Last phase of river trail plan approved

St. Joseph County’s commitment to a river trail plan is now fully implemented, as county commissioners last week approved the third of the three-phase process.
In summary, the third phase emphasizes marketing. The target of marketing efforts will be Chicago adults between 45 and 70 years of age, with middle to high income. The target group will be encouraged to vacation, spend summers or retire in St. Joseph County.
The county will continue its relationship with Amy Frost, president of Sturgis-based eStudio Design. It has been responsible for overseeing and updating the website St. Joe H2O, which can be found through a link on the county’s homepage.
According to a summary compiled by Frost, connecting with the target groups will be accomplished through social-media marketing, printed materials, and additional supplemental marketing and design assistance to Chicago-based media conglomerate WGN.
The annual contract with Frost is $69,120, though the county could offset some of the expense through advertising on the website.