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Brand Acceleration is a full-service website development, marketing communications, branding, and public relations firm with a focus on economic and community development.

What Do You Do When Your Unemployment Rate is Very Low?

Workforce development may not be enough

By: Jim Walton

CEO

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

It’s New Year ’s Day, and as I sit alone in the early morning darkness, I can’t help but think about my many blessings. I’m also reminded of our military personnel who are away from their families during the holidays. They risk everything and we have so much.

Our nation faces many challenges. Foes from faraway places would like nothing more than to see this great nation stumble and fall. Fortunately, the energy and resilience of the American people, with our many liberties, are more influential than any opponent. Through the rugged determination and down-right stubbornness of company leaders and workers across this great nation, our economy is once again rising and generating jobs and prosperity for our people.

Who would have thought, two years ago, that we would be facing a skilled workforce shortage in 2015? Some call it a crisis, but current and prospective employers are shifting their gaze more toward the availability of workforce than just about any location qualifier.

As the economic recovery gathers momentum, some communities face a new challenge, a serious shortage of the most demanded skills. Some argue that there may not really be a shortage, that the real barrier to a qualified workforce may be the willingness of employers to pay higher wages. That’s nothing new, though. Basic capitalistic principles dictate that supply and demand will force wage adjustments.

The threshold, it appears, is at the 5% unemployment rate. Considering the widely-held belief that 4% of the traditional workforce doesn’t want to work, the remaining 1% leaves many communities unable to meet basic employer needs. If your community unemployment rate is near 5%, you may be “at or near capacity.”

A race to educate

As I travel the country, meeting with economic developers, community leaders, and educators, I’ve seen a rapid expansion in workforce development and training programs. Beginning in middle schools and high schools, and continuing in higher education facilities, educators are racing to train welders, CNC operators, warehouse workers, healthcare professionals, and others. Sadly, a few schools are still focusing on low-demand skills that were taught in the past, doing a significant disservice to students and the community. The more successful community colleges and other higher education institutions are those focused on skills demanded by existing and targeted industries.

Workforce attraction may be required

There are times, amazingly, when communities must launch a strategic campaign to attract the skilled workers needed to meet employer needs. We’ve seen a huge jump in such requests at the Brand Acceleration offices. Our approach is to clearly identify needs, along with area growth trends, and then craft a campaign to locate and communicate with prospective employees and residents. Since this is an area where precious resources could be wasted, we often partner with professionals who are experts in workforce trends.

One challenge with a workforce attraction campaign is that it could create an air of desperation that could be off-putting to target audiences. Our message strategists manage the delicate balance between employment and lifestyle messaging, creating an attractive community buzz.

If your area unemployment rate is nearing 5%, then we should talk. It’s better to explore activities now than to wait for a crisis situation when you realize your community cannot meet the basic needs of attrition, an expansion, or attraction project.

Best wishes for an amazing 2015,

Jim Walton

CEO

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations

Indianapolis, Indiana:

Office: 317.536.6255

Cell: 317.523.7380

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Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and website development firm with a focus on community and economic development.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

3 Ways You May Be Scaring Away Millennials

and Don't Even Know It

By: Colleen Walton

Brand Strategist

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

I recently saw a LinkedIn article titled “Don’t Leave Millennials Voicemails.” During a conference, I heard a speaker say, “Millennials don’t like to drive.” These sweeping generalizations are sending some communities into a tizzy over how to appeal to this mysterious generation. “Millennial” is a buzzword used to describe anyone born between 1982 and 2004. If we limit this to working-aged individuals, we’re looking at a group of people between the ages of 16 and 32. This is such a broad range that making any assumptions about the generation as a whole is setting you up to fail. I wish I could tell you the secret to attracting young people, but I can’t; however, I can tell you the most common mistakes I see in marketing to millennials.

Saying all the wrong things

A while back, I met with the landlord of an apartment complex in the suburb of a major metro. When I asked her to describe the neighborhood, she told me it was “quite, safe, and perfect for young families.” I didn’t hear anything she said after that because that’d already put me off. As an unmarried, childless creative type, “safe, quiet, and family friendly” sounded boring. None of that appealed to me, but it does to other people. A high school friend of mine is a newlywed engineer with babies on the brain. For her, a place described as family friendly is ideal. Despite being young, highly-educated, and in a high-paying job, she doesn’t want to live in a place that focuses on marketing its bars and restaurants. The problem might not be what you’re selling, but rather how you’re selling it.

Just like how a home-buyer assumes that when a real estate agent uses the word “cozy” she really means “small,” people on the receiving end of your marketing efforts have the potential to misconstrue the things you say. Take a step back and try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Are they hearing the same things you think you’re saying?

