OXFORD — Business leaders are trying to find a way to promote the town, though not to anyone who’s likely to read these words.

A group of local business owners have hired a publicist to run a privately owned website, geared to persuading a younger, technology-savvy generation tuned into the Internet and out of traditional media that Oxford is a great place to visit — or to stay and raise a family. 

At a forum Thursday, June 4, at the Town Office, around 30 business owners and members of town government gathered to hear publicist Mark Robinson outline his vision for how the marketing would work. 

“Most towns have interesting stories people aren’t aware of,” Robinson said, explaining that an Internet awash with content where anyone can be an author has contributed to the decline of the print, radio and television industries, and advertising transformed from businesses finding consumers to consumers finding businesses. 

For Oxford to pitch itself, Robinson said, it needed to tell its success stories through its own channel. That voice will be like a tourism site, with a blog regularly updated with news. The website is expected to be launched by the end of June. 

Videos will be the key to drive the site, showing visitors hidden gems. 

“What a better way to show how nice of a place this is by showing it — not writing it,” he said. “This will be where we tell Oxford’s stories.” 

And there are good stories to tell, Robinson said, from a Hampton Inn opening across the street from Oxford Casino to new restaurants.

Did the school win an award? Blog it. Low tax rate? Strategically place the website on Google so the retiree from Pennsylvania looking for a new life with a mountain view can envision themselves moving to Oxford.

Town Manager Michael Chammings said the website would be a complement to the town’s economic pillars, such as the casino and Oxford Plains Speedway, while boosting current economic development.  

Jack Sours, the general manager of Oxford Casino, agreed with Robinson’s comment that the website wouldn’t be solely dedicated to promoting the casino.

“We spend millions promoting the casino,” Sours said. “This should be about Oxford.”

Robinson, who runs a statewide publicity firm, said his work is not paid for through the town but a private, anonymous business owner for a period of one year. His fee was not disclosed.

Oxford already has a website run by town officials, though it’s geared toward relaying basic information about taxes and municipal government. Though the new website will work to promote the town, it will not be run by the town, Robinson said. 

“This will show the town has its act together,” Robinson said. 

After the meeting Patrick Casalinova, of Oxford-based Casalinova Development Group, said the benefits of the website and overall marketing effort would be indirect to his business, but potentially prosperous for many others in town. 

“We’ll be able to piggyback on the success it brings,” Casalinova said. 

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