City of monroe, louisiana, usa
Client city of monroe
Project monroe music city
Year 2022-2023
CHALLENGE
Sound Diplomacy was engaged by the City of Monroe to support its efforts in increasing and formalizing its cultural offering through strategic alignment and recommendations to foster and facilitate growth in the industry. The goal is to boost the local economy, increase resilience, and put Monroe on the map of music destinations while celebrating the uniqueness of the city.
Research and conversations highlighted that the existing infrastructure and venues at the Monroe Civic Center were not being optimized. Additionally, musicians and artists, whilst considered among the strengths of the area, had limited opportunities for professionalization and there were disparities in music education across Ouachita Parish. Furthermore, Monroe was lacking a clear brand that tied together its music industry and celebration of the variety of activities that Monroe has to offer.
strategy
Sound Diplomacy worked closely with the City of Monroe and other stakeholders to understand the opportunities through a series of assessments and analyses.
Regulatory Assessment & Comparative Analysis
A full analysis of the regulatory framework in and around Monroe, related to the music ecosystem. This included a literature review of city, region and state-wide strategies, and a comparative analysis of key themes identified in partnership with the City of Monroe - audience development; licensing; industry support; and professional development.
Music Ecosystem Economic Impact Assessment
A measure of the economic importance of the music ecosystem in Ouachita Parish on three different scales: direct, indirect, and induced impact. This was based on official secondary sources and statistics, complemented by primary research conducted by Sound Diplomacy.
Ecosystem Mapping
A mapping of music ecosystem assets in Ouachita Parish, produced using a database built from secondary sources and georeferenced with Sound Diplomacy’s mapping tool. A total of 281 music-related assets were identified.
Stakeholder Engagement
An online survey developed by Sound Diplomacy and the City of Monroe, was distributed to local musicians and artists, music-related businesses and organizations, and music fans in Ouachita Parish. The sampling method was non-probabilistic by volunteers. The survey had an approximate duration of 15 minutes and ran from March to April 2023. A total of 820 responses were collected (405 complete, 374 partial, and 41 disqualified). Out of the 374 partial responses, 42 were included in the analysis.
Stakeholder roundtables and interviews held throughout March 2023 looked across Ouachita Parish’s music industry and government departments (musicians, music venues and businesses, faith-based spaces, associations and education). In total, around 40 representatives from the region were involved.
SWOT Analysis
Analysis and collation of all findings from research stages detailed above. This informed the areas of focus in the Strategic Plan and recommendations.
Strategic Plan
All findings and analysis throughout this project informed a set of 24 actionable recommendations for the City of Monroe and identified partners to take forward. These were categorized into 8 areas of focus, and arranged by a proposed timeline for establishing the recommendation, how to implement it, any further considerations to take into account, and, where relevant, a best case example of another location, organization or partnership that is leading on a similar initiative.
Findings & outcomes
The City of Monroe has adopted the strategic plan and recommendations, and continues to work towards supporting the local music industry with this strategy in mind.