Trying too hard

Every sitcom has an episode in which the mom and/or dad try a little too hard to be cool and end up embarrassing themselves and their children. Sometimes marketing efforts aimed at young people feel a bit like that. It’s like someone Googled “What’s cool?” and ran with the first thing they saw. It’s important that your millennial magnetism grows genuinely from what you already are because people can tell when it’s insincere. We tell our clients all the time that their brand already exists. You can fight tooth and nail to change it, or you can embrace it.

Stop Googling millennials, take a walk around your community, and look at what you’ve got going for you. If you already have a vibrant downtown, make it the best downtown you can. If you’re already attracting young families, beef up your parks and playgrounds. When you stop trying to be someone else, you can become a better version of yourself.

Looking in all the wrong places

This last bit may be hard to hear, but someone has to say it: Sometimes kids just want to leave. It’s not you. It’s them. When they spend their whole lives living in one place, they lust for the adventure of leaving. It doesn’t matter if you have everything they’re looking for, they’re going to leave because they feel like they have to go out and see the world. No matter how hard you try, they’re still going to go. The silver lining is that young people in towns all across the country are leaving their hometowns in search of something new and shiny.

In my hometown of Indianapolis, a lot of kids grow up with dreams of living in Chicago. Kids in Indiana’s second-tier cities dream of living in Indianapolis. Kids in small towns dream of living in those second-tier cities. If you’re a second-tier city, you might not be able to attract young people from the big city, but you can get them from the small towns. You may not be new and shiny to your own kids, but you can be new and shiny to someone else’s.

In Conclusion

Marketing is all about identifying your strengths and using them to your advantage, but sometimes that requires a shift in thinking because your preconceived notions about millennials might be what's hurting you. Like generations before, millennials are a diverse group. Treating them like they have a hive mind will only repel them. When you begin to recognize what you have and use that to drive what you want, you'll find much more success.

Brand Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and website development firm with a focus on community and economic development.

Good Economic News: Nearly 15,000 Jobs Announced!

Here are just a few of the recent jobs announcements that have crossed my desk in recent weeks.

In Iredell County, North Carolina, Harvest Garden Pro, LLC will open a facility and create 33 jobs. Congrats to economic developer, and proud new Dad, Robby Carney on a job well done.

In Stephens County, Georgia, washroom accessories maker GEM Southeast, Inc. will expand and add 30 employees.

In Ossian, Indiana, agricultural equipment maker HALDRUP, USA will open an operation and create 65 jobs.

Activate Healthcare, LLC, a medical services provider, will expand in Indianapolis, Indiana, creating 203 jobs.

In Boone County, Indiana, food maker Skjodt-Barrett Foods will expand and hire 97 workers. Congrats to economic developer Molly Whitehead.

Food retailer Teriyaki Madness will expand and add 150 jobs.

In Senatobia, Mississippi, snack food maker Calbee North America will open a facility and hire 254 people.

In Covington, Kentucky, cold storage provider United States Cold Storage will expand and create 63 jobs.

Auto maker Hengst of North America, Inc. will expand in Camden, South Carolina, creating 20 jobs.

In Kinston, North Carolina, polymer maker DuPont will expand and hire 18 workers.

In Greenville, Mississippi, Mars Foods North America will expand and add 25 workers.

Lippert Components Manufacturing, Inc., a maker of recreational vehicle components, will expand in Sterling Heights, Michigan, creating 102 jobs.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, Weekends Only Furniture Outlet will open and hire 40 people.

In Hall County, Georgia, tractor maker Kubota Manufacturing of America will expand and create 650 jobs.

TSE International, a maker of tension-stringing equipment, will expand in Shreveport, Louisiana, creating 30 jobs.

Emerging Threats Pro, LLC, an intelligence provider, will expand in Hamilton County, Indiana, creating 84 jobs. Congrats to economic developer Tim Monger.

In North Charleston, South Carolina, APAC Customer Service will expand and add 200 employees.

In Fayette County, Kentucky, engine remanufacturer SRC of Lexington, Inc. will expand and create 50 jobs.

Recreational vehicle maker KZRV, LLP will expand in LaGrange County, Indiana, adding 125 workers.

In Cabarrus County, North Carolina, battery systems maker Alevo Group will expand and hire 470 workers, possibly growing to 6,000.

Hair care provider SportClips will expand and create 300 jobs companywide.

In Orland, Indiana, fishing lure maker LureCraft Fisherman’s Shop will expand and hire 91 people.

In Detroit, Michigan, custom manufacturer Oakland Stamping, LLC will expand and create 100 jobs.

