Relationship management as a downtown public relations strategy : a case study of downtown Goshen, Indiana

• Main Author: Hunsberger, Grace
• Other Authors: Kang, Minjeong
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Central business districts > Public relations > Indiana > Goshen > Case studies; Urban renewal > Public relations > Indiana > Goshen > Case studies; Downtown Goshen (Inc.) > Public relations > Case studies
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/197164; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1712089

This case study has presented a comprehensive overview of the context and significance of relationship management/maintenance strategies in downtown Goshen. The study reported herein is an attempt to identify and verify efforts by Downtown Goshen, Inc. (DGI), a non-profit organization that led the revitalization efforts between 2006 and 2011. Online surveys with business owners and interviews with DGI stakeholders were conducted, along with secondary data analysis of DGI event surveys. The study’s research questions addressed how DGI’s relationship management/maintenance strategies, along with elements present in the downtown, have influenced the community. The results revealed coalition-building through collaboration, relationship maintenance strategies of openness, networking, and shared tasks, along with creative class leadership and investment in infrastructure to have positively influenced the community. === Department of Journalism