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Projects

Click on the projects listed below to see the Executive Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations given in SMAC's Final Report.

Sibley County Economic Development Center - Gibbon Grocery Store

This study was commissioned by the Sibley County Economic Development Center to determine consumer grocery shopping patterns of residents who live in Gibbon or surrounding areas. Two-thousand surveys were sent to residents of Gibbon and those living within a 25-mile radius of Gibbon. Since a community the size of Gibbon cannot effectively support a grocery store, it is important to determine how much support would be forthcoming from residents who live within a 25-mile radius of the community. An analysis of the research process suggests Gibbon could financially support a grocery store as long as it conforms to the perceived needs of prospective customers. This research process also attempted to determine the level of interest residents had toward a Gibbon Co-Op Grocery Store. Based on the continuing excitement of residents in the greater Gibbon area, SMAC has placed the results of this study on this website for all to review and analyze.

Western Community Action Community Transit (MAT)

This study was commissioned by Western Community Action with the purpose of determining Marshall residents’, including Southwest Minnesota State University students, perceptions of public transportation. This comprehensive study determined the need for a fixed bus route service in Marshall—the first bus route service Marshall has ever had. The Southwest Marketing Advisory Center worked in collaboration with Western Community Action to develop a specific bus route along with its advertising campaign to directly market the route to the Marshall community.

K-12 Personal and Business Finance Study

This study is the product of a Federal Congressional Earmark Grant funded through the Southwest Initiative Foundation and written by Southwest West-Central Service Co-op. Completed in September 2007.

Lyon County Library Study

This report details the key findings of the study commissioned by the Marshall/Lyon County Library and completed by the Southwest Marketing Advisory Center (SMAC). The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and attitudes of the citizens in Marshall and Lyon County concerning the new proposed library. The study included research to determine if the citizens of Marshall and Lyon County are willing to personally help fund the new library. Also, the study identified the type of individual whom would be most likely to donate.

Lyon County Accessible Housing Study

Statistical information related to individuals with disabilities on a local level was generally non-existent or unreliable. In order to better understand the need for accessible housing in Lyon County at present and in the future, steps were taken to diminish obstacles related to insufficient information. A comprehensive effort was required to design and implement research methodology that would effectively measure the needs of individuals with disabilities. To develop a meaningful information that was accurate and concise, a census of the entire population in Lyon County was required to establish the number of individuals who needed accessible housing.

Biomass

The Project consisted of SMAC providing an economic analysis consisting of complete historical analyses of crude bean soy oil, de-gummed soy oil, soy-based bio-diesel and yellow grease representing the selected and successfully liquefied biomass-derived oils as previously determined by Client and communicated to SMAC. This Project also included a complete analysis of the economic viability of using the above-described biomass-derived oils plus the above-described biomass-derived oils and diesel blends. This process also required collecting secondary information concerning current petroleum-based fuels to properly develop the economics associated with the blends.

Affiliated Community Medical Centers

Determine the attitudes and perceptions of patients by performing a comprehensive study to identify patients' perceptions and general attitudes concerning their healthcare. In addition, the research identified patients' perceptions of advanced access, which was the new paradigm in the delivery of ambulatory care services.

Pipestone Hotel

The Pipestone County Economic Development Authority approached the Southwest Marketing Advisory Center (SMAC) to have a study conducted for them. The purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes and perceptions that businesses in the Pipestone area have towards economic development in Pipestone-more specifically-the possible construction of a new hotel in the Pipestone area.

The Laura Ingles Wilder Pageant

The Marketing Director of the Wilder Pageant contacted SMAC to design a marketing plan that identifies the most appropriate marketing activities for the Wilder Pageant in an effort to properly allocate funds and improve pageant attendance, which has been decreasing over the past several years. “The Wilder Pageant is a family-oriented outdoor drama based on the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Walnut Grove, whose writings provided the inspiration for TV's 'Little House on the Prairie.' The pageant is presented every July on the banks of Plum Creek, west of Walnut Grove, Minnesota. It [offers] a live performance each night with all characters from the Walnut Grove area.“ The pageant's goal is to inform visitors of the history of the area so that “they may have a deeper appreciation of the joys and hardships that challenged our ancestors when settling the prairie.“

Copyright © 2007 Southwest Marketing Advisory Center