Phased Action Plan
The following chart outlines sequential steps that should be taken by Oakland County and its partners to achieve full implementation of the strategic plan successfully. Strategies are phased to build on the efforts of preceding years and will allow for trust-building amongst stakeholders, partners, and funders over time, to ensure consistent brand implementation, and to prioritize the testing/piloting of larger, more impactful programs.
Year 1 Priorities
Year 1 Priorities
Following the appointment of a Destination Stewardship Coordinator for Oakland County, the individual’s key priorities in Year 1 should be focused on:
- Continuing to engage with industry stakeholders and building on the relationships that have been fostered through the strategic planning process
- Facilitating further development of Oakland’s place brand for the destination (based on existing brand concept and positioning)
- Building the capacity of partners with initial County funding
- Leading fundraising and the design of programs for execution in Years 2-3.
Goals
Destination Stewardship & Governance
Brand & Marketing
Products & Experiences
Place & Infrastructure
Business & Workforce
Create a sustainable framework for destination stewardship in Oakland County
Create a sustainable framework for destination stewardship in Oakland County
Raise Oakland County’s brand awareness among new regional Midwestern audiences
Increase connectivity to and accessibility of great outdoor assets for new audiences
Nurture popular hometown events and seed new marquee events
Create world-class cultural and sporting institutions and experiences
Build on small-town charm and visitor readiness
Connect visitor experience clusters through alternative mobility
Strengthen hometown identities and better align the County’s hometown brands and products with the lifestyles of the talent pool
Grow and diversify group travel in lifestyle and technology sectors
Action Plan
Suggested Start Year
01
02
03
04
05
+
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| Hire a destination stewardship coordinator | 01 |  Medium |
| Refine the brand concept and create/launch a final place brand | 02 | Medium |
| Establish a brand governance framework for the final place brand | 02 | Medium |
| Establish a content sharing toolkit | 02 | Medium |
| Website: Build and maintain an online presence for the final place brand | 02 |  High |
| Social: Introduce Oakland County’s experiences to new audiences, via aspirational and inspirational content | 03 | Medium |
| Build on Main Street Oakland County’s digital marketing webinars and resources | 06 |  Low |
| Establish a Creative Placemaking Program | 07 | Low |
| Design Oakland County’s meetings venue platform | 10 | Low |
| Create a series of annual tourism ambassador initiatives | 10 | Low |
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| E-mail: Keep subscribers/visitors engaged with ongoing, timely/relevant content | 02 | Low |
| Membership, Sponsorship, Events: Show up in high-visibility, high-loyalty locations that locals care about | 02 | Medium |
| Paid: Drive awareness among potential regional visitors | 03 | Medium |
| E-mail: Nurture out-of-county subscribers through a funnel process | 03 | Medium |
| Expand on event-based transit opportunities | 08 | Medium |
| Expand the Detroit Culture Pass | 06 | Low |
| Curate an Oakland Architectural History trail/event | 06 | Medium |
| Develop an outdoor recreation ambassador program | 04 | Medium |
| Design and conduct business leadership/investor FAM tours | 09 | Low |
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| Unify outdoor recreation assets on a digital platform | 04 | High |
| Social: Use seasonal storytelling, local business spotlights, and user-generated content | 02 | Low |
| Paid: Reinforce brand awareness and relevance through targeted seasonal and event ads | 02 | Low |
| Website: Inspire awareness to become action via storytelling and planning tools | 03 | Medium |
| Membership, Sponsorship, Events: Establish Oakland County as a valuable regional player for earned and paid partnerships | 03 | High |
| Establish a countywide Festivals & Events fund | 05 | High |
| Support boutique lodging development in ‘High Potential’ communities | 07 | High |
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| Create a Cultural & Sporting Tourism Development program | 06 | High |
| Develop an Oakland County targeted industry events incentive and services package | 10 | Medium |
| Continue to support trail planning, connectivity, and wayfinding development | 08 | Medium |
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| Form a "Utility Readiness Team" to build on emerging town potential | 07 | Medium |
| Establish a destination stewardship non-profit organization | 01 | High |
| Strategy | Goal | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluate the feasibility of an on-demand parks service shuttle | 04 | Medium |
| Set up a multi-hometown marquee event/festival incubator program | 05 | High |