FeedsCanton moves on marketing plan
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Ford Road has been divided into seven color-coded districts to help visitors navigate the busy road and its many businesses.Colors are changing along Ford Road in Canton Township-and not just on the trees.
The new banners that separate the seven ‘districts’ along the busiest township roadways are going up, said Kathleen Salla, coordinator of the Canton Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The banners are a part of the streetscape.
“These new banners are color-coded by blocks and numbered so that finding your favorite shops and restaurants will be easier than ever!” she said.
The concept originated last year, as officials in the downtown area looked for ways to better market the businesses along the roadway. It also makes it easier for store owners to give directions, she said.
“I think it will be a big help to folks,” Salla said. “We want to celebrate Ford Road’s special role in this area as a shopping and entertainment corridor,” she added. “We have everything you need here, from movies to Mexican food to manicures, and of course, IKEA.”
The original Ford Road streetscape was installed between Morton Taylor and Sheldon Road in 1994. In 2003, a new Downtown Master Plan called for an expansion of the streetscape along the entire 3 miles of the district. That plan included decorative street lighting, turn lanes, mast arm signals at major intersections, and the addition of sidewalks. The focus of the improvements was to enhance aesthetics, upgrade safety and function wherever possible, and to improve commercial vitality, said Salla. Currently, an extension of the streetscape is under construction between Lotz and Lilley roads.
“The vision for the future is to have a continuous streetscape along the 3 mile corridor of Ford Road,” she said. “These banners are part of a comprehensive branding and way finding plan designed to create a vibrant atmosphere in the Ford Road corridor.”
New Moon Visions, a marketing firm, was hired to assist with effort as part of a larger two-year Shop Canton marketing plan that will feature the newly installed banners as visual guides for shoppers and visitors who attend Ford Road events like Friday jazz concerts and Radio Disney performances.
“We have really enjoyed working on the banners,” said Kim Rivera, owner of New Moon Visions. “It’s exciting to see them going up—I think they are going to be a hit with visitors.”
