Saturday, November 22, 2003
Now we get down to the tough part.
Defining a regional brand is easier said than done. The first challenge is overcoming the resistance to collaborate. But even that is not enough. You need to build a consensus on what makes sense.
In Oklahoma City, the chamber used commuting patterns to alter people's perceptions of the region. (You can download the data for your own commuting pattern study here.)
Regions are defined as much by personal affinities and networks as by statistics. Here's an example of the struggle from the Triad region in North Carolina. Read more.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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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.
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.
Defining the boundaries of a regional brand
