Village Officials Consider Ways to Market Lemont, Attract New Residents

Village officials are hoping to attract new residents and visitors to in the coming years through advertising campaigns and a new website.

Lemont Trustee Paul Chialdikas, the village's economic development chair, presented his ideas for a future marketing campaign during the village's Jan. 23 committee of the whole meeting.

The goal of the campaign, he said, is to "brand" Lemont and its assets to make it more attractive to young families living in Chicago who might be considering a move to the suburbs in the next four to five years.

Chialdikas said he thinks the village is in a great position to attract more residents in the coming years, which would in turn promote economic development.

"What's our biggest asset? It's space. We've got a lot of real estate and open space," he said. 

To get the wheels moving, Chialdikas presented an idea for a new website called "iLiveLemont.com," a mock-up of which was designed by Lemont resident Laura Swalec through her marketing agency, PlumThree. Because she "wants to see the town grow and advance," Swalec willingly offered her input, Chialdikas said.

Swalec's idea for the "iLiveLemont" website was to highlight the village's iconic skyline of hills and churches, as well as some its most popular and beloved amenities. Featured on the mock-up site were golf courses, heritage, churches, shopping and restaurants.

Chialdikas said he liked the idea of "iLiveLemont" because it's easy to remember and it reinforces the town's strengths. It would also enable the village to promote itself across a number of mediums, including radio, print and the Internet, he said.

"The idea behind branding the community is that you can't do just one thing to brand it," he said. "You can't just say, 'Visit Lemont.' The website would be a living component of that."

In addition to the website, Chialdikas presented options to advertise the community across the Chicago area. The village's options, he said, include radio spots, bus signs and billboards along I-55.

Lemont Economic Development Director Jim Brown said the village has considered marketing opportunities in the past. Two years ago, he said, village officials had a meeting with a marketing consultant and the to discuss ways to promote the town.

The problem, Brown said, has always been the lack of funding. However, if money was budgeted for marketing, the village must determine exactly how it should be spent—on advertising itself or hiring a consultant to develop the town's brand.

Village Planner Charity Jones said if they were to pursue a marketing campaign, it would be important to determine whether they were trying to attract new residents or tourists. Lemont's brand, she said, should incorporate both goals. 

"The brand needs to be broad enough to support marketing efforts for both home buyers and visitors," she said.

Jones suggested that the village work on its brand, and then pursue marketing efforts like "iLiveLemont," which would focus on the residential aspect.

Chialdikas, who owns in Lemont, said attracting new residents is vital for economic development. Although the village has faced budget constraints in recent years, he said he hopes the board will consider marketing opportunities in the future. 

"These are not things we have to do, but I want us to start thinking about possibly budgeting a little bit of money in years to come," he said.