Branding New England A Regional Leadership Initiative

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Branding New EnglandA Regional Leadership
Initiative
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• Seattle
• Toronto
• San Diego
• Austin

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• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• Providence
• Seattle

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What could we do to develop and sustain a
regional brand and branding initiative?
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Why this project?

• Advances true regional argument.
• Reflects how markets/cultures actually work.
• Complements existing public programs.
• Leverages existing cooperation among states
  spearheaded by Northeast Utilities.
• Exerts long-term private sector leadership.
• Builds on the Sustainable Prosperity Report.

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Because there is little regional governance.
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Because multistate collaboration is essential,
given heightened global competition and weakening
economy.
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Besides..
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Benefits of Regional Collaboration

• Environmental, energy, transportation, economic
  and cultural issues dont respect boundaries.
• Growing number of issues too large, complex to be
  addressed within limits of one city, state.

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Benefits of Regional Collaboration

• Regionalism delivers logical, practical and
  defensible arguments
• Balances states strengths/weaknesses
• Access to extraordinary human capital.
• Healthy mix of industries and education.
• Reasonable business- and living-cost balance.
• All within reach - driving from Burlington (VT)
  to Newport (RI) takes 5 hours and from Portland
  (ME) to New haven (CT) takes 4 hours.

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Benefits of Regional Collaboration

• The Base Closure Realignment Commission (BRAC)
  process was exemplar of regional collaboration
  one of our proudest moments.
• In short-term, problems bring us together.
• In long-term, will opportunities unite as well?

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Helps New England compete more effectively and in
places where we have not previously been invited.
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Myth Busters

• New England as
• Place where states wont work together.

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Myth Busters

• New England as
• Memory
• Comforter
• Yesterdays news

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Myth Busters

• Dispel negative perceptions.
• Counter negative realities.
• Tell a positive regional story.

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Myths about branding, too.
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Not just a tagline or logo!
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Substantive, systems approach
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• ACTION

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• Recruiting
• Retention
• Reputation

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• 10,000 people

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• Identity Image Brand

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• Identity issues often ignored.

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What we did.
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What we found.
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Competitor Observations
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Competitor Observations

• Branding means many different things.
• Some excellent efforts most are mediocre.
• Many focused internally not on customer.
• Many ride short-term political cycles
• That defy how messages actually work.
• Hear. Understand. Believe. Act.
• Political boundaries dont match economies.

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Competitor Observations

• Ohio is personal. You are at the center.

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Competitor Observations

• Ohio is personal. You are at the center.
• UK understands umbrella branding.

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Competitor Observations

• Ohio is personal. You are at the center.
• UK understands umbrella branding.
• Singapore walks the service talk.

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• World easiest places
• to do business
• Singapore
• New Zealand
• United States
• Canada
• Hong Kong

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Competitor Observations

• Ohio is personal. You are at the center.
• UK understands umbrella branding.
• Singapore walks the service talk.
• Texas suffers no lack of confidence.

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The future is Texas.
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Ten Findings
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Summary Findings

• Business cost perceptions linger not
  showstoppers.
• Living cost issues tough creating reality while
  also fueling perceptions and internal angst.
• We have a powerful, singular regional story.
• Difficult/unwelcoming, but not universally.
  Besides, empowered localities/village qualities
  make NE great.
• Youth flight is real, though not as bad as we say
  it is. Lets address what were doing, tell
  stories of youth moving here, and get young
  people involved in process.

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Summary Findings

• Drink too much of our own Kool-Aid? Benefit from
  self-identity attributes of Texas, Singapore,
  Silicon Valley.
• The creativity message was right then still
  resonates now in its relationship to knowledge,
  originality, legacy.
• Stay focused on the customer (10,000 people?) and
  speak to benefits and brand promises.
• Keep it substantive. Use fact-based argument
  animated by feelings and appeal.
• Develop and sustain unrelenting, long-term focus
  on target industries/geographies. Business-like
  discipline.

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What we recommend.
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What we recommend.

