A New Vision for Lansing: Telling the Story of a City in Metamorphosis

Chelsea Yi

The Challenge


MRG has called Lansing’s Central Business District home since its founding in 1979. In 2019, we moved two buildings down S. Washington Square under the new leadership of Jenell Leonard. The Historic Atrium Building is where you can find us in our office on the off-chance we aren’t working from home, visiting clients, running an event, or enjoying lunch at Kewpie’s or Midtown Brewing Company. We are proud to work in the Atrium - and even use photos of its unique art deco architecture throughout our branding as a firm. 


Lansing’s Central Business District (CBD) has experienced slow foot traffic for years. Even before the 2020 work-from-home orders, the question from businesses in Downtown Lansing was consistent, “How do we bring people here after 5 p.m.?” 


Short of the occasional-but-seen-enough-to-be-common Pokémon Go enthusiast, protest, or Capitol Bus Tour, the economy of Lansing’s CBD consisted mainly of commuters who worked for the state and other organizations with office space downtown. Then, with the shift to more flexible work schedules, the landscape and culture of a downtown center that relied on commuters naturally changed in order to survive - shifting from what our neighbor, Stewart Powell of Linn & Owen Jewelers labeled to CNBC as a, “very large food court” to a “more traditional city with a diverse mix of businesses and customers since the pandemic took hold.” 


Despite these changes, the outlook is still subpar. With quiet streets during prime hours on weekends and evenings, a number of vacant storefronts and office buildings, and a lack of affordable apartment options and parking spots for those who work downtown, it’s clear that Lansing needs a refresh. 


The answer to achieving a thriving city center is multifaceted. Some solutions have come through developments like the Ovation, a transformative, large-scale performing and arts venue that broke ground this year. Advocacy groups like the Lansing Chamber, Downtown Lansing, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), as well as campaigns like #LiftUpLansing and #LoveLansing, are all vital to the city’s overall wellness and the strides it has made since losing so much traffic to the pandemic shift. But ultimately in order to flourish, Lansing needs people to live and work in its core Central Business District community. 



The Opportunity


And so, when our building owners, the Gentilozzi Family, shared their vision to invest $215 million into three workforce housing and mixed-use development projects, we jumped at the chance to be a part of their venture. Their passion for what this project would do for Lansing was infectious and the MRG team immediately started our process: building out a full-service public relations and event planning strategy to facilitate the announcement of this catalytic project.


Fact Gather

Our first phase of this project involved information gathering and brainstorming together with our client: What are the key facts? Project details? Who is involved? Partners? Stakeholders? 


Craft the Message & Brand

Once we understand the facts, we drill down to determine messaging and branding. At this phase, we consider: Why is this project important to your stakeholders? What will its impact be? What will people want to know about? What are the visuals related to this project? What are the current trends in the industry/what makes this different? Branding guidelines? 


Build the Timeline 

In order to move forward with the strategy from here, we work together with our client to set a press schedule to include interviews and story previews, as well as media advisory and press conference dates and times, etc. 


Tell the Story 

Now that we have clearly defined messaging and an announcement date set, we build out the story from start to finish: At this step, we lean into what we have been able to learn from our clients about their work, with the goal of providing materials to the press that tap into the excitement the clients have for the announcement while providing a cohesive starting point for an engaging news story. 


Our MRG technique: The most important skill needed at this step is the ability to listen and empathize with clients and their stakeholders. 


Alert the Press 

Deliverables to the media included: Media Advisory, Press Release, Press Kit, Speaker Biography sheet, Slide Deck, Livestream, and Imagery Link



Plan & Run the Show 

Now that we have our press cycle set, we work to build out an organized, state-of-the-art event with the use of the latest audio-visual technology and a personal, memorable touch. When it comes to events, flexibility is our greatest strength as a firm, being able to adjust plans last minute is critical when you’re about to get in front of the media. Our approach is to be quick on our feet, flexible, relational, and detailed. 


Our MRG technique: With the goal of lifting up our Central Business District, we incorporated favors from local favorites including The Peanut Shop, and catering from Strange Matter Coffee and New Daily Bagel - all Lansing staples located on South Washington Square. 

The Results


Coverage: We had nine news pieces with estimated views upwards of 26,200 views and New Vision Lansing was featured in WLNS 6, FOX 47, twice Crain’s Detroit Business, WKAR, WILX, and several times in the Lansing State Journal.


