Village DDA Hires Marketing Professionals in City of Grosse Pointe

Ed Nakfoor loves shopping local. For him it means supporting not only the locally owned stores but also the local version of corporate stores.
He says he can count on one hand the number of times he’s placed an order online--a fact that makes him proud.
Nakfoor has been hired to consult on downtown development, public relations and marketing of the Village.
He is the second professional hired by the Grosse Pointe Downtown Development Authority to help manage the public persona of the Village.
Melissa Bunker, who is also a marketing and public relations professional who has worked with the Grosse Pointe War Memorial and others for years, has also be hired to plan, manage and promote events in the Village, including the annual outdoor concert series, Music on the Plaza.
Bunker has also been hired to handle social media for the events and marketing plans implemented for the holiday season.
The hiring of both marketing professionals represents a significant step for the Village business district. Previously the marketing and event planning was handled by the Village Association, which was organized and managed by local business owners.
In the last year, the association has changed its role by allowing the DDA to take over the event planning and marketing role. The association still exists as a communication conduit to the business owners within the Village.
Association President Mike Kramer, owner of Kramer’s Bed and Bath Fashions, said he is excited to work with Nakfoor and has already been impressed by the work of Bunker.
The job of marketing for the Village is big and one that requires someone’s full attention, Kramer said, explaining how challenging it was to do that work in addition to running a business.
“It’s good to work with professionals,” Kramer said.
Nakfoor is excited about working in Grosse Pointe. He is familiar with the area and has family in the area. He lives in Birmingham and does marketing for the downtown business district there.
Retail is Nakfoor’s niche, he says, explaining in his career, he’s either worked on retail or non-profits. He previously did marketing for Somerset Collection and resigned that account in August, he said.
Among his goals for Grosse Pointe: to learn how the community uses the downtown, to emphasize the strengths of the Village, to engage residents and business owners and to encourage local shopping.Shopping local is especially important in Grosse Pointe, he said, because there is “not an influx of tourism or growth.”
Nakfoor hopes he is able to offer a fresh perspective on Village development plans and marketing efforts.
He recognizes that residents are “passionate” about the Village and that “everyone has an opinion.” His goal is to find dialogue to determine the common ground in developing a brand for the Village and helping it evolve.
Nakfoor immediately spent time in the Village meeting with merchants and discussing their visions for the Village. He also watched closely the process involving St. John Providence Health System.
Meanwhile, Bunker has already worked to attract new musicians to the Music on the Plaza in addition to new sponsors.
Bunker is a Grosse Pointe Woods resident and has worked with many organizations for marketing and public relations.Both Nakfoor and Bunker work for themselves and are contracted to perform their services for the Village.
Both have a variety of other clients and are not exclusive to the Village but have specific obligations detailed in contracts approved by the DDA.