Wednesday, July 06, 2005
When people start thinking about regional approaches to economic development, marketing is one of the first places they turn. It's ironic, because regional marketing is one of the toughest areas to pull off.
First, there is a question of establishing "the brand". In many situation, regional branding efforts have been pulled apart by "logo wars". Organizations and communities have built "brand equity" that they often find difficult to give up.
Second, once potential investors arrive in a region, they can only land in one place. Unless regional partners build remarkable trust, regional marketing efforts can fall on issues of "equity": how much each party puts in and how much each party gets back.
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.
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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.
Building a regional brand