• Target Industries
• Target Geographies
• Brand Strategies
• Distinct Positioning
• Messaging System
• Tagline Consideration
• Proposed Initiatives
• Multi-Year Planning

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Target IndustriesDiversified web of innovative
industries with strategic synergies as well as
some overlapping talent base and support
structures.
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Target Industries

• Specialized Knowledge-Intensive Manufacturing
• Defense Aerospace Electronics
• Precision Manufacturing
• Medical Devices
• Nanotechnology, Bionanotechnology,
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Material Sciences
• Environmental Design Remediation Technologies
• Renewable Energy Technologies
• Financial and Technological Support Services

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Target GeographiesMix of global markets with
comparative cost structures and expansion-minded,
talent-seeking businesses in growth industries.
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Target Geographies

• North America
• San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley-San Jose (CA)
• Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton-Bellevue (WA)
• Philadelphia-Camden-Brunswick (PA/NJ)
• Baltimore-Washington DC-Northern Virginia (DC/VA)
• Cleveland-Akron-Canton (OH)
• Chicago-Naperville-Joliet (IL)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington-Mankato-Rochester
  (MN)

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Target Geographies

• Canada Europe
• Toronto-Oakville-Mississauga (ON)
• Montreal-Mirabel (QE)
• Amsterdam-The Hague-Rotterdam-Maastricht-Groningen
  
• Milan-Turin-Parma (Lombardy/Piedmont/Emilia
  Romagna)
• London-Oxford-Cambridge (Oxfordshire), Liverpool
• Berlin-Stuttgart-Dusseldorf-Munich (BW, NRW,
  Bavaria)

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Were really not competing with Silicon Valley
and the West Coast. Instead, were leveraging
conditions in which we can feed off each other.
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Brand StrategyTranslating brand attributes into
brand promises.
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Brand Attributes (Descriptors)

• Positive
• Talented
• Educated
• Creative
• Determined
• Respected
• Quality

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Brand Attributes (Descriptors)

• Positive
• Talented
• Educated
• Creative
• Determined
• Respected
• Quality

• Negative
• Expensive
• Difficult
• Cold
• Old

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Brand Promises

• Because I expand into/remain in NE, I..
• Attract the best possible talent.
• Harness exceptional creativity.
• Leverage the regions respect/cachet.
• Know what I/we want and how to get it.
• Move past false perceptions, discover truths.

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Brand Promises

• Because I expand into/remain in NE, I..
• Find a high-quality work-life balance with urban,
  suburban, and rural regional options.
• Enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the four seasons.
• Discover interesting, livable, hot cities.
• Have a voice in my community.
• Achieve/share professional/personal success.
• Am an original thinker.
• Am a New Englander!

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Positioning
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Positioning Statement

• New England has long served as a global capital
  for original thinking, with a flare for
  entrepreneurialism and access to unrivaled
  talent.
• The redevelopment of economically vibrant,
  livable cities in close proximity to each other
  such as Lowell, Manchester, New Haven, Portland
  and Providence combines with Bostons universal
  assets and high regard to provide businesses with
  the resources, qualities, and options needed to
  create, grow, and succeed.

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Messaging System
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Message One - Create

• Access to unrivaled talent has long made New
  England a global capital for original thinking.
• Whether its a radical new breakthrough or clever
  innovation, creativity lies at the heart of our
  knowledge economy. Its no wonder why New
  Englanders create so many of the ideas and
  innovations known and used around the world.

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Message Two - Grow

• From agriculture and industry to technology and
  even revolution itself, New Englanders know how
  to make things grow. Let your business take root
  in a region abundant with capital, connections
  and a network of livable cities ready to fuel
  your growth ambitions.

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Message Three - Succeed

• New Englands success owes much to the heritage
  of our many entrepreneurs and explorers then
  and now. Whether its business achievement or
  the joys that come from a life well lived in our
  cities, towns and villages, New Englanders share
  a passion for success.