In LA Porte, Indiana, Plastic Package will locate an operation and hire 19 people.

Custom Manufacturer Patheon will expand in Pitt County, North Carolina, creating 488 jobs.

Auto component maker Dynax America will expand in Botetourt County, Virginia, creating 75 jobs.

In Durham, North Carolina, Argos Therapeutics will expand and add 236 employees.

In Evansville, Indiana, child nutrition company Mead Johnson will expand and hire 14 people.

Die maker AWEBA Group will open a facility in Laurens County, Georgia, creating 52 jobs.

In Indianapolis, Indiana, consumer review service provider Angie’s List will expand and add 800 jobs.

Hotel and hospitality company Marriott will expand and add 4,952 jobs companywide.

Seed corn producer Syngenta has expanded in Phillips, Nebraska and will add 187 workers.

In Rockdale and DeKalb Counties, Georgia, Acuity Brands, a lighting maker, will expand and hire 700 people.

Union Pacific will open a rail yard in Robertson County, Texas, creating 200 jobs.

Coatings maker Thermal Spray Technologies will expand in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, creating 200 jobs.

W.S. Badcock Corporation, a furniture retailer, will open a distribution center in LaGrange, Georgia, creating 100 jobs.

In Fulton County, Georgia, Walmart will open a distribution center and create 400 jobs.

Agricultural products maker CTB, Inc. will expand in Kosciusko County, Indiana, creating 80 jobs.

Hankook Tire will open a production facility in Clarksville, Tennessee, hiring 1,800 people.

In St. Louis, Missouri, Boeing will expand its composites facility, creating 700 jobs.

Tile maker Mannington Mills will expand in Morgan County, Georgia, adding 200 jobs.

In Birmingham, Alabama, specialty services provider Steris Corporation will open a new headquarters, creating 100 jobs.

In Wabash County, Indiana, lens coating provider Midwest Eye Consultants, PC will open a facility and hire 31 people.

Furniture maker Villa International will open a production facility in Belmont, Mississippi, creating 75 jobs.

In Kansas City, Missouri, freight broker XPO Logistics will open an office and hire 125 people.

In Wilson County, North Carolina, auto industry supplier Linamar Corporation will expand and hire 125 people.

Westlake Chemical will expand in Sulpher, Louisiana, creating 25 jobs.

Lighting maker Focal Point will expand in Chicago, Illinois, creating 50 jobs.

Total Jobs Announcements: 14,934

Jim Walton

CEO

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations

Indianapolis, Indiana:

Office: 317.536.6255

Fax: 317.222.1425

Cell: 317.523.7380

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Brand Acceleration is a full-service website development, marketing communications, branding, and public relations firm with a focus on economic and community development.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Technology is Ruining the English Language

Technology is Ruining
the English Language

#TalkingGoodEnglish

By: Colleen Walton

Project Coordinator/Event Management/Social Media Marketing

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Have you ever experienced secondhand embarrassment? It's that feeling you get when you witness someone doing something embarrassing and you sit there cringing, waiting for it to stop. That's how I feel when I come across grammatical errors on a company’s web site or hear a presenter use a word that isn't really a word (e.g. irregardless). The way we speak and write greatly impacts the way we are perceived. Whether or not it’s true, the inability to effectively communicate often makes a person appear… well… unintelligent. In the Brand Acceleration office, we have near-daily discussions about the gross mistreatment of the English language. The most bothersome atrocities are the errors we encounter in professional writing. Just the other day I had a little gripe session about LinkedIn’s suggested subject line, “Can you recommend me?” This all got me thinking: has our love affair with technology ruined our ability to speak proper English?

In high school, I experienced the rise of Facebook, and Twitter broke through into the mainstream early in my college career. Thanks to social media, we are able to communicate more easily than ever before. Unfortunately, many people spend more time Instagramming a picture of their lunch (#turkeyburger #yum) or tweeting about a boring meeting with no regard for how the 140-character mindset affects the way we think. Every once in a while, I catch myself saying something like “BTW,” and that’s when I know I need to reconsider my life choices. Social media allows us to be a little lax in our grammar and spelling. Using proper punctuation might put you at 143 characters, so you delete a few commas here and there. No big deal, right? For now, but how long is it until you forget what proper punctuation looks like? Suddenly, you find yourself leaving commas out of company emails and RFPs. It’s a slippery slope, my friend. A very slippery slope…

The problem expands far beyond social media and the dreaded character limit. Some television programing has made a habit of glorifying the uncouth. I love an occasional mindless television show as much as the next person, but I experience some severe secondhand embarrassment when a show has to have subtitles for a person who is speaking English. On the whole, Americans are lazy speakers. We mumble, run our words together, and don’t enunciate very well. “Would have” becomes “woudda” and “to” becomes “tuh.” Anyone who’s travelled knows how easy it is to pick up an accent, so it would stand to reason that we can just as easily pick up the speech patterns of people we watch on television. If you don’t think you have a problem with enunciation, I challenge you to spend one day really listening to yourself speak. I think you’ll be amazed to find you don’t speak as clearly as you think you do.

