Editorial: Advertising VBT: Money well-spent?

“That’s the $8,000 question,” Craig Atchinson said Tuesday as the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority moved forward to approve that amount for five advertisements in regional publications. Atchinson is the chairman of the VBT DDA and the group was considering phase one of a print marketing campaign to promote the township.
DDA member Mark Laginess asked if there had been any feedback from previous advertising of the township. Lisa Lothringer, DDA assistant director who sets up the ad campaigns, said any calls come into the township and the DDA doesn’t get them. Maybe with the changes in the building/planning department, they will get better feedback, she said.
That’s when Atchinson said it was the $8,000 question. “They need to ask callers where they saw it. It’s a training thing,” Atchinson said.
Then there was a discussion about Aerotropolis and a Feb. 22 meeting at Metro Airport. Someone asked when Aerotropolis is going to do something for the township and Atchinson, with a smile, said, “That’s the $25,000 question.”
The DDA had approved paying the 2017 Aerotropolis dues of $25,000 for the township — but with reluctance. Now they are looking for results. Business people on the DDA are willing to spend money on appropriate expenditures and the township does want to attract developers. But, is this the way to go? That’s the question with big dollar signs.