Flossmoor has hired a marketing company to assist with the village’s branding efforts.
According to a March 17 email notice, the village chose the Grillo Group after vetting proposals from a group of marketing and branding companies.
“Over the next few months, Grillo Group will work with the village and the Flossmoor community through focus groups, interviews and surveys to truly understand what is great about Flossmoor, what needs to improve and what aspects of our village are most attractive to prospective residents,” the notice states.
Under its agreement with Flossmoor, the Grillo Group will be paid $15,500, said Assistant Village Manager Allison Deitch. That amount falls within Village Manager Bridget Wachtel’s spending authority, Deitch said.
“Given the importance of the project and that we anticipated the agreement amount being within her authority, we used a staff/board review committee to review the proposals and select Grillo Group,” she said, adding that Mayor Paul Braun and Trustee James Mitros served on the committee.
The firm is owned and led by Maria Grillo and has “extensive experience in brand building and strategic communication,” the email notice states. The firm has worked with Northwestern University, Hyde Park Bank and the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
Grillo raised her children in Flossmoor and sent them to local schools, the village email says.
The first village branding session took place March 16. It was, according to the email notice, a success.
“Residents and business owners broke into groups and discussed Flossmoor’s strengths, weaknesses and misconceptions,” the notice states. “The feedback and conversation were powerful.”
The next branding session will be Wednesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at the village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road.
More information on the Grillo Group can be found at the firm’s website.