Attendees: Prominent elected officials attending the conference included Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, Speaker of the House Joe Tate, Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony, House Appropriations Chair Angela Witwer, Senate Floor Leader Sam Singh, Lansing Council Member Dr. Jeffrey Brown, and Ingham County Commissioner Karla Ruest. Lansing historian Joel Ferguson, Lansing Public Schools Superintendent Ben Schuldiner, President and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Tim Damon, Lansing Economic Development Corporation Vice President Chris Klein. From Downtown Lansing, Inc. Executive Director Kathleen Edgerly and Director of Downtown Community Development Julie Reinhardt, were also in attendance along with representatives from Board of Water and Light, Lake Trust, and Independence Bank. Members of Lansing-based developer families, the Eydes and the Gillespies attended as well.


Services:

  • Public Relations
  • Media Relations
  • Branding
  • Messaging
  • Event Planning 
  • Graphic Design 


“I’ve held many press conferences over the years, this was by far the most excellent and well-run!”

 Paul Gentilozzi, New Vision Lansing

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24 Apr, 2024
MRG Michigan Poll®: Poll shows that, while voters want access to abortion, the overwhelming majority favor a regulated system that protects the health of the patient, minors, parents and taxpayers

Michigan is Not Buying into the Electric Vehicle Push

By Only 5% of voters say they will definitely buy an EV in next 5 years • 23 Apr, 2024
MRG Michigan Poll®: Michigan is Not Buying into the Electric Vehicle Push LANSING, Mich. – Despite a push by the auto industry and rebates from federal and state and federal governments, electric vehicles have yet to win the hearts and minds of voters across the state. Whether it’s price, technology woes, or a mix of the two, results from MRG’s Michigan Poll® Spring 2024 show that only 5% of Michigan voters plan to purchase an electric vehicle (EV) in the next 5 years. Another 15% of voters said they are considering it. “It appears that government and the auto industry are out of sync with Michigan consumers,” said Tom Shields, Senior Advisor, MRG LLC. “The state has a long road ahead to reach Governor Whitmer’s goal of 2 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.” Hybrids 3X more popular than EVs Only 1% of voters reported currently owning an EV with another 6% owning a hybrid vehicle and 1% saying they own both. There appears to be a direct correlation to income as 54% are from households earning over $100,000 per year. Of the 8% of Michigan voters that own either vehicle, 41% are Democrats, 33% are Republicans, and 22% are Independents. 63% of electric or hybrid vehicle owners were male. Those most likely to own an EV or hybrid vehicle lived in the Mid-Michigan area (19%). A total of 92% of Michigan voters said that they did not own an electric vehicle nor a hybrid. Partisanship, age, and location could play a role in future EV purchases Auto dealers may want to use a voter list to target future EV buyers as only 1% of Republicans say they will definitely be purchasing an EV in the next 5 years. Another 4% said they would consider it. In contrast, 24% of Democrats said they would consider buying an EV in the next 5 years, but only 5% of Democrats said they would definitely be buying one. Oakland County voters (26%) were the most likely to consider an EV purchase in the next 5 years and voters in the UP (10%), Northern Michigan (9%) and the Bay City/Flint Area (4%) were the least likely. Twenty-three percent of 18-24 year olds said they were planning to purchase an electric vehicle over the next five years - the highest result from the age demographic. “Michigan has proven to be a tough environment for electric vehicle purchases,” said Jenell Leonard, owner of MRG, LLC. “There are a multitude of factors that influence their less-than-popular reputation, and we are seeing politics play a huge role in the perception of electric vehicles, their evolving technology, and the economy surrounding them.” The Questions and Results Click below to download the full press release and view results.

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2024 Presidential Election: Trump Ahead in Michigan

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President Biden, Donald Trump Score Identical Personal Approval Ratings

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State of the State of Public Opinion

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abortion planned parenthood michigan poll regulations majority pro-life pro-choice

Clear Majority of Michigan Voters Favor Retaining Long-Standing Regulations on Abortions

