BY SAM ZAMARRIPA
Cities are the most important and recognizable brands in the world. More than consumer brands, states, provinces and even countries, cities dominate the global mindshare of brands. You may want to go to France, but Paris is the destination. No one travels to New York State, it's NYC. And so on.
We live in a city-region, "Atlanta," that is a "giga-brand." The Atlanta brand has been etched into the cellular membranes of billions of people. Atlanta is not just the name of a city; it is a biological plaque holder in the brains of the most important people in the world – economic, political and religious – and it is associated with powerful images, ideals and symbols. It is an economic brand of optimism and hope, with a social foundation for inclusion, tolerance and human rights. Atlanta is one of a few cities that dominate in this category.
For this reason, the Atlanta brand is the most important nonpeople asset in our state. It is pure gold, Olympic and otherwise. Competitor cities like Dallas, Richmond, Va., and even Miami would die to have the reach and depth of the Atlanta brand. They understand brand creation is painfully slow, expensive and illusive.
The great opportunity for Georgia is to leverage the Atlanta brand to accelerate economic growth, especially global expansion. Many of our leading corporations – UPS, Coca-Cola, Delta and Home Depot – are creating their growth and profits from international expansion. They are top global brands. When the value of these brands is associated with the value of the Atlanta brand, everyone wins. More here.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
MN Governor unveils economic development strategy
BROWNSDALE - Gov. Tim Pawlenty picked the perfect place to announce a new program to stimulate rural economic development Monday: Akkerman Manufacturing Inc.
The initiative - Strategic Entrepreneurial Economic Development (SEED) - is designed to help strengthen communities and expand the small business base throughout Minnesota.
“Investing in small business will bring lasting value and economic growth to our entire state and especially rural communities that need it most,” Pawlenty said. “Companies with fewer than 100 employees account for 97 percent of the state's businesses and generate most new jobs.”
“SEED will help new business, existing companies and rural communities by providing a wide variety of economic development tools that can be matched to each situation,” Pawlenty said. More here.
The initiative - Strategic Entrepreneurial Economic Development (SEED) - is designed to help strengthen communities and expand the small business base throughout Minnesota.
“Investing in small business will bring lasting value and economic growth to our entire state and especially rural communities that need it most,” Pawlenty said. “Companies with fewer than 100 employees account for 97 percent of the state's businesses and generate most new jobs.”
“SEED will help new business, existing companies and rural communities by providing a wide variety of economic development tools that can be matched to each situation,” Pawlenty said. More here.
Group hopes to put brand on area's recruiting effort
A consortium of Brown County businesses and agencies has launched a new effort to come up with an "authentic brand" for the Green Bay area with the hopes of attracting additional business by showing the region has more to offer than cold weather and football.
The effort is meant to attract and retain businesses in the area, bring in additional tourism and attract young professionals and skilled workers to the community, said Donsia Strong Hill, co-chair for the Greater Green Bay Branding Initiative.
"Recruitment is a big part of this because people don't really know who we are," she said after a news conference Tuesday.
The result of the branding efforts is expected to launch in March, said Michael Hildebrand, group co-chair. The group is working to raise $1 million over two years to cover the initial costs of the branding effort. More here.
The effort is meant to attract and retain businesses in the area, bring in additional tourism and attract young professionals and skilled workers to the community, said Donsia Strong Hill, co-chair for the Greater Green Bay Branding Initiative.
"Recruitment is a big part of this because people don't really know who we are," she said after a news conference Tuesday.
The result of the branding efforts is expected to launch in March, said Michael Hildebrand, group co-chair. The group is working to raise $1 million over two years to cover the initial costs of the branding effort. More here.
Grand Rapids area is well into its ‘branding’ mission
GRAND RAPIDS— Competing on a statewide, national, perhaps even global playing field is prompting officials in this West Iron Range community to seek an edge.
