Center of attention: Mall at UTC

EAST COUNTY — Everywhere Kim Dominguez goes, she’s the talk of the town.

Or rather, where she works is.

Dominguez, a River Club resident, is leading the charge for marketing the new Mall at University Town Center, a high-end regional mall slated to open Oct. 16 at the southeast corner of University Parkway and Cattlemen Road.

Mall officials said they would announce mall tenants in the months and weeks leading up to the mall’s opening, but so far only a handful have officially been announced: anchor tenants Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Dillard’s and major restaurants Brio Tuscan Grille, The Cheesecake Factory, The Capital Grille, Kona Grill and Seasons 52.

“We’re utilizing all our assets to build upon the anticipation,” Dominguez said, adding that the mall is about to launch a large-scale media campaign. “We want people to really embrace the brand and UTC. We want our brand to have as much exposure as possible. It’s really our goal to engage our customers.”

So far, the strategy appears to be working.

The mall’s Facebook page has secured more than 19,000 likes since the page launched Sept. 1.
More than 7,000 people subscribe to the mall’s email list, even though the mall’s official website, themallatuniversitytowncenter.com or themallatutc.com, hasn’t officially launched. (A modified version will run until the mall opens.)

Since this time last year, the mall has been written about in media more than 500 times. It’s also been mentioned 100 times per week since August in other stories that don’t focus directly on the mall, Dominguez said.

“I’ll be sitting down (at dinner) and I hear it at every table,” Dominguez said. “We are the center of attention.”

And, individuals and groups already have submitted about 100 entries for a photo contest for which groups spell “UTC.”

Entries can be submitted through the end of the month (see sidebar, right).

“It’s getting people to participate and understand our brand and be part of the excitement,” Dominguez said.

The mall also will host a Sneak Peek Charity Preview Oct. 15 to benefit 10 area charities, including All Faiths Food Bank, Mote Marine Laboratory, Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue and others. Taubman, which co-owns the mall with Benderson Development, is underwriting the $250,000 to host the event.

Dominguez said it’s part of the mall’s overall strategy to build excitement, while also telling the public the mall wants to be benefit the community.

“Because I live here, I can see the impact,” Dominguez said. “I have been waiting for this mall, too. It’s a masterful organization of talent and vision and planning.

“It’s been our goal to surprise and delight,” she said. “That’s been our mantra within the company.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

BIO
Kim Dominguez
Position: Director of marketing and sponsorship for The Mall at UTC

Resident of: River Club

Bio: Dominguez has more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience and previously worked for Turner Broadcasting and Planet Studio, both in Atlanta, and Ally & Gargano, in New York City.

In those roles, she worked with brands such as Coca Cola, PBS, TNT Latin America, the Atlanta Braves, CNN, the Atlanta Hawks, and others.

Most recently, she worked as marketing director for Cox Target Media, an arm of the Atlanta-based Cox Media Group.

Photo fun
Shoppers can show off their enthusiasm for the opening of the Mall at University Town Center by entering a photo contest.

To enter, form or create the letters “UTC,” take a photo and submit it through the “Show off Your UTC” contest on the mall’s Facebook page.

Entries will be reviewed Oct. 1 through Oct. 9, and fans of the Mall at UTC will vote on their favorite photos from Oct. 10 to Oct. 19.

Winners receive shopping sprees, dining vouchers and other prizes.

Mall at UTC officials staged photographs with local groups, including the Lakewood Ranch cheerleading squad and the Waterlefe Golf and River Club, among others, for publicity shots to generate ideas for the contest.

 * This story was modified to correct the spelling of Kim Dominguez's name.