Good Economic News!
Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:
In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dynamic Aviation, a provider of customized aviation solutions, plans to expand and create 50 new positions.
Toyo Tires, a producer of consumer tires, has announced plans to expand its facility in Bartow County, Georgia, adding 470 new jobs.
In Jasper County, South Carolina, Daniel Defense, Inc., a manufacturer of firearms, plans to open a new facility and create 100 new jobs.
In Oakland, California, solar products company Sungevity plans to expand and hire 300 people in the bay area.
Time Warner Cable has announced plans to expand its national data center in Charlotte, North Carolina, creating 225 new jobs.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, GuideSoft, Inc., an IT consulting firm, plans to expand and create 200 new jobs.
Plasti-Paints, Inc., a provider of parts and services for the auto and agriculture industries, will open a new facility in Heard County, Georgia, creating 60 new jobs.
In Asheville, North Carolina, Linamar, a maker of engine, transmission, and driveline products, will open a new manufacturing facility and hire 363 people.
Network Technologies and Support, Inc., an IT company, plans to expand its headquarters in Chesterfield County, Virginia and hire 140 employees.
In North Carolina, convenience store owner, Sheets, will open a new distribution center and hire 200 new employees.
Isofoton, a solar technology company, will open a new facility in Napoleon, Ohio, creating 330 new jobs.
PRETTL Electronics, a startup provider of parts to the solar panel industry, plans to open a new facility in Greenville County, South Carolina, creating 80 new jobs.
Michter’s Distillery, LLC will open a new production distillery in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, creating 10 new jobs.
In Boise, Idaho, Wells Fargo Bank plans to hire 150 people for customer service positions in its call center.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Siemens Company plans to open the nation’s largest gas turbine plant and hire an undisclosed number of employees.
Futaba Corporation of America, a maker of lighted displays for the auto, home appliance, and entertainment industries, plans to expand its operation in Huntsville, Alabama, creating up to 60 new jobs.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Word Industries Fabrication, LLC, a maker of metering and piping systems, will expand its facility and create 100 new jobs.
In Cary, North Carolina, Lord Corporation, a technology company, has announced plans to expand and add 117 new positions.
Bed Tech, Inc., a remanufacturer of hospital beds, will expand its operation in Dearborn County, Indiana, creating 55 new jobs.
In Rowan County, North Carolina, Universal Forest Products, Inc., a manufacturer of wood products, will expand and hire 49 people.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 3,059+
We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.
If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way. jim@brandaccel.com
Monday, July 18, 2011
Forget Best Practices
Maybe it’s time for some original thinking
According to Wikipedia, the known authority on everything, “Best Practices are generally-accepted, informally-standardized techniques, methods or processes that have proven themselves over time to accomplish given tasks.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?
It amazes me how many times I hear the term “Best Practices” in the course of a week or month. College professors and consultants love it. It’s a way to reduce mistakes and assure success…so they think. I’ve grown so tired of the term that I’m trying to remove it from my own vocabulary. You see, in my business, marketing communications and public relations, the goal is to discover different and unique ways to communicate a message, not to look and sound like everyone else.
I’m convinced that “Best Practices” are often used by people who are afraid, lazy, or simply lack original thought. “We researched the best practices and followed what has become the accepted industry norm,” is the answer given when challenged by the boss. Really? Here’s another way to look at it. “We couldn’t come up with anything on our own and we were afraid to take risks that might draw attention, so we found out what everyone else was doing and we did the same thing.” That’s a sure path to the executive suite.
What if our most celebrated inventors had followed this logic? Thomas Edison might have gone into the candle-making business and Henry Ford might have become a buggy maker or a farrier.
Raising the bar
When Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, went looking for money to start his new venture, traditional lenders reportedly turned him away because they couldn’t grasp the potential of his business idea. “I want to deliver packages overnight using airplanes,” was far outside the best practices of the day. But Smith had a dream and the courage to be different. He saw something that others didn’t, or wouldn’t, and turned his college thesis into a huge package delivery empire. If he had followed the accepted best practices, who knows what he’d be doing today?
Some practices just don’t transfer well
Just because someone else is doing something successfully in a certain way does not mean it’s the best way for you. For example, companies have tried for years to copy the Japanese practices such as quality circles, Kaizen, and Kansei Engineering. Some, especially Japanese companies, have had some success but others have failed miserably or had limited success. Why? Maybe it’s because of cultural differences. In America, we are radicals. One thing that makes us great is the individualism that permeates every company, community, and family. We find it difficult to blend in and do things like everyone else. We strive to be different and do things our own way.