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Tagline Candidates
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New EnglandTalent for Business
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New EnglandThe Bright Choice
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New EnglandThe Science of Success.The Art of
Living.
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New EnglandSmart Move
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New EnglandBig Brains. Bold Ideas.
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Integrated Plan
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Integrated Plan

• Initiatives
• Materials
• Website, Digital Influence
• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Public Speaking
• Direct Marketing

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PR Example, Defense Aerospace

• Signal processing - Recruiting
• Ads/PR/Op-Eds in IEEE Spectrum, Signal Processing
  Magazine.
• Contributions to SPS website. Editor - Shih-Fu
  Chang.
• Attendance/panels/memberships in SPS, key
  conferences.
• SP database for relationship building direct
  marketing.

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PR Example, Defense Aerospace

• Signal processing - Retention
• Incorporate SP leadership into this branding
  effort.
• Signal Processing in New England hosted
  breakfast.
• Op-Ed celebrating SP in New England.
• Repurposed as e-mail blast and direct-mail piece.

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Whats Next?
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Whats Next?

• Execute Final Research
• Finish Brand Strategy Messaging
• Approve Tagline
• Develop Visual Identity, Mock Materials
• Launch Initiative

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Vote for Tagline
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Thanks!
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Whats Next?

• Research
• Prioritize target-recruiting industries by best
  segments.
• Prioritize target-recruiting geographies by best
  locations.
• Interviews of key thinkers in this area such as
  Barry Bluestone and Bill Guenther.

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Whats Next?

• Brand Strategy Messaging
• Commence tagline testing, awareness campaign.
• Formally test taglines and choose one.
• Develop visual identity integrate with
  messaging.
• Align core messages with specific proof points.
• Develop brand strategy/messaging training
  curriculum.

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Whats Next?

• Leadership Consensus Development
• Broaden/deepen regional leadership and support.
  Meet with public/private officials in six states,
  explaining program, soliciting ideas and
  subsequently validating their input by showing
  how it was used.
• Exhibit some flexibility by accommodating certain
  needs, desires and conditions in each state.
• Create database of supporters. Build momentum
  with ever-increasing pool of leaders and
  supporters.

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Whats Next?

• Leadership Consensus Development
• Formalize linkages with young professionals,
  which started during Phase I discussions with
  UMass Emerging Leaders. Enlist similar groups
  across six states and place young people on
  steering committee.
• Run training session for steering committee,
  young professionals and certain private/public
  leaders.

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Whats Next?

• Leadership Consensus Development
• Key initial meetings
• Business development officials for each Governor.
  
• Major Chambers of Commerce
• Ten CEOs from all states to carry the pitch.
• Small number of university presidents.
• Find one heavy hitter champion in each state.
• New England Council is right convening authority.

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Whats Next?

• Materials
• Develop case statement as fundraising tool.
• Build initial website, perhaps merging with Team
  New England web-development work.
• Create mock-up trade-magazine print
  advertisement, e.g. signal processing sector.
• Create demo podcast embed on new website and
  distribute via e-mail blast.

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Whats Next?

• Launch
• Stage substantive half-day event to launch
  Initiative.
• Engage in targeted follow-up via phone, e-mail,
  letters.
• Seize momentum and convert it into funding,
  leadership and implementation.
• Start the campaign!

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1 Cost-of-doing-business real, but not as
relevant

• Region is reasonably competitive.
• Strong high-cost, high-tax perceptions linger.
• With knowledge, business-cost issue can be
  discounted.
• Or at least pegged to quality and value received.

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2 Cost-of-living issues highly relevant

• Driven by housing costs
• Exacerbated by energy, transportation.
• Making parts of region unaffordable
• Especially to young people/families.
• Branding must address this non-defensively
• Demonstrate efforts to address COL factors
• Starter home and regional transportation
  initiatives.
• Tell stories of success here with COL remedies.

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3 We have a powerful regional message

• Multi-state strategy finds people working in
  Greater Boston and living in MA, NH, RI, or ME.
• Multi-state strategy finds national
  opinion/business leaders maintaining second homes
  in New England.
• Sometimes, Bostonians have difficulty seeing full
  regional argument.

