See Merrill. Think home. This was one of the themes a group of 34 Drake University PR students suggested Merrill use in a campaign to draw more families to town. The students presented their PR suggestions last week after a year-long project with the town. [Click to enlarge]

Communities across Iowa are asking a similar question: "How do we keep our young people here?"

Merrill did more than ask.

Representatives from the town of 750 people went to the source. Almost a year ago, Merrill's economic development group asked a class of public relations students from Drake University to analyze the town and put together campaigns to promote it.

"We're trying to bring families to Merrill," said Sara Jane Hauff, a member of Merrill's economic development group.

Last week, the 34 Drake students presented five different public relations (PR) campaigns to Merrill representatives.

The students, all seniors, pointed out Merrill's strengths: lower property taxes and housing costs, an elementary school with a 10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, proximity to larger cities combined with "small town charm."

Some suggested making Merrill more visible and encouraging people to visit by doing things like expanding the town's celebration "Pioneer Days."

They offered ideas for a website, brochures, posters and even a blog to get the word out about Merrill.

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Students also talked about developing a before- and after-school program at Kissinger Elementary in Merrill providing activities and supervision students whose parents work longer than school hours. Merrill residents have also been interested in starting such a program for some time now.

"We hope to increase the number of students at the school," Hauff said. Parents, she explained, could come through Merrill in the morning and drop their kid off at school, then finish their commute to work, then pick them up on the way home.

"We're hoping to have one going next year," Hauff said.

When the PR students presented last Friday, they shared results from their intensive research -- interviewing with Merrill residents, comparing prices and taxes, surveying Sioux City residents by phone.

"They found out that people who knew about Merrill were favorably impressed," Hauff said. "And people that didn't know about Merrill didn't have negative impressions, they just didn't know about it. A number of people said they'd be willing to consider moving to Merrill."

Hauff and other members of the economic development group will be meeting in June to create a plan for Merrill, deciding which pieces of the five PR campaigns they want to use.

The student PR program did cost a fee, and after paying that, Merrill's economic development now owns the rights to the PR ideas materials they prepared.

"It's much less than it would cost to ask a PR agency to do this for a town," Hauff said.

In return, the Merrill group is helping out the students who studied Merrill as part of their senior project -- they'll help decide if students make the grade.

They gave the students' professor an evaluation of the presentations and plans for Merrill. Hauff said in the economic development group's opinion, the students passed.

"We were highly impressed," she said.

Merrill's economic development group members are a cross section of the town. One member is a construction contractor, another is developing a golf course and housing area west of Merrill, others are business people in town, one is the police chief, and others, like Hauff, are people who grew up in Merrill.

"I have very deep roots here," Hauff said. "My grandfather came to Merrill in 1902 and started a hardware store and was very instrumental in the town's growth."

Hauff's father was born in Merrill, and he grew up and graduated from school there. Later he returned to run the hardware store.

"I grew up here, too," Hauff said.

She said her favorite parts about Merrill are some of the same things the students pointed out.

"The safe environment, the friendliness of the community, the kindness of people in the community to each other -- it's small town living close to a larger city," she said.

Hauff is looking forward to working with the economic development group to take ownership of some of the ideas the Drake students presented.

"I want Merrill to be the best it can be," she said.