Commoditization ensues
It seems to me that when everyone begins following the best practices of everyone else, there is a much greater chance that key points of differentiation are lost. Then, if every company and community looks, sounds, and acts just like the others, there is only one difference remaining……price. Not a great situation.
At Brand Acceleration, we are always on the lookout for unique ways to differentiate our clients from their competitors. If we did everything in the same way everyone else did, we be fired in about two heartbeats, as we should be. Our responsibility is to dig in, understand their industry and their target audiences in order to provide solid counsel that generates activity and drives dollars to the bottom line. This is an industry that often survives purely by developing clever and beautiful creative. My opinion is that creative alone won’t cut it. Our clients want results.
Got Milk?
In 1993, the California Milk Advisory Board and its ad agency launched this “Got Milk?” television ad that led to ads featuring celebrities wearing a milk mustache. The ads were simple, memorable, and very successful. In fact, the campaign became one of the most copied ad campaigns ever. A quick Google search revealed “Got” ads for mold, sports, originality (right!), pipe, Jesus, elk, and hemorrhoids. What these knockoff artists failed to realize is that every time one of their ads appeared, the audience was more likely to think of milk than their product or service.
Be original!
Whether business practices or advertising, it’s much riskier and far more beneficial to do your own thing than to follow the followers. I guess I’ve always been something of a radical. Maybe it comes from my hippie days in the 1970’s. When everyone else was going left, I’d go right, just to be different. I love the idea that being different gets attention and makes people talk. It takes courage, though. If you like the idea that someone might look at your ad, web site, or brochure and say “wow,” then you and I are likely to see each other on the road less traveled. I assure you that road will not have a sign that reads, “Best Practices.”
Jim Walton
CEO
jim@brandaccel.com
www.brandaccel.com
Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.
Maybe it’s time for some original thinking
According to Wikipedia, the known authority on everything, “Best Practices are generally-accepted, informally-standardized techniques, methods or processes that have proven themselves over time to accomplish given tasks.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?
It amazes me how many times I hear the term “Best Practices” in the course of a week or month. College professors and consultants love it. It’s a way to reduce mistakes and assure success…so they think. I’ve grown so tired of the term that I’m trying to remove it from my own vocabulary. You see, in my business, marketing communications and public relations, the goal is to discover different and unique ways to communicate a message, not to look and sound like everyone else.
I’m convinced that “Best Practices” are often used by people who are afraid, lazy, or simply lack original thought. “We researched the best practices and followed what has become the accepted industry norm,” is the answer given when challenged by the boss. Really? Here’s another way to look at it. “We couldn’t come up with anything on our own and we were afraid to take risks that might draw attention, so we found out what everyone else was doing and we did the same thing.” That’s a sure path to the executive suite.
What if our most celebrated inventors had followed this logic? Thomas Edison might have gone into the candle-making business and Henry Ford might have become a buggy maker or a farrier.
Raising the bar
When Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, went looking for money to start his new venture, traditional lenders reportedly turned him away because they couldn’t grasp the potential of his business idea. “I want to deliver packages overnight using airplanes,” was far outside the best practices of the day. But Smith had a dream and the courage to be different. He saw something that others didn’t, or wouldn’t, and turned his college thesis into a huge package delivery empire. If he had followed the accepted best practices, who knows what he’d be doing today?
Some practices just don’t transfer well
Just because someone else is doing something successfully in a certain way does not mean it’s the best way for you. For example, companies have tried for years to copy the Japanese practices such as quality circles, Kaizen, and Kansei Engineering. Some, especially Japanese companies, have had some success but others have failed miserably or had limited success. Why? Maybe it’s because of cultural differences. In America, we are radicals. One thing that makes us great is the individualism that permeates every company, community, and family. We find it difficult to blend in and do things like everyone else. We strive to be different and do things our own way.
Commoditization ensues
It seems to me that when everyone begins following the best practices of everyone else, there is a much greater chance that key points of differentiation are lost. Then, if every company and community looks, sounds, and acts just like the others, there is only one difference remaining……price. Not a great situation.
