City guide is good for business

Dwight Hess displays the 'ONE Lancaster' guide in his downtown shop. Photo Courtesy Lancaster Newspapers Click Image for One Lancaster

Gets rave reviews

Lancaster Intelligencer Journal

July 8, 2008

'ONE Lancaster' is a corporate marketing tool that is proving to be very popular with residents and visitors alike.

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Although Space to Grow is clearly a gardening center, not everyone who wanders through the door of the downtown shop is looking for annuals or perennials - or anything of the green-thumb variety, for that matter.

"It's about fifty-fifty," owner Dwight Hess said. "Some people come in to browse, see it at the counter and pick one up. Others simply walk in and ask for it."

The "it" they're seeking is "ONE Lancaster," a photo guide to Lancaster city that has created quite a buzz since its release three months ago.

Of the 100 guides he originally had for sale at his 45 N. Market St. shop, Hess has about 20 remaining.

"A lot of people are picking it up for friends who are coming into town ... but many people are buying it for themselves too," Hess said.

"People are really impressed with it, with the presentation," he said. "They want to know who did it - they say it gives Lancaster a whole new look."

The 168-page guide, produced by Bloom Creative LLC of Lancaster, promotes the "buy local" concept and features color photos of Lancaster city businesses and their owners.

"We have gotten a tremendous response from both the public and business owners," Bloom Creative co-founder Tracy Cutler said. "It's starting to do what it was intended to do - be a visual link to Lancaster city. People like seeing what's available."

Rachel Adams, owner of Rachel's Café & Creperie, 309 N. Queen St., said a few people came in looking for "ONE Lancaster" guides before they were even available.

"They weren't customers, they just wanted the book," Adams said. "But they stayed for breakfast, and now they're regulars."

Adams said people have found the book to be visually appealing and well put together. "They especially like the design and the photography," she said. "A lot of people have said it's not like anything they've seen before. Having photos of the business owners - people think that's cool. It's more personal."

Though "ONE Lancaster" can be used as a city guide for residents and visitors, it also is being used as a corporate marketing tool.

James Street Improvement District is using the publication to attract retailers and developers to Lancaster city, particularly the convention center, which is slated to open in 2009.

The book has been distributed at conferences and during tours of the convention center construction site, JSID deputy director Marshall Snively said.

Snively said people have been "pleasantly surprised" by all Lancaster has to offer and credits much of the book's success to Bloom Creative's unique concept and design.

"They say a picture speaks 1,000 words. In the past we've had some nice (brochures), but they didn't necessarily succeed in showing the vibrancy of the city," Snively said. "They had photos of beautiful architecture, but the sidewalks were always empty. They weren't indicative of what we have here. This city is alive, and this book shows that."

As a complement to "ONE Lancaster," Cutler and partner Deb Brandt recently launched the Web site figonelancaster.com, which provides a listing of all businesses included in the book.

The site also offers registration for businesses interested in being part of the next edition, set for release in February 2009.

"We want to get it out before the convention center opens," Cutler said.

"That was part of the reason we did it this year, so it could hopefully be used as a marketing and promotional tool in preparation for the opening (next year). As we get closer to completion, we thought it was important to get a visual representation of Lancaster out there to help attract people to the area."

"ONE Lancaster" is available for $2 at Carr's, CityFolk, Demuth Museum, Details, DogStar Books, Downtown Investment District, Festoon, Filling's on College Row, The Framing Concept, Here to Timbuktu, Irish Gypsy, Isaac's Downtown, j.a. sharp Custom Jeweler, Patio at Penn Stone, Rachel's Café & Creperie, Radel & Stauffer and Space to Grow.