Pioneer Square has always been the heart and soul of Seattle, and Seattle needs a compelling reminder that this is still true. Over the last two years, the Alliance has been working with the community to implement a 5-year multifaceted initiative to improve the overall business health of Pioneer Square. Part of this plan tasks us to effectively market, brand and promote Pioneer Square while simultaneously working to make other improvements to our beloved neighborhood. Below is an overview of the current efforts.
On the Street
Groundwork has been laid and you will see promotions throughout 2012, with more coming in 2013! If you peek out your window, you might be able to see the brand new banners installed just this week. 170,000 copies of the Pioneer Square Map & Guide are being distributed throughout Western Washington, on the ferry system and at the airport. An online ad campaign as well as printed advertisements in HomePort and Alaska Air magazine will run through December 2012.
Staying true to our techie upper floor industry, we have worked to build an active social media presence. We encourage you to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all that is happening in the Square and to help us spread the word. In addition, we will be adding upper floor business profiles to PioneerSquare.org to make the site even more robust and a better resource for users!
Staying True to Our History
Trail to Treasure is a project that was launched to tell the story of Pioneer Square… how the people and events shaped the neighborhood into what it is today. This summer we were able to offer FREE historic walking tours, which will continue to run every Friday through the end of September. Historic walking tour maps are available throughout the neighborhood, and production is under way for informational waysides (to be installed spring 2013). A strong partnership with our urban national park, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, has made this possible.
Art, Art and more Art
The Pioneer Square Art Walk has evolved over the years and we are working to help keep the event top of mind and to remind people that Pioneer Square is the place to be on the First Thursday of every month. The First Thursday Seattle website centralizes information about gallery openings and FAQ visitors may have. In addition, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FirstThursdaySeattle) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/1Tseattle) are used to keep people up to date and encourage conversations about Seattle’s first Art Walk.
Partnerships
2012 has also brought some new opportunities for unique promotions. The City of Seattle has chosen Pioneer Square to participate in the Only in Seattle Program, launched to promote Seattle’s small independent retailers.
We have also been working with WSDOT, SDOT, the Waterfront and Downtown Seattle Association to launch DowntownSeattleParking.com, a resource for drivers to use to find safe parking at an affordable rate during construction of the deep bore tunnel. Representatives will be reaching out over the next couple of weeks to assist businesses interested in posting information for their customers.