At Brand Acceleration, we are always on the lookout for unique ways to differentiate our clients from their competitors. If we did everything in the same way everyone else did, we be fired in about two heartbeats, as we should be. Our responsibility is to dig in, understand their industry and their target audiences in order to provide solid counsel that generates activity and drives dollars to the bottom line. This is an industry that often survives purely by developing clever and beautiful creative. My opinion is that creative alone won’t cut it. Our clients want results.
Got Milk?
In 1993, the California Milk Advisory Board and its ad agency launched this “Got Milk?” television ad that led to ads featuring celebrities wearing a milk mustache. The ads were simple, memorable, and very successful. In fact, the campaign became one of the most copied ad campaigns ever. A quick Google search revealed “Got” ads for mold, sports, originality (right!), pipe, Jesus, elk, and hemorrhoids. What these knockoff artists failed to realize is that every time one of their ads appeared, the audience was more likely to think of milk than their product or service.
Be original!
Whether business practices or advertising, it’s much riskier and far more beneficial to do your own thing than to follow the followers. I guess I’ve always been something of a radical. Maybe it comes from my hippie days in the 1970’s. When everyone else was going left, I’d go right, just to be different. I love the idea that being different gets attention and makes people talk. It takes courage, though. If you like the idea that someone might look at your ad, web site, or brochure and say “wow,” then you and I are likely to see each other on the road less traveled. I assure you that road will not have a sign that reads, “Best Practices.”
Jim Walton
CEO
jim@brandaccel.com
www.brandaccel.com
Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Good Economic News!
Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:
Pharmaceutical maker Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to expand its biotechnology capabilities worldwide, creating an undisclosed number of new jobs.
In Asheville, North Carolina, Linamar Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of products for the automotive industry, will establish a facility and create 363 new jobs.
Allscripts, a provider of electronic health records information systems, plans to expand and add 300 new jobs in Chicago, Illinois.
In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Draexlmaier Automotive of America, a maker of interior components and electrical systems, plans to expand and create 150 new jobs.
Janova, a developer of web-based automated software testing products, plans to expand its headquarters in New Albany, Ohio, creating 116 new jobs.
NSK Steering Systems America, a maker of automotive products, plans to expand its operation in Dyer County, Tennessee and create 180 new jobs.
In Washington, DC, MVM Technologies will open an ink-jet cartridge manufacturing plant and create 300 new jobs.
HADPRO Hood and Duct Professionals, a kitchen exhaust cleaning and maintenance company, will relocate to Alexandria, Virginia, creating 53 new jobs.
Kiara Solar will refurbish a wood-to-biomass energy plant in Anderson, California, creating 30 new jobs.
In Warrick County, Indiana, a massive new regional medical district is being developed and already has commitments for over 270 new jobs. Congratulations to Brand Acceleration client, Success Warrick County, on a job well done.
In Iredell County, North Carolina, bottled water maker Niagara Bottling will open a new facility and create 66 new jobs.
St. Regis USA, Inc., a manufacturer of glass and crystal products, will expand its operation in Indianapolis, Indiana and add 41 new jobs.
CenturyLink, a communications service provider, has announced plans to expand its facility in Monroe, Louisiana and create 800 new jobs.
ABB, Inc., a provider of power and automation products, will expand its operation in Halifax County, Virginia, creating 15 new jobs.
In Brownsburg, Indiana, Chemistry Manufacturing and Control, LLC (CMC), a biotech provider of drug products and delivery systems, will open its headquarters, distribution, and assembly facility, creating 68 new jobs. Congrats to Brand Acceleration client, Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership. Great job!
Drug store retailer Walgreens has announced plans to expand and add 600 new jobs in Chicago, Illinois.
In Weaverville, California, Trinity River Lumber Company will build a new wood-fueled boiler and add 20 new jobs.
North American Lighting, Inc., a manufacturer of automotive lighting and components, plans to open a new injection molding manufacturing facility in Warrick County, Indiana, creating 42 new jobs.
I
n Clark County, Ohio, Seepex, Inc., a maker of industrial pumps, will expand and create 40 new jobs.
IM Flash Technologies, a computer hardware and software company, plans to expand its Utah operation and create 500 new jobs.
In Lexington, Kentucky, Neogen Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of animal healthcare products, will expand and create 75 new jobs.
In Evansville, Indiana, Berry Plastics will expand its world headquarters and add 120 new jobs.
Jamestown, New York based TitanX Engine Cooling, Inc., will expand and create 40 new jobs.