Grand Rapids and its economic development and business leaders want the city and surrounding community identified as a great place to visit and more importantly, a great place for economic investment. To that end, the city has enlisted the help of a professional firm to develop a Grand Rapids “brand.”
The branding project is being developed by Nashville, TN-based North Star Destination Strategies, a firm dedicated to branding, strategic planning and research services. North Star Destinations’ clients include 80 communities nationwide, according to its Web site. More here.
Grand Rapids and its economic development and business leaders want the city and surrounding community identified as a great place to visit and more importantly, a great place for economic investment. To that end, the city has enlisted the help of a professional firm to develop a Grand Rapids “brand.”
The branding project is being developed by Nashville, TN-based North Star Destination Strategies, a firm dedicated to branding, strategic planning and research services. North Star Destinations’ clients include 80 communities nationwide, according to its Web site. More here.
Missouri CORE Aims to Foster Area Economic Development
COLUMBIA, MO (2007-10-30) Twelve mid-Missouri counties have announced a cooperative partnership to boost economic growth within the region. The partnership is called Missouri CORE, which stands for Connecting Our Regional Economy. Missouri CORE wants to raise money to attract more business into the region.
Columbia Chamber of Commerce chairman Marty Siddall says things are moving toward a broader regional effort instead of focusing on individual communities."
The whole model has changed and clearly economies are not defined by county lines."
Sidall says businesses that may not be a good fit for a particular community may be better off somewhere else.
Sidall says Missouri-CORE hopes to raise $200,000 to cover the cost of a staff person as well as marketing materials focused on the region.
Columbia Chamber of Commerce chairman Marty Siddall says things are moving toward a broader regional effort instead of focusing on individual communities."
The whole model has changed and clearly economies are not defined by county lines."
Sidall says businesses that may not be a good fit for a particular community may be better off somewhere else.
Sidall says Missouri-CORE hopes to raise $200,000 to cover the cost of a staff person as well as marketing materials focused on the region.
Towns use marketing to create, promote identity
Village President Dave Krienke had an identity crisis last month.
Walking the trade show floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago, watching hometown boosters from dozens of cities and villages extol the virtues of their little pieces of the state to big-name retailers, Krienke realized something about Roscoe.
No one really knew where it was. They knew Machesney Park, Rockford and even South Beloit.
Roscoe wasn’t on the radar.
Krienke’s dilemma is one faced by suburbs and exurbs, big towns and small cities all over the state, said Larry Frang of the Illinois Municipal League. It’s such a problem that it’s given birth to a cottage industry of experts, consultants and book authors who are paid to tell people the best way to market their town to the world. “The question is ‘How do I make my town of 8,000 people that’s connected to two expressways different from every other town of 8,000 people that’s connected to two expressways?’” Frang said. More here.
Walking the trade show floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago, watching hometown boosters from dozens of cities and villages extol the virtues of their little pieces of the state to big-name retailers, Krienke realized something about Roscoe.
No one really knew where it was. They knew Machesney Park, Rockford and even South Beloit.
Roscoe wasn’t on the radar.
Krienke’s dilemma is one faced by suburbs and exurbs, big towns and small cities all over the state, said Larry Frang of the Illinois Municipal League. It’s such a problem that it’s given birth to a cottage industry of experts, consultants and book authors who are paid to tell people the best way to market their town to the world. “The question is ‘How do I make my town of 8,000 people that’s connected to two expressways different from every other town of 8,000 people that’s connected to two expressways?’” Frang said. More here.
Grand Blanc Twp. seeks to develop "knowledge economy"
GRAND BLANC TWP. -- Township officials are aiming to help move the region from a nearly obsolete manufacturing economy to a "knowledge economy" by persuading high-tech companies to set up shop in the township.
A proposed "technology village area" was at the heart of a four-hour symposium Wednesday at Genesys Conference Center that drew more than 200 stakeholders -- residents, business leaders, government officials and developers.
