how to nail your economic development brand

How to Nail Your Economic Development

Brand

Susan Brake, Development Counsellors International August 15, 2014

A Look at Today’s Great Brands…

“A brand is built by whatothers say about your community – not what you say about yourself.”

One Point of View on Place Branding

1. Develop Your Brand: The process starts with the right research, creativity and design

2. Implementation is the Key: Success is determined by creatively marketing your brand to internal and external audiences

3. Engage The Right Voices: Turn to credible third parties to share your brand

The Successful Brand Plan

7 Tips to

1 Geography is Key

Sometimes your biggest brand asset is your actual

location.

• Brand should be able to be adapted to incorporate state or most-known metropolis at the minimum

• Provide geographic orientation in your key messaging

Tips for Including Geography

2 Be Who You Are

Embrace your strengths, address your weaknesses and celebrate

what makes you unique.

• Perform a SWOT analysis by conducting stakeholder interviews and surveys in the business community.

• Gather common themes from interviews and research to determine what truly sets your community apart.

Tips for Being Who You Are

3 …But Be Aspirational

Branding is about long term visioning. It’s about what you want to accomplish and where you want to be in the next five

years.

Tips for Being Aspirational

4 …And be different…really different

Branding lets you make a bold, yet undeniable statement and gives you a chance to call out what you want to be known for.

• Look at where you’ve ranked recently

• What is your first, largest, only that no one else has

• Use those statements to your advantage

Tips for Being Different

5 Prioritize Your Audiences

Prioritize your audience based on your goals and know that you can have umbrella brands to address multiple audiences.

Ask Yourself: “What’s Your Biggest

Need in the Next Three-Five Years?”

Tips for Prioritizing Your Audience

Corporate Executive

A Talented Workforce

• Nearly half (49%) of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations.

• The current global talent shortage worries multinationals more than revolution or recession

Talent Attraction Brands and Campaigns to Check out

Your Residents

Multiple Audiences

Consistent, Complementary Brands that Speak to Differing Audiences

6 Your Brand is Built By What Others Say

Having a logo won’t solve perception issues.

• Conduct a media audit• Survey the audience you

want your brand to speak to.

• Determine if there is a common misperception your branding should address.

Tips for Learning What Others Say About You

7 Communicate Your Brand Effectively

It’s what you do with a brand that will make a difference.

• Share stories with the media that tie back to your brand.

• Develop website copy that speaks to your brand.

• Provide spokespersons with key messaging.

Tips to Communicate Your Brand Effectively

Branding: A Cautionary Tale

A Visual Definition of Branding…

“I’M A GREAT GUY”

MARKETING

“I’M A GREAT GUY”“I’M A GREAT GUY”“I’M A GREAT GUY”

ADVERTISING

TELEMARKETING

“HELLO.”“I’M A GREATGUY.”

“TRUST ME…HE’S A GREAT GUY.”

PUBLIC RELATIONS

SUCCESSFUL BRAND RECOGNITION

“I UNDERSTANDYOU’RE A GREATGUY.”

“A brand is built by whatothers say about your community – not what you say about yourself.”

Thank You!

Want to know more about how to attract talent to your region?

Email me and I can send you a link to the download.

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