In Cody, Montana, Cody Labs will expand and add 20 new jobs.
Caterpillar, Inc., has announced plans to expand its Spaulding County, Georgia operation and create 200 new jobs.
In Plainfield, Indiana, Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, LLC, will expand its facility and create 415 new jobs. Congrats to economic developer Cinda Kelley-Hutchings.
Cooper Standard, an auto industry supplier, will expand in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky operation and hite 120 people.
EMC Corporation, a computer hardware and software provider, will expand its operation in Utah and create 500 new jobs.
In Monroe County, Kentucky, Apace Packaging plans to expand and create 35 new jobs.
Tire International plans to open a tire recycling and rubber products manufacturing facility in Berkley County, South Carolina, creating 150 new jobs.
In Moberly, Missouri, Finspeed, LLC, an auto industry parts manufacturer, will expand and hire 20 new employees.
Card J Tech Alabama, a plastic injection molding company and supplier to the auto industry, will open a new facility and hire 150 employees.
In Troy, Alabama, Golden Boy Foods, LTD., will open a new peanut butter plant and create 130 new jobs.
In Minco, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Foldong Carton and Printing plans to open a new printing facility and create 23 new jobs.
Fronius USA, LLC, a producer of solar inverters, plans to relocate to Portage, Indiana, creating 512 new jobs.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 6,464+
We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.
If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way. jim@brandaccel.com
Here are just a few of the positive economic announcements that have come my way in recent weeks:
Pharmaceutical maker Eli Lilly and Company has announced plans to expand its biotechnology capabilities worldwide, creating an undisclosed number of new jobs.
In Asheville, North Carolina, Linamar Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of products for the automotive industry, will establish a facility and create 363 new jobs.
Allscripts, a provider of electronic health records information systems, plans to expand and add 300 new jobs in Chicago, Illinois.
In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Draexlmaier Automotive of America, a maker of interior components and electrical systems, plans to expand and create 150 new jobs.
Janova, a developer of web-based automated software testing products, plans to expand its headquarters in New Albany, Ohio, creating 116 new jobs.
NSK Steering Systems America, a maker of automotive products, plans to expand its operation in Dyer County, Tennessee and create 180 new jobs.
In Washington, DC, MVM Technologies will open an ink-jet cartridge manufacturing plant and create 300 new jobs.
HADPRO Hood and Duct Professionals, a kitchen exhaust cleaning and maintenance company, will relocate to Alexandria, Virginia, creating 53 new jobs.
Kiara Solar will refurbish a wood-to-biomass energy plant in Anderson, California, creating 30 new jobs.
In Warrick County, Indiana, a massive new regional medical district is being developed and already has commitments for over 270 new jobs. Congratulations to Brand Acceleration client, Success Warrick County, on a job well done.
In Iredell County, North Carolina, bottled water maker Niagara Bottling will open a new facility and create 66 new jobs.
St. Regis USA, Inc., a manufacturer of glass and crystal products, will expand its operation in Indianapolis, Indiana and add 41 new jobs.
CenturyLink, a communications service provider, has announced plans to expand its facility in Monroe, Louisiana and create 800 new jobs.
ABB, Inc., a provider of power and automation products, will expand its operation in Halifax County, Virginia, creating 15 new jobs.
In Brownsburg, Indiana, Chemistry Manufacturing and Control, LLC (CMC), a biotech provider of drug products and delivery systems, will open its headquarters, distribution, and assembly facility, creating 68 new jobs. Congrats to Brand Acceleration client, Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership. Great job!
Drug store retailer Walgreens has announced plans to expand and add 600 new jobs in Chicago, Illinois.
In Weaverville, California, Trinity River Lumber Company will build a new wood-fueled boiler and add 20 new jobs.
North American Lighting, Inc., a manufacturer of automotive lighting and components, plans to open a new injection molding manufacturing facility in Warrick County, Indiana, creating 42 new jobs.
I
n Clark County, Ohio, Seepex, Inc., a maker of industrial pumps, will expand and create 40 new jobs.
IM Flash Technologies, a computer hardware and software company, plans to expand its Utah operation and create 500 new jobs.
In Lexington, Kentucky, Neogen Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of animal healthcare products, will expand and create 75 new jobs.
In Evansville, Indiana, Berry Plastics will expand its world headquarters and add 120 new jobs.
