Sunday, September 11, 2005
Branding -- telling your story effectively -- has become a critical part of economic development strategy. Outlying counties to metro regions often have difficulty coming to grips with the fact that the region depends on the city.
Within regions, as within families, odd and dysfunctional relationships can form. So, it is a healthy step when civic leaders come to grips with their interdependence. Often the toughest challenge comes in marketing. Part of the reason is identity. People from Berkeley County (near Charleston, SC) like to be known as coming from Berkeley County.
But few people in San Francisco (let alone Shanghai) know where Berkeley County is. Most probably know Charleston.
Another problem with regional marketing arises from the mechanics. Regional marketing efforts -- especially when focused on business recrutiment -- requires a high level of trust to be successful. Handling prospects fairly (while still dealing with confidentiality issues) is tricky.
So, it's a good sign that regional leaders in Milwaukee are moving to a regional brand. But the devil is in the details. Their success will depend, in large part, on whether they can build an sustain trust. 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:
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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.
Milwaukee moves to build a regional brand