While I could probably go on for days about how to improve the way we communicate, I decided to give you three general suggestions I think will get you on your way to becoming a better writer and speaker:

1. Don’t be complacent. It really gets my goat when I hear people say “I’m a terrible speller” or “I’m bad at grammar.” I know I’ve been pretty hard on technology, but I’m aware it can be a great resource. Google (or Bing, I’m not biased) “common grammatical mistakes” and have a gander at what comes up. If there are almost three million web pages on that topic alone, imagine what else is out there! Don’t know what a word means? Look it up. Not sure if that should be a comma or a semicolon? Look it up. Even though I consider myself a fairly decent writer, my search history is still sprinkled with such queries as "Is 'everyone' singular or plural?" and "continuous vs. continual." With the myriad resources available to you, there is no excuse for being “bad at grammar.”

2. Read. From a very young age, my parents instilled in me a love a reading. As I grew, I saw how my bibliophilic tendencies made me a better communicator. Reading expanded my vocabulary and showed me how to express myself with words. To this day, I am an avid reader and this pushes me to be a better writer. I can hear you saying, “I don’t have time to read!” You’re reading this, aren’t you? I’m not saying you have to commit to epic novels, but take a few minutes every day to read something for fun. Put down the proposals and the budgets, and pick up a magazine or read an article online. Pay attention to sentence structure, vocabulary, and writing style. The more you read, the more you’ll learn about effective communication and be able to improve your own writing.

3. Be an example. If you set the bar high for yourself, the people around you will likely follow suit. My friends don’t send me texts that say “Where u at?” because they know a text like that will force me to seriously reevaluate our relationship. Take a quick second to think about how many people you emailed yesterday. How many people did those people email? Without getting too deep into the “butterfly effect,” you can see how a small change in your behavior can cause a ripple effect throughout your professional network. If we all make a conscious effort to speak and write properly, and make it clear we expect the same level of commitment from those around us, we might begin to make a dent in this issue.

In today’s environment of status updates, quick emails, and some pretty inane television, it takes work to maintain a grasp of proper English. Take some time to really assess how you communicate and the impression it gives those around you. Do your writing and speech accurately portray your level of knowledge and intelligence, or are you selling yourself short because you’re (quick frankly) lazy?

If you would like to share your personal stories or pet peeves, please feel free to do so below.

Colleen Walton

Project Coordinator/Event Management/Social Media Marketing

A newcomer to the Brand Acceleration team, Colleen brings a deep understanding of Social Media Marketing and works with clients to establish a solid position on such platforms as Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and others. She also works with clients on event marketing strategies and project coordination.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Good Economic News

Good Economic News

Alternative fuel maker Fram Renewable Fuesls will expand in Jeff Davis County, Georgia, creating 80 new jobs.

Birtley, a maker of coal equipment, will open a new facility in Lexington, Kentucky, creating 30 new jobs.

Checkers Burgers will add 450 new employees

In Anderson County, South Carolina, Henry Molded Products, Inc. a maker of packaging products, will expand and hire 18 people.

In Greencastle, Indiana, Ascena Retail Group, an apparel retailer, will expand and add 242 employees.

Ayrshire Electronics, a maker of electronic products, will expand its operation in Corinth, Mississippi, creating 15 new jobs.

In Troy, Michigan, Alternative Automotive Technologies LLC, an automotive engineering company, will expand and create 176 new jobs.

Children’s Lighthouse daycares will add 400 employees.

Mayser Polymer USA, a foam molding company, will expand in Canton Township, Michigan, creating 50 new jobs.

In Richland County, South Carolina, McEntire Produce, Inc., a food processor, will expand and create 85 jobs.

Polaris Industries, Inc., a maker of motorsports products, will expand its facility in Spirit Lake, Iowa, creating 79 jobs.

In Cullman, Alabama, Topre America, a maker of auto components, will expand and hire 200 people.

Party City party supply stores will expand and add 2,000 employees

Polaris, a maker of motorsports products, will open a research and development facility in Wyoming, Minnesota, hiring 350 people.

In Warsaw, Indiana, hip replacement maker Iconacy Orthopedic Implants LLC will expand and create 50 jobs.