Jamestown, New York based TitanX Engine Cooling, Inc., will expand and create 40 new jobs.
In Cody, Montana, Cody Labs will expand and add 20 new jobs.
Caterpillar, Inc., has announced plans to expand its Spaulding County, Georgia operation and create 200 new jobs.
In Plainfield, Indiana, Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, LLC, will expand its facility and create 415 new jobs. Congrats to economic developer Cinda Kelley-Hutchings.
Cooper Standard, an auto industry supplier, will expand in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky operation and hite 120 people.
EMC Corporation, a computer hardware and software provider, will expand its operation in Utah and create 500 new jobs.
In Monroe County, Kentucky, Apace Packaging plans to expand and create 35 new jobs.
Tire International plans to open a tire recycling and rubber products manufacturing facility in Berkley County, South Carolina, creating 150 new jobs.
In Moberly, Missouri, Finspeed, LLC, an auto industry parts manufacturer, will expand and hire 20 new employees.
Card J Tech Alabama, a plastic injection molding company and supplier to the auto industry, will open a new facility and hire 150 employees.
In Troy, Alabama, Golden Boy Foods, LTD., will open a new peanut butter plant and create 130 new jobs.
In Minco, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Foldong Carton and Printing plans to open a new printing facility and create 23 new jobs.
Fronius USA, LLC, a producer of solar inverters, plans to relocate to Portage, Indiana, creating 512 new jobs.
TOTAL JOBS ANNOUNCEMENTS: 6,464+
We receive numerous announcements each week that announce that several jobs have been “retained or created.” While retention is important, we will not use announcements that fail to define exactly how many jobs were retained and how many were created. We want specifics.
If you have jobs announcements, please send them my way. jim@brandaccel.com
Protecting a Community’s Brand
How would a secret shopper respond?
The other day, I was reading an article on a newspaper web site and, as is often the case, it offered an opportunity for readers to voice an opinion about the article. I have mixed feelings about such forums. Some of the responders offer positive or constructive comments while a few others are folks who just love to stir the pot with negativity. You know them, they’re Cavemen. Citizens Against Virtually Everything. They’re never happy and they want the world to know it.
I was having coffee recently with a site selection consultant friend and asked him if he ever looks at such forums while in the process of evaluating communities for prospective jobs projects. “I sure do,” he said, “and I sometimes find alarming information.”
He told me that once he has narrowed his list of communities to a handful, maybe three to five, he’ll visit media web sites, looking for stories or forums that might reveal issues that could present challenges to his client. He said he will also listen to streaming television or radio broadcasts to hear which issues are being discussed. “Election seasons can be very revealing,” he said, “all of the dirt is in plain sight.”
He also said that he’ll go to the city or county web site and read the minutes of council meetings. In addition to learning how elected officials handle incentives and other issues, he finds out how they interact with the business community and one another. Do they work together in a positive, community-building manner or do the minutes reveal a tone of incivility that he might choose to avoid? In these days of internet connectivity, your community’s brand reputation is out there for the world, including prospective employers, to see.
Secret shopper site visits
Have you heard of secret shoppers? That’s when a company hires someone to go into a retail establishment, posing as a customer, in order to report back about their experience. Were the employees friendly and helpful or were they rude? Did they offer assistance or were you ignored? How was the food?
Site selection consultants, under contract to find a new home for a prospective employer, sometimes do the same thing. Without the knowledge of the economic developer or elected officials, a person or team of people will show up, blend in, and observe. They’ll eat in your restaurants, stay in your hotels, visit your retail establishments, and interact with your citizens. Are they polite, friendly, and positive about the community or just the opposite?
A site selection consultant once told me about a secret shopper visit when he asked a young man, “What’s the one thing I should see while I’m here?” Without hesitation, the young man said, “The town in your rear view mirror.” Ouch!
While on a secret shopper mission, the team will report on any number of things, such as road conditions, your industrial park, schools, community entryways, the downtown area, and much, much more. Based on their findings, your community can advance to the next level of consideration or be cut from the list if they don’t like what they see and hear. And, here’s the shocker, you may never know they were there.
I’ve often thought there was an opportunity for a Chamber of Commerce to provide a program to inform retail members about how they impact such visitors.