"We have one goal: to bring our kids back home," said Keith Edwards, the township's community development director and symposium organizer. "We send them off to college and they don't come back." More here.
A proposed "technology village area" was at the heart of a four-hour symposium Wednesday at Genesys Conference Center that drew more than 200 stakeholders -- residents, business leaders, government officials and developers.
"We have one goal: to bring our kids back home," said Keith Edwards, the township's community development director and symposium organizer. "We send them off to college and they don't come back." More here.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Jobs Now! outpacing goals, report shows
With four years of work under its tool belt, a regional economic development project is on track to meet its goals.
Jobs Now! is a joint project of the East Tennessee Economic Development Agency, the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership and other public and private entities. The program’s aim is to boost jobs and wages and generate new investment in the metropolitan Knoxville region.
Last month, the program’s 2006 annual report was released, and the report card shows that Jobs Now! is outpacing its original goals.
Through the first four years of the program, a net total of 28,909 new jobs have been created, exceeding the goal of 26,640 jobs. Two other benchmarks have also been surpassed, as the region has tallied announced nonresidential capital investments worth nearly $2.3 billion and seen earnings per job of $39,252 in 2005. More here.
Jobs Now! is a joint project of the East Tennessee Economic Development Agency, the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership and other public and private entities. The program’s aim is to boost jobs and wages and generate new investment in the metropolitan Knoxville region.
Last month, the program’s 2006 annual report was released, and the report card shows that Jobs Now! is outpacing its original goals.
Through the first four years of the program, a net total of 28,909 new jobs have been created, exceeding the goal of 26,640 jobs. Two other benchmarks have also been surpassed, as the region has tallied announced nonresidential capital investments worth nearly $2.3 billion and seen earnings per job of $39,252 in 2005. More here.
The ‘Nation Brand’ Marketplace
The term "nation" in this article title might be considered interchangeable with "city", "county", "region" or "state".
National public-relations campaigns typically raise eyebrows. The whole idea of a country advertising itself evokes propaganda—and history’s most notable propaganda efforts, in Stalin’s Soviet Union, for instance, or Nazi Germany, carry dark connotations. Yet just in the last ten years, an industry has emerged to help countries better tailor their image. As a new Backgrounder outlines, “nation branding” has established itself as a hip new field, both in academia and consulting.
It’s no mystery why countries find the idea compelling. Public-relations concerns loom over some of the world’s geopolitical heavyweights—and the stakes include economic prowess and diplomatic power, not just tourism. “Brand China,” for instance, finds itself increasingly threatened (BBC) following a flurry of scandals over dangerous lapses in the quality control of Chinese exports. The United States, too, is besieged with bad press. Recent polling data from the Pew Research Center shows global perceptions of the United States at a nadir in many parts of the world, particularly among Arabs and Muslims, but also in Europe and Latin America. These numbers represent a stunning shift from the years between 1989 and 2001, when the world’s views of the United States, even in Islamic states, were overwhelmingly positive.
Given these kinds of concerns, the idea of image consulting is finding new traction, and a phalanx of consultants stands ready to advise any country that will cough up the fees. But does nation branding actually work? And, perhaps more importantly, is its rise a good thing? Simon Anholt, an expert on nation branding, says in an interview that the brand-consulting phenomenon is “potentially a very dangerous thing.” He notes that countries can easily get the idea that their bad policy can be whitewashed with good public relations—an idea he staunchly rejects. Furthermore, Anholt says sophisticated consultancies often find “rather easy victims” in countries hoping for a quick fix. More here.
National public-relations campaigns typically raise eyebrows. The whole idea of a country advertising itself evokes propaganda—and history’s most notable propaganda efforts, in Stalin’s Soviet Union, for instance, or Nazi Germany, carry dark connotations. Yet just in the last ten years, an industry has emerged to help countries better tailor their image. As a new Backgrounder outlines, “nation branding” has established itself as a hip new field, both in academia and consulting.
