Case Study: Marketing

Client: The City of Lynchburg, Virginia

For sale: 40 miles of fiber optic cable. Already installed.

The Situation

The City of Lynchburg, Virginia, was anxious to keep pace with larger communities that were installing fiber optic networks in the early 1990s. City officials urged the local telecommunications provider to construct a network that would connect municipal buildings and schools. When that provider refused to respond to Lynchburg’s pleas, the city took the bold step of building a 40-mile fiber optic system on its own using utility funds and grant monies.

Unfortunately, once the system was built, the same telecommunications company that had declined to participate in the construction of the network began to complain about the City’s ownership of the system. The Virginia General Assembly concurred—and suddenly, Lynchburg was faced with the prospect of having to find a private-sector partner to take part ownership of their new fiber optic network.

The Solution

Clearly, Lynchburg needed a way to make the private sector aware of the opportunity that privatizing the network represented. To attract investors, the City would not only need to market the network itself, they would also have to make a case for the commercial viability of the Lynchburg market to prospective businesses.

Accordingly, Blair designed surveys that were used to gauge the level of interest in fiber technology among key local groups: consumers, businesses, educators, and healthcare providers. Data gathered through the surveys was tabulated and used to give potential investors a concrete view of the business opportunities that awaited in Lynchburg.

Blair Marketing also created a Web site that served as the cornerstone of the City’s efforts to locate a partner. The site included such features as an interactive system map, specs, a contact & comment form, research findings, and a PDF library of survey documents, RFPs, studies, and FAQs.

The Results

Blair Marketing’ materials and messages achieved the goal of helping to attract private-sector investors. Ultimately, Lynchburg located a private-sector partner that had expertise in both fiber and wireless technologies.

And the Web site was exhibited by a national convention of municipalities as an example of an excellent web site created by a local government.