FENTON -- Many municipalities in Mid-Michigan are losing revenue, but the City of Fenton is hoping they've found a way to boost business in the way of a new branding campaign.

The idea mirrors the Pure Michigan Tourism Campaign and city officials hope it will see similar success. 

The Fenton Hotel has seen its fair share of economic turmoil.

Built more than 150 years ago it survived the Depression.

Today, Manager Brittany Lockwood says business is good, but could be better.

“No one knows to come down here, people are normally on their phones looking for restaurants and that's how people stumble across us,” said Lockwood, the Manager of Fenton Hotel Tavern and Grill.

A new branding campaign is hoping to change that.

Over the next two years, the Fenton Downtown Development Authority will spend more than $200,000 promoting Fenton as a hot spot for the region.

In the way of radio ads, using social media, and encouraging businesses to use the slogan, “Fenton Be Closer.”

 Lockwood says it’s a perfect fit.

“I mean we know everybody by name, we know people by their food, by their drinks, so I think that is a great slogan for Fenton,” said Lockwood.

The campaign logo has special meaning too.

“When our marketing consultants typed up Fenton, the first thing that came up was the Fenton family crest, and the Fenton family crest has fleur de leis on it,” said Michael Burns, Fenton’s Assistant City Manager.

Milford-based marketing company, New Moon Visions was hired to come up with these ideas, something Fenton resident Donna Phillips is critical of.

“Well the campaign would have been nicer if a local company came up with that, instead of farming that to another city,” said Phillips.

In the last three years Fenton has lost about a million dollars in property taxes.

But, Phillips is optimistic the campaign will boost revenue.

City officials hope the campaign will bring in enough funding to help restore the downtown area, destroyed by urban renewal back in the 1970's.

The Fenton Hotel survived that time, now it’s the city's turn to re-invent itself.

Billboards for the campaign will start popping up along I-75 and US 23.

Do you think branding a municipality will spur economic growth?