PR firm reveals plan to revamp city of Howell, Michigan's image
Months after being hired by the city of Howell to help improve its image, Michigan-based public relations firm Burch Partners says it is working to tell the city's story better.
"My work is very much behind the scenes," said Brian Burch, the firm's managing partner. "The great people are the story here. The great business owners, the great families, the great history that have done to make our community a better place. That's the story."
The city announced in December 2024 that it would hire a public relations firm to revamp the area's reputation after reported incidents of racism and homophobia. Past reporting shed light on a troubled history in Howell, including a period in the '70s when Ku Klux Klan gatherings were allegedly held on the farm of KKK Grand Dragon Robert E. Miles, who, according to reports, held white supremacist rallies and was also sentenced for a school bus bombing.
In November, there were reports of a Neo-Nazi demonstration outside a performance of the play The Diary of Anne Frank. During the hunt for a PR firm to help, the city experienced another racist incident with another reported Nazi demonstration, this time outside of the Historic Howell Theater.
The firm was hired in March 2025.
"We're not rehabbing anything; what we're doing is we're telling Howell's story as it actually is," Burch said.
When asked how the last couple of incidents fit into that story, Burch said, "It doesn't fit in. Things that fit in are kind of the great communities, the safe streets, the amazingly responsible police department. I don't believe that a few bad actors from out of town can change that."
Burch said his work centers around highlighting events happening in the city, new projects like the Depot Lot Expansion, and the community's natural areas.
"I think the story is showing people how great we live," he said.
Meanwhile, some Howell residents say they were happy to hear the city is taking action, and some felt it wasn't necessary or a good use of money.
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