16 Oct, 2023
LANSING, Mich. – A clear majority of voters in the state, including the majority of those who voted for Proposal 3 last November, support retaining long-standing regulations on abortions that are currently threatened by the Reproductive Health Act. The results come as part of the MRG, LLC, Michigan Poll® conducted October 2-8 from 600 Michigan registered voters and has a margin of error or plus/minus 4%. A series of questions commissioned by the Michigan Catholic Conference and Right to Life of Michigan were asked about the passage of Proposal 3 in November of 2022 and state regulations related to the issue. 72% of all voters support the 24-hour waiting period to allow for informed consent According to the poll results, 72% of all voters support the 24-hour waiting period to allow for informed consent that is now in place. Only 20% opposed the regulation. Every demographic and political group supported the 24-hour waiting period regulation including: 70% of women, 68% of young voters (18-34), 86% of Independents, 63% of Democrats, 80% of African Americans, 65% of those who approve of the job the Governor is doing and 67% of those voting for Proposal 3. 95% of the voters support abortion facilities to be licensed and inspected by the state for health and safety reasons There was virtually no opposition for the state to continue regulating, licensing, and inspecting abortion clinics. 95% of voters support continuing the regulation while only 2% opposed. Support was 96% among Proposal 3 voters. 70% of all voters support parental consent Seventy percent of all voters support the regulation that says a minor child must have parental consent to have an abortion. Only 20% of all voters opposed parental consent regulations. Support for parental consent included: 64% of all women, 68% of young voters (18-34), 70% of independents and 56% of Democratic voters, 75% of African Americans, 55% of the voters who think the governor is doing a good job and 67% of those who supported Proposal 3. 59% of Michigan voters do not believe their tax dollars should be used to pay for abortions in Michigan There was strong opposition from voters to have Michigan taxpayers paying for the cost of abortions. 59% opposed taxpayer funding, 24% supported it and 15% volunteered that they could support it in some cases. Taxpayer funding was opposed by: 54% of all women and 65% of all men, 66% of seniors, 64% of Independent voters, 50% of African Americans and 55% of voters from the city of Detroit. Voters still oppose partial birth abortions The poll showed that 52% of all voters support keeping the regulations in place banning partial birth abortions while 33% support allowing the procedure. Female voters support keeping the regulation by 52% - 32%. African American voters support the regulation by 52% - 34%. Independent voters support the regulation by 48% to 32% and women support keeping the ban on partial birth abortions by 52% - 32% who oppose it. Supporters of Proposal 3 in 2022 were not voting for abortion on demand Only 45% of those who said they voted for Proposal 3 in 2022 said they were voting for a proposal to allow for unlimited abortions at any time without limitations. Forty-one percent said they voted for Proposal 3 to keep abortion legal after Roe v Wade was struck down, with the understanding that some regulations would remain in place. According to the poll, only 48% of women, 49% of young voters (18-34), 31% of independent voters and 48% of those voters who support the job the Governor is doing supported Proposal 3 because they were voting for abortions without regulations.
chinese communist party michigan poll MRG voter opinions

Voters Oppose Spending Taxpayer Dollars on Projects Connected to Chinese Communist Party

By Jenell Leonard • 12 Oct, 2023
LANSING, Mich . – Voters in Michigan are overwhelmingly opposed to the state contributing funds to two battery plants in Michigan that are being built by American companies in partnership with companies affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). By a staggering 72% - 11% margin, Michigan voters do not want their tax dollars going to these projects. As part of the Michigan Poll®, this MRG-commissioned question was surveyed October 2-8 from 600 Michigan registered voters and has a margin or error of plus/minus 4%. Voters were asked if the state of Michigan should be funding projects that have partnered with American companies affiliated or controlled by the CCP. “Whether voters feel uncomfortable with companies affiliated with the CCP or they just believe there are better uses for their tax dollars, they clearly oppose the state contributing funds to these two battery plants,” said Jenell Leonard, Owner of MRG, LLC. “As all Michiganders are tightening their budgets and prioritizing personal spending, it seems they want the government to do the same and protect their tax dollars from connections with the CCP.” Between site preparations and abatements, the state of Michigan has contributed nearly two billion dollars to the construction costs of two new battery plants to be built in Michigan – one in Big Rapids and one in Marshall. In March of this year, MRG released polling data showing voters opposed the Marshall battery plant by a 2:1 margin, (30% support and 61% opposed). By adding the information about the CCP, opposition has grown to better than 11:1. “Giving hard-earned tax dollars to entities with CCP connections could be a contributing factor as to why voters have a growing concern and mistrust of government and politicians,” said Tom Shields, Senior Advisor to MRG, LLC. “Michigan voters didn’t support the amount of dollars going to the Marshall plant to begin with, despite their promise of jobs. Adding information about the company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party just increases and hardens the opposition.” The poll showed overwhelming opposition to the state funding facilities with connections to the CCP as every demographic, political groups and geographical region of the state opposed. Sixty-six percent of the voters in West Michigan and 90% of the voters in Northern Michigan opposed the project funding even though the two battery plants are located in their areas. Union members opposed the project funding by a 76% - 7% margin even though they could benefit from the jobs created. Also opposed were some of the Governor’s stronger supporters, including Females (72% oppose), African Americans (68% oppose), and those who support the job the Governor is doing (59% oppose).
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