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3 We have a powerful regional message

• We can tell a regional story like never before
• 10 or 20 years ago, one could not say New England
  features a global capital surrounded by a
  network of renaissance cities.
• Providence, Portsmouth, Portland, Burlington,
  Manchester, Hartford, New Haven and Lowell have
  become competitive, interesting places.
• Good rail, highway and wireless connections.
• Plus, our access to New York, Washington, Canada,
  Europe.
• Plus, our compact size and access to authentic
  country/shore.

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3 We have a powerful regional message

• Who are we?
• City of Boston
• Greater Boston
• Any one of our key cities/regions
• Boston MSA
• Boston CSA
• Any one of the six states
• New England

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4 Perception of being difficult, unwelcoming

• Although this varies by region
• Were actually much nicer than we seem.
• The brand personality cant put a smiley face on
  this.
• Inability/unwillingness to go the extra mile
• Coupled with power of localities.
• Historic New England grassroots governance.
• Burdensome permitting, regulatory procedures.
• Inflate the cost of doing business
• It leaves some to ask, Why bother?

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4 Perception of being difficult, unwelcoming

• Is there some silver lining here?
• Yes, some efforts regionally to make it easier.
• Besides, New England charms of empowered
  localities can make for high-quality living
• I really do have a voice in my community.
• The village still matters.
• This is authentic New England.
• We are not generic. We dont have the
  sprawl.
• Our distinctiveness is our competitive
  advantage.
• For business, whats the right balance?

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5 Youth/young family flight is real

• The data say theyre leaving and we know its
  true.
• Yet recent Fed study suggests new
  citizen/resident offset.
• Still, we give this challenge additional
  anecdotal weight
• Some young people/families do actually move here.
• Lets tell their stories.
• If young people are leaving, then young people
  can really make a mark here. There are jobs for
  them.

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5 Youth/young family flight is real

• Young people dont buy the old attitudes.
• Can a new chemistry emerge?
• In every setting ask, Where are the young
  people?
• UMass Emerging Leaders Collaborative.

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5 Youth/young family flight is real

• What strategies will engage young people?
• Who want authenticity and resist B.S.
• Interesting, since were authentic and youth want
  authenticity.
• Again, lets use weakness as strength
• Bring young people into this process.
• Ask them to help us solve this problem.
• Make their effort part of the brand and its
  launch.
• Utilize social media and other technologies.
• That can also help to fortify our own
  self-identity.

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6 Drink less of our own Kool-Aid

• Identity Image
• Negatives come up first and often in
  conversations we have with ourselves about
  ourselves.
• We lament cost-of-living/youth-flight more than
  we demonstrate how were addressing them.
• Texas and Singapore dont have this self-identity
  issue.
• Key will be to counter negatives with facts.
• And then tell our powerful regional story.
• We have some internal identity work to do.

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7 Creativity matters and we have a good story

• New ways of seeing things
• Original thinking.
• This is our heritage.
• Success means having creative vision, finding
  right mix of education, capital, services,
  technologies, and talent
• Its all part of the creative process.
• Its key to the knowledge economy.
• Were past the creative thing, but whats the
  next concept like it?
• The word doesnt mean anything anymore.

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8 Focus on the customer. Its not about us.

• Focus on the brand promise (benefits)
• Its all about my success.
• Unlocking success is like figuring out the
  tumblers on a safe, like cracking the code.
• We make this safecracking much more difficult.
• But the successes speak for themselves.
• Narrative that focuses on personal success will
  be key
• People want to leave a legacy.

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9 Sell the substance

• Embed facts, solutions, and intentions into the
  brand
• Deploy facts at the core of our message.
• And them amplify them with stories and feelings.
• Dont dodge tough issues.
• Be creative, yes, but our audiences are too
  smart for spin
• Branding is not fluffernutter.

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10 Achieve focus, discipline, and long-term
outlook

• Efficiency is key to effectiveness
• Focus on the right markets
• We will be recommending a diversified web of 10
  innovative industries with strategic synergies.
• And the right geographies
• We will be recommending a mix of global markets
  with comparative cost structures and
  expansion-minded, talent-seeking businesses in
  key these industries.

