Treasure Valley in Idaho develops a brand Saturday, October 25, 2003 Branding is becoming an increasingly important component of economic dev elopment strategy. The latest example: the region around Boise, Idaho, known as Treasure Valley. Developing a brand means more than a logo and a tag line. It means developing clear value propositions for investors, both inside and outside the region. Here's a good quote from an EDPro in the middle of these efforts: “For years, economic developers have done showy, feel-good ads that didn´t say anything about business opportunities in an area. Today´s businesses and site selectors want specific information." Read more. Today in our history of innovation... In 1955, Tappan Stove Company sold the first domestic microwave oven. In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the "Radarange," the world's first microwave oven. But it was both big and expensive. Ratheon's commercial, refrigerator-sized microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Without the distribution and marketing infrastructure to sell appliances, Raytheon licensed the technology to Tappan in 1952. In 1955, Tappan introduced the first domestic microwave oven, which featured a more compact but less powerful microwave generating system. Although the new model was the size of a conventional oven, it was still expensive. With a price tag of approximately $1,300, few consumers purchased the first models.  posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

The Web EDPro Weblog