It’s no mystery why countries find the idea compelling. Public-relations concerns loom over some of the world’s geopolitical heavyweights—and the stakes include economic prowess and diplomatic power, not just tourism. “Brand China,” for instance, finds itself increasingly threatened (BBC) following a flurry of scandals over dangerous lapses in the quality control of Chinese exports. The United States, too, is besieged with bad press. Recent polling data from the Pew Research Center shows global perceptions of the United States at a nadir in many parts of the world, particularly among Arabs and Muslims, but also in Europe and Latin America. These numbers represent a stunning shift from the years between 1989 and 2001, when the world’s views of the United States, even in Islamic states, were overwhelmingly positive.
Given these kinds of concerns, the idea of image consulting is finding new traction, and a phalanx of consultants stands ready to advise any country that will cough up the fees. But does nation branding actually work? And, perhaps more importantly, is its rise a good thing? Simon Anholt, an expert on nation branding, says in an interview that the brand-consulting phenomenon is “potentially a very dangerous thing.” He notes that countries can easily get the idea that their bad policy can be whitewashed with good public relations—an idea he staunchly rejects. Furthermore, Anholt says sophisticated consultancies often find “rather easy victims” in countries hoping for a quick fix. More here.
State seeks to sum up Wisconsin
Using just a few words, describe Wisconsin, and explain why it's a good place for vacationers as well as business operators, university students, and any other subset of people state officials might hope to attract.
State tourism officials are trying to create a "brand" for Wisconsin - a way to convey, in just a few words, how Wisconsin is different from other states. The official state brand would be used to attract vacationers, but also could help draw businesses as well. What are your suggestions for Wisconsin's brand?
That's the job facing the state Department of Tourism, which has begun an effort to create a "brand" for Wisconsin.
A brand is bigger than just the tagline from the latest tourism ads. Currently, in Wisconsin, that would be "Life's So Good."
The idea is to "identify that single point of difference that Wisconsin has over other competing destinations," and then create a brand that reflects that point, said Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble.
Tourism is a major industry in Wisconsin, with travelers spending an estimated $12.97 billion in 2006. That's according to an annual Tourism Department study that measures spending by vacationers and business travelers on hotel rooms, meals, gasoline and other items.
But a state brand should be broad enough to sell Wisconsin for a variety of purposes, Trumble said.
"Yes, it's about vacationing," said Trumble, a former executive director of Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, who later opened Sundara Inn & Spa, in Wisconsin Dells.
But it's also about "people wanting to live in Wisconsin, go to school in Wisconsin, and bring their business to Wisconsin," said Trumble, who was appointed tourism secretary in February by Gov. Jim Doyle. More here.
State tourism officials are trying to create a "brand" for Wisconsin - a way to convey, in just a few words, how Wisconsin is different from other states. The official state brand would be used to attract vacationers, but also could help draw businesses as well. What are your suggestions for Wisconsin's brand?
That's the job facing the state Department of Tourism, which has begun an effort to create a "brand" for Wisconsin.
A brand is bigger than just the tagline from the latest tourism ads. Currently, in Wisconsin, that would be "Life's So Good."
The idea is to "identify that single point of difference that Wisconsin has over other competing destinations," and then create a brand that reflects that point, said Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble.
Tourism is a major industry in Wisconsin, with travelers spending an estimated $12.97 billion in 2006. That's according to an annual Tourism Department study that measures spending by vacationers and business travelers on hotel rooms, meals, gasoline and other items.
But a state brand should be broad enough to sell Wisconsin for a variety of purposes, Trumble said.
"Yes, it's about vacationing," said Trumble, a former executive director of Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, who later opened Sundara Inn & Spa, in Wisconsin Dells.
But it's also about "people wanting to live in Wisconsin, go to school in Wisconsin, and bring their business to Wisconsin," said Trumble, who was appointed tourism secretary in February by Gov. Jim Doyle. More here.
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