MADAWASKA, Maine — Madawaska will join forces with University of Maine at Farmington business students this semester to polish its image.
The rebranding project will focus on the town’s outdoor recreation opportunities and economic development initiatives.
The student-town collaboration follows a local trend that started when Van Buren partnered with Philadelphia’s Drexel University on an art project and transforming a building into a community and business hub. Similarly, the Madawaska project will give the students real-world experience and save the town money.
Kristin Henry, Madawaska’s economic and community development director, got the idea while browsing the business networking website LinkedIn. She saw the school was looking to work with municipalities.
“I came across an ad, it looked interesting, and I applied,” she said. “I’m an opportunist, and if it’s going to benefit the community, then I’m going to sign up for it.”
UMF professor Austin French, who teaches the class and the school’s outdoor recreation business administration program, said his students have worked with other organizations, but this will be their first long-term project. The semester’s lineup also includes partnerships with two for-profit organizations and a nonprofit.
The class will give students work experience and plenty of networking opportunities before graduation, he said.
This will be French’s fourth time collaborating with outside organizations in this way, but other projects were in entry-level classes. This class will be far more rigorous.
“It’s a very different version than what I’ve done in the past,” he said.
He expects the class will do about 20 hours worth of work, along with a final presentation. The students will essentially act as consultants and use problem solving, analytical and active listening skills as they help Madawaska develop its strategy.
The project will incorporate telling the “story” of the town and what makes it unique, rolling that together with programming and tangible plans for businesses and community members that align with that message, French said.
At the end of the semester, the group will present Madawaska with a comprehensive and unified marketing plan that focuses on the town’s biggest strengths. French and Henry said it’s too early to define the plan exactly, but it will highlight the unique outdoor opportunities in the community throughout the year, rather than focusing on one activity such as snowmobiling. The rebranding will also highlight the town’s Acadian history and its unique placement in the country.
The students will learn to navigate the reality of constantly changing situations, such as new grants, sponsorships or ideas from the selectboard, which will help acclimate them to future careers, Henry said.
One example might be reaching out to the town’s business community and helping those not on social media set up accounts to expand their reach.
The collaboration will also save the town money. If Madawaska were to pursue this type of service with a third-party consultant, it could cost thousands of dollars. Consulting services range from $100 to $1,000 per hour, and it’s not unheard of to spend upwards of $20,000 for a higher level consulting group, Henry said.
Henry, who usually pursues initiatives for the town on her own, said it has been helpful to get feedback from the students. In one class, for example, Henry talked about the town’s snowmobiling and ATV opportunities, but students asked about walking and bike trails. This led to a conversation about how to promote this aspect of outdoor recreation.
The class consists of 15 students altogether, and Henry is working directly with three.
“As far as the town is concerned, for us it is encouraging to see the next generation of professionals be so engaged in addressing the challenges and needs that we have here in the community,” Henry said. “Honestly, it gives us a little bit of hope that maybe everything will be okay.”
