact the Department of Economic Development at 301-600-6360 or download the application.  Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Golden Mile

• Facade Improvement Program - Eligible businesses may receive a 1:1 match on qualified exterior facade improvements of up to $22,000. For details, contact the Golden Mile Alliance at goldenmilealliance@gmail.com or download the application.  Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frederick Towne Center Groundbreaking Signals Strong Retail Opportunities on The Golden Mile

A resurgence along Golden Mile is one step closer following the groundbreaking ceremony for the the Frederick Towne Center & Walmart Supercenter. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Saturday, April 16, 2016 in front of the former Bon-Ton department store and was attended by over 50 residents, business owners, and elected officials. Speakers included Mayor Randy McClement, Economic Development Director Richard Griffin, Golden Mile Alliance President Justin Kiska, Golden Mile Alliance Board Member and attorney Dave Severn, and Adam Greenberg, representing DLC Management.

Mayor McClement delivering remarks on the City's commitment to the Golden Mile. 

Redevelopment of the former Frederick Towne Mall will include retail space opportunities for up to 16 new retail and restaurant businesses. This 500,000 square foot redevelopment project will be anchored by a Walmart Supercenter alongside the existing Boscov's department store and Home Depot. Additional details on the project, including a site plan for the project, are available on DLC Management's website.

Additional investment along the Golden Mile is either underway or in the planning stages.  Construction has started for a new Wawa fueling station at the former Maryland State Police Barracks. Planned residential along the Golden Mile includes the redevelopment of the former VFW (West Park Village) and the development of Summers Farm. For a complete recap and project links, review the recap from the Golden Mile Alliance's recent Development Showcase.

To learn more about The Golden Mile and to get involved, visit the Golden Mile Alliance's website.

The Golden Mile is Frederick's original retail corridor and is currently home to over 1.6 million square feet of retail space. Following the completion of the Golden Mile Gateway and Frederick Towne Center projects, the total retail along the Golden Mile will exceed 2.3 million square feet, or nearly half of the total retail space within The City of Frederick.

For more information, facts, and demographics about the Golden Mile and other areas within The City of Frederick, review the newly released Frederick Retail Market report.

Inspiring Offices: Integrity Consulting's Modern Office Offers Downtown Convenience

In The City of Frederick, business spaces go beyond basics. Here, unique offices allow businesses to cultivate creativity, express their company's culture, and create a work environment that inspires. From industrial to classic, artsy to funky, and historic to high tech, spaces abound to meet a variety of needs.  

Inspiring Offices is a feature that highlights some of the creative and unique office spaces in Frederick.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek inside an inspiring office in Frederick - Integrity Consulting. Integrity's office is located in Downtown Frederick. The rehabilitated building retains its original industrial feel while providing a collaborative and efficient work environment.

Read our Q&A with Integrity Consulting's James Cox, Director of Federal Business.

Why did you choose your current office location and how long has Integrity been located here in Frederick? 
We were located Downtown in 2007, moved for a larger space, but always wanted to move back Downtown. Through the process, we found this location with easy access to all that Downtown Frederick has to offer, including close parking, food, and meeting spaces and loved the building as soon as we visited!

Was it “move in” ready or did you have to design/fit it out?
The location was move in ready for our purposes. As we continue to expand our business, we hope to take on more space. 

What inspirations did you use to decorate/design the space?
We adapted what we had in the last space and added some new items. It’s a very modern space, so we continue to look for the right items to add. 

What are the most unique aspects about your office space?
The building and entryway are very unique. We have added our own bit of flair with a dart board and corn hole games. The lower space has “open” offices which allow for collaboration as that is one of our key selling points. 

What do you or your employees like best about the office space? 
Location, location, location! Close to home, close to Downtown, and nice big open work space with plenty of light!

Integrity's Core Values of passion, trust, service, respect, honesty, fun, and INTEGRITY shine through in their work space.