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Integrated Plan Research

• Target recruiting decision-makers and
  influencers.
• Target retention decision-makers and influencers.
• Youth and young families.
• Target industries specification and
  prioritization.
• Target geographies specification and
  prioritization.

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Integrated Plan Initiative 1

• Create branded retention program led, developed,
  and implemented by young professionals
• Enlist 15-20 young people as advocates.
• Ask for help countering reality/perceptions of
  youth flight.
• Produce empirical/anecdotal evidence countering
  perceptions.
• Create 10-point regional retention program with
  an attitude!
• Feature blogs, podcasting, and Flickr photo sites
  engaged in a dialogue about business and life in
  New England.
• Enlist regional creative talent of appeal to
  20-somethings to help deliver the message on new
  website, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

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Integrated Plan Initiative 2

• Revive/refocus Creative Economy Initiative and
  link to the knowledge economy
• Reset definitions and expectations
• Populate/capitalize with leadership from target
  industries.
• Organize around Creative New Englands network
  of urban hot spots or renaissance cities
  connecting Boston, Burlington, Manchester,
  Portland, Portsmouth, Lowell, Hartford,
  Providence.
• Potential to serve as lens for this branding
  initiative.
• Connect back to young people, colleges, new media.

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Integrated Plan Initiative 3

• Create/train 20-30 person senior executive team
  of ambassadors to play active
  recruiting/retention role
• Some people minimize the value of the CEO phone
  call when attempting to persuade a fellow CEO to
  come/stay.
• However, real value of this effort may be to
  dilute the Kool-Aid.
• Getting us mission-focused and believing our own
  arguments.
• Leadership at this level will unleash leadership
  at other levels.
• Hold visible brand strategy/message training
  session, Q2 2008.

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Integrated Plan Initiative 4

• Commission photography students (RISD, MassArt)
  to shoot New England The Science of Success.
  The Art of Living exhibit
• Drawn from creative commerce in Boston,
  Burlington, Portland and across our network of
  urban hot spots.
• Featured in materials and media.
• Create virtual exhibit for website, cyberspace
  (Flickr).
• Create exhibit for road shows, corporate hosts.
• Have hot, contemporary NE writers offer narrative.

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Integrated Plan Materials 1

• Produce compelling Website for initiative
• Create a more youthful, edgy look and feel.
• But steeped in substance and intellectual
  capital.
• Reflecting a can do attitude and service
  orientation.
• Willing to address real issues regarding our
  limitations.
• Perhaps linked to (same as) Northeast
  Utilities-led site.

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Integrated Plan Materials 2

• Develop integrated Case Statement
• For use as fundraising tool.
• In print and PDF format, downloadable from
  website.
• Driven by core messages with contemporary style.
• Augmented by powerful photography.

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Integrated Plan Materials 3

• Create comprehensive speech for use by CEO
  ambassadors, youth advocates, and others
• Makes our case.
• Uses messaging, language choices, themes.
• Develop supporting PPT template with photography.
• Can be used by NE private/public leaders as
  insert into existing speeches.

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Integrated Plan Advertising 1

• Create vertical advertising campaign focused on
  target markets of greatest opportunity
• Test with 1-2 of our target industries.
• Message consistent with needs/vocabulary of
  markets.
• Media buy focused on industry trade magazines.
• Work with trade media helps with retention, too.
• Find multipurposing wherever possible.

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Integrated Plan Advertising 2

• Create edgy outdoor/transit campaign in target
  geographic markets
• The right billboard near the Mayo Clinic,
  Cleveland Clinic, or on the Milan-Parma
  AutoStrada could pay handsome dividends.
• Plus, wed ensure publicity bounce back home.
• Helping with our identity needs.

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Integrated Plan Public Relations

• Create vertical PR campaign focused on target
  markets of greatest opportunity
• Test with 1-2 of our target industries.
• Message consistent with needs/vocabulary of
  markets.
• Media buy focused on industry trade magazines.
• Work with trade media helps with retention, too.
• Multipurpose wherever possible.