Editorial: Primed and ready

The excitement has been palpable since the news broke that FedEx Ground is close to picking Ocala as the site of its next package-distribution hub. Hundreds of new jobs, $120 million in new investment, the cache of having a Forbes 100 company taking up residence here is sweet deliverance for a community so brutalized by the Great Recession. More here.

TX Guv Taking ‘Economic Development Trip’ To California

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is heading to California to meet with business owners and promote Texas’ favorable job creation climate.

The trip follows a week-long radio campaign in California which aimed to convince companies there to relocate to the Lone Star state.

Perry will travel to San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County to meet with business leaders in the high tech, biotechnology, financial, insurance and film industries. He departs yesterday and will return to Texas on Feb. 13.

The trip is funded by TexasOne. No tax dollars will be used for the travel or accommodations.

California Gov. Jerry Brown downplayed the ads and noted the insignificant amount invested by Perry.

About Face: Fox Cities Goes Back to Appleton for Branding

The Appleton Regional Partnership unveiled its new logo Monday.

Officials hope a "new look" will be enough to help attract business from across the country.

The Fox Cities Economic Development Corporation introduced the Appleton Regional Partnership on Monday. The goal is to use the Appleton name to promote the region.

"When we were out marketing to a national or international audience, people don't know where the Fox Cities are. It kind of bogs us down, limits our identification," said Larry Burdhardt, Appleton Regional Partnership Executive Vice President. More here.

Colorado space industry needs new funding sources to boost economic development

The Brookings Institute has found that space is a vital part of Colorado's economy.  It says that more than 66,000 people work in generally well-paid space-related jobs in Colorado, generating more than $8 billion in income. The governor is looking to expand and strengthen the industry.  More here.

Harley-Davidson and Place Marketing

Is there any brand that has a more fervent following than Harley-Davidson?

In his recent blog post, Mark J.Miller calls Harley-Davidson a modern-day symbol of rebellion and anti-authoritarianism.

The company has also recently teamed up with musician Kid Rock, whom it calls a “legendary musician and "American Badass."  The brand is serving as the sponsor of Kid Rock’s 60-city Rebel Soul tour.

The blog post quotes Kid Rock as saying “What’s not to love about Harley? In 110 years, no one has done a better job of representing America – there is nothing that screams America like Harley-Davidson.”

As evidenced by Kid Rock’s quote, Harley-Davidson has built its brand – at least in part - on Brand America.

A nation gets a brand identity based on its strength of delivering a quality product consistently over time (eg: USA for freedom, Switzerland for banking, Italy for fashion, etc.).

Conversely, the symbolic value of a nation’s products, like Harley-Davidson, Coca-Cola and Apple in the US, contribute to the brand image and reputation of a country.

Consumer product brands even extend to local community brands.  Milwaukee has also benefited from Harley-Davidson, Seattle from Starbucks and St. Louis from Anheuser-Busch.

We don’t believe that any country or community has reached a brand following with the fervency of Harley-Davidson fans.  However, there are lessons to be learned and applied to place marketing, starting with a clearly defined marketing plan that capitalized on their uniqueness.  Read more about how this once lackluster brand created a passionate following here.

Boost leads with these 7 tips for managing email lists

Karen J. Bannan
BtoBonline.com

Solid list management is a requirement for good lead generation, said Lori Wizdo, principal analyst at Forrester Research, yet few marketers are putting the two practices together. Today only a third of marketers remove bad emails from their lists, and only 22% have a policy around deleting inactive names, Wizdo said. And yet both of those things can affect delivery and, by association, lead generation.  More here.

Is Enterprise Florida's new branding logo offensive to women?

Staff Orlando Business Journal

Some women business leaders are reacting sharply to Enterprise Florida’s new branding logo, which shows a men’s necktie as the “i” in “Florida.”

The stylized “Florida” with the necktie is over the new tagline, “The Perfect Climate for Business.”
Colleen Chappell, president and CEO of Tampa branding and marketing firm ChappellRoberts, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that the symbol of male business attire sends the wrong message to women working in the state, and those who may consider moving their companies here.

The tie logo was developed by Jacksonville-based On Ideas, which is implementing the branding campaign for Enterprise Florida.

Enterprise Florida spokesman Stuart Doyle said the tie image was test surveyed in advance and found to be a widely accepted image for business. More here.

Florida unveils new economic development brand

The Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida is banking on a catchy new slogan and a logo featuring an orange necktie to attract more businesses to the state.

Gov. Rick Scott and Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership that promotes economic development, announced the state's new business brand on Thursday in Tallahassee.

The slogan is "Florida is the perfect climate for business."

The logo is the word "FLORIDA" in green capital letters except for the "I," which is orange and in the shape of a tie.

Enterprise Florida is seeking $3 million from the state and $1.5 million from private donors for a campaign based on the new brand.

It's a brand the state, though, must share with University of Miami football coach Al Golden whose trade mark is the orange tie he wears on the sidelines.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/31/3210392/florida-unveils-new-economic-development.html#storylink=cpy