In Sandersville, Georgia, General Biofuels, a maker of wood pellet products, will open a new facility and hire 35 people.

Hantover, Inc., a distributor to the food industry, will expand its operation in Overland Park, Kansas, creating 120 new jobs.

ANANGO cleaning services will expand and add 187 new jobs.

In Shell Rock, Iowa, farm equipment maker Unverferth Manufacturing Company will expand and create 75 new jobs.

Autoform Tool & Manufacturing, Inc., a specialty tool maker, will expand its operation in Steuben County, Indiana, creating 95 new jobs.

Office furniture maker HNI Corporation will expand its business in Muscatine, Iowa, creating 30 new jobs.

First Home Corporation, a provider of caregiver services, will add 80 new jobs.

Meyer Distributing, Inc., a provider of automotive products, will expand its headquarters in Dubois County, Indiana, creating 109 new jobs.

In Greenville County, South Carolina, Drive Automotive Industries of America will expand and hire 60 people.

Bell Lumber & Pole Company will establish a new facility in Western Nebraska, creating 30 new jobs.

BJ’s Restaurants will add 3,200 employees.

McKesson Corporation, a healthcare services provider, will open a distribution center in Frederick County, Virginia, creating 205 new jobs.

In Guilford County, North Carolina, Piedmont Pharmaceuticals LLC will expand and create 14 new jobs.

RSB Transmissions, a maker of automotive and heavy equipment components, will expand its operation in the City of Homer, Michigan, adding 100 employees.

Electronics retailer HH Gregg will expand and add 1,000 employees.

In South Bend, Indiana, RACO, a maker of electrical boxes, will open a distribution center and hire 77 people.

In Bibb County, Alabama, ThyssenKrup Steel USA, a provider of production materials, will expand and create 45 new jobs.

Thunder Tool & Manufacturing Ltd, a metal stamping company, will open a manufacturing operation in Richmond, Kentucky, creating 45 jobs.

In Williams Charter Township, Michigan, Merson USA Midland, a maker of extreme environment materials, will relocate and expand, generating 32 jobs.

Foss Manufacturing, a maker of non-woven fabrics, will open a manufacturing and distribution operation in Floyd County, Georgia, creating 150 new jobs.

Right-At-Home, a provider of in-home care services, will add 500 employees.

MAPAL, Inc., a tooling company, will open a new facility in Greenville County, South Carolina, creating 30 new jobs.

In Lexington, Kentucky, Allylix, Inc., a maker of renewable chemicals, will expand and add 14 employees.

Bondex, Inc., a maker of non-woven materials, will expand its operation in Edgefield County, South Carolina, adding 13 jobs.

First Advantage, a provider of talent acquisition services, will expand its headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, creating 100 new jobs.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ExxonMobil will expand its synthetic lubricants operation and add 45 jobs.

Global Textile Alliance, Inc., a maker of fabrics, will expand its operation in Rockingham County, North Carolina, creating 55 jobs.

In Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Olympic Steel will expand and add 90 new employees.

American Engineered Products, a maker of flag poles and slot machines, will open a new manufacturing plant in De Smet, South Dakota, hiring 20 people.

In Holland, Michigan, Magna Sealing and Glass Systems, a maker of automotive components, will expand and create 177 jobs.

Marco’s Pizza will expand and add 1,300 new jobs.

MSI Mold Builders, a maker of steel and aluminum molds, will expand its facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, creating 18 new jobs.

Pinnacle Foods Group plans to expand its operation in Imlay City, Michigan, creating 29 new jobs.

South Carolina Plastics LLC, a maker of automotive components, will open a new facility in Greenville County, South Carolina, creating 119 jobs.

Professional Transportation, Inc., a crew transportation service provider, will expand its operation in Evansville, Indiana, generating 100 jobs.

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, RC Components, a maker of exhaust systems and motorcycle wheels, will expand and hire 16 people.

In Russellville, Arkansas, ConAgra Foods will expand and hire 80 new employees.

Practiv, a maker of food service disposals and packaging, will expand its operation in Corsicana, Texas, creating 200 new jobs.

Paul Wurth, Inc., a maker of steel and iron, will expand its operation in Porter County, Indiana, creating 40 new jobs.

Total Jobs Announcements: 12,510

Jim Walton

CEO

Brand Acceleration, Inc.

Branding // Marketing Communications // Public Relations

Indianapolis, Indiana: 317.536.6255

Fax: 317.222.1425

Charlotte, North Carolina: 704.230.0394

Atlanta, Georgia: 404.474.7980

Cell: 317.523.7380

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