Richmond, VASeptember 19, 2019

Julie CurtinPresident

Economic Development

Susan BrakeVice PresidentDigital Strategy

Steve DuncanVice President

Paid Digital

Your VEDA Workshop Facilitators

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Telling Your Story to Your Target Audiences: Corporate Executives and Site Selection Consultants

THE 8TH EDITION

Corporate Executives 75%Site Selection Consultants 25%

76% M

24% F

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS

331 Respondents

25+ Employees53%

35%1-25

Employees

I am a Single practitioner11%

Size of Company

CORPORATE EXECUTIVES SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS

Influencing Executive Perceptions: Leading Sources of Information

What are the three leading sources of information influencing your perceptions

of an area’s business climate? Q

46%

Dialogue with Industry Peers

34%

Articles in Newspapers and Magazines

42%

Business Travel

INFLUENCING EXECUTIVE PERCEPTIONS:Leading Sources of Information

LEADING SOURCES OF INFORMATION

>10% OF TOTAL RESPONSES• Advertising • TV and radio newscasts/shows• Direct mail • Other

LEADING SOURCES OF INFORMATION (RESPONSES OVER TIME)

Where Are Executives Getting Their News?

What newspapers, magazines and online sources do you read most frequently? Q

WHERE ARE EXECUTIVES GETTING THEIR NEWS?

What specific surveys/rankings do you pay the most attention to? Q

SURVEYS & RANKINGS

Best And Worst Places for Businesses 2017

Best Marketing Techniques

Please rate the effectiveness of the following marketing techniques as a means of influencing your opinion when considering a new location.

Q

MOST EFFECTIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUES

MOST EFFECTIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUES(RESPONSES OVER TIME)

The Web and Site Selection

What is the likelihood that you will visit an economic development

organization's website during your next site location search?

Q

LIKELIHOOD OF VISITING AN ED ORGANIZATIONS’ WEBSITE DURING NEXT SITE SEARCH (RESPONSE OVER TIME)

LIKELIHOOD OF VISITING AN ED ORGANIZATION’S WEBSITE DURING NEXT SITE SEARCH

(CORPORATE EXECUTIVES VS. LOCATION ADVISORS)

Web Design:Important Information

for Site Selectors

Which features do you consider most important to the utility of an economic development organization's website?

Q

MOST USEFUL FEATURES OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION’S WEBSITE(CORPORATE EXECUTIVES VS. LOCATION ADVISORS)

Demographic Information

Incentive Information

Comparisons to Competitor Locations

60%

52%

48%

Incentive Information

Staff Contact Information

Major Employer List

69%

69%

60%

Corporate Executives Location Advisors

Social Media and Executive Decision Makers

Which social media channels do you currently use for business purposes?Q

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS USED FOR BUSINESS

First Contact: When Executives Turn to

Economic Development Groups

Generally, at what stage in a site location search would you first contact economic development organizations?

Q

42%

12%

FIRST CONTACT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS

Tool #1: Let Local Execs Tell Your Community Story

Tool #1: Let Local Execs Tell Your Community Story

Brian BrownChief Legal Counsel & Chief

Operating Officer

Tool #2: Define a Brand that is AuthenticWhen Telling Your Story

Tool #2: Define a Brand that is AuthenticWhen Telling Your Story

A brand is built by what

others say about your community –not what you say about yourself.

40

What Place Branding is Not:

A Logo A Tagline What You Say

In its simplest sense, it is “who you are” as a region or

organization and what sets you apart from your competitors

42

Research

Answers the Question: Who are We

The Place Branding Timeline

43

Tips for Being Who Are

SWOT Analysis Common Themes

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.

3 Words That Describe Your Community

3 Biggest Strengths

3 Biggest Weaknesses

What Kind of Car Is Your Community?

• 3 Words that Describe Your Community• 3 Biggest Strengths• 3 Biggest Weaknesses • What Kind of Car Is Your Community

Group Discussion

48

49

The Place Branding Timeline

Research

Which Develops

Your Position

• A positioning statement is one of the fundamental pieces of any solid marketing campaign.

• Simply stated, it’s a summary of