So, who is responsible for a community’s brand? Everyone! It’s not just the job of the county council, the Mayor, or the economic developer. The hotel clerk, waitress, school teacher, store owner, and any citizen can make or break a major jobs deal. When your community is in the top three of five, a site selector has already crunched the numbers and done his or her homework about the financial or workforce aspects of the deal. Any of the communities on the “short list” would work. Now, they’re looking at the little nuances, any reason to take you off the list. It doesn’t take much.
Each person in a community is a keeper of the local brand. At Brand Acceleration, we are occasionally called upon to develop a community pride campaign. Working with local leaders, we develop ways to build enthusiasm and pride in the minds of citizens. We remind them that their town, city, or county is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. If such an effort results in one positive comment to just the right person, it could help result in the attraction of hundreds of jobs and a thriving local economy.
As with the newspaper mentioned above, you can share your stories and opinions by clicking here to go to my blog.
Jim Walton
jim@brandaccel.com
Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.
How would a secret shopper respond?
The other day, I was reading an article on a newspaper web site and, as is often the case, it offered an opportunity for readers to voice an opinion about the article. I have mixed feelings about such forums. Some of the responders offer positive or constructive comments while a few others are folks who just love to stir the pot with negativity. You know them, they’re Cavemen. Citizens Against Virtually Everything. They’re never happy and they want the world to know it.
I was having coffee recently with a site selection consultant friend and asked him if he ever looks at such forums while in the process of evaluating communities for prospective jobs projects. “I sure do,” he said, “and I sometimes find alarming information.”
He told me that once he has narrowed his list of communities to a handful, maybe three to five, he’ll visit media web sites, looking for stories or forums that might reveal issues that could present challenges to his client. He said he will also listen to streaming television or radio broadcasts to hear which issues are being discussed. “Election seasons can be very revealing,” he said, “all of the dirt is in plain sight.”
He also said that he’ll go to the city or county web site and read the minutes of council meetings. In addition to learning how elected officials handle incentives and other issues, he finds out how they interact with the business community and one another. Do they work together in a positive, community-building manner or do the minutes reveal a tone of incivility that he might choose to avoid? In these days of internet connectivity, your community’s brand reputation is out there for the world, including prospective employers, to see.
Secret shopper site visits
Have you heard of secret shoppers? That’s when a company hires someone to go into a retail establishment, posing as a customer, in order to report back about their experience. Were the employees friendly and helpful or were they rude? Did they offer assistance or were you ignored? How was the food?
Site selection consultants, under contract to find a new home for a prospective employer, sometimes do the same thing. Without the knowledge of the economic developer or elected officials, a person or team of people will show up, blend in, and observe. They’ll eat in your restaurants, stay in your hotels, visit your retail establishments, and interact with your citizens. Are they polite, friendly, and positive about the community or just the opposite?
A site selection consultant once told me about a secret shopper visit when he asked a young man, “What’s the one thing I should see while I’m here?” Without hesitation, the young man said, “The town in your rear view mirror.” Ouch!
While on a secret shopper mission, the team will report on any number of things, such as road conditions, your industrial park, schools, community entryways, the downtown area, and much, much more. Based on their findings, your community can advance to the next level of consideration or be cut from the list if they don’t like what they see and hear. And, here’s the shocker, you may never know they were there.
I’ve often thought there was an opportunity for a Chamber of Commerce to provide a program to inform retail members about how they impact such visitors.
So, who is responsible for a community’s brand? Everyone! It’s not just the job of the county council, the Mayor, or the economic developer. The hotel clerk, waitress, school teacher, store owner, and any citizen can make or break a major jobs deal. When your community is in the top three of five, a site selector has already crunched the numbers and done his or her homework about the financial or workforce aspects of the deal. Any of the communities on the “short list” would work. Now, they’re looking at the little nuances, any reason to take you off the list. It doesn’t take much.
Each person in a community is a keeper of the local brand. At Brand Acceleration, we are occasionally called upon to develop a community pride campaign. Working with local leaders, we develop ways to build enthusiasm and pride in the minds of citizens. We remind them that their town, city, or county is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. If such an effort results in one positive comment to just the right person, it could help result in the attraction of hundreds of jobs and a thriving local economy.
As with the newspaper mentioned above, you can share your stories and opinions by clicking here to go to my blog.
Jim Walton
jim@brandaccel.com
Brand Acceleration is a full-service advertising, brand management and public relations firm operating from Indianapolis, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina. The agency’s focus is on economic development, architecture/engineering/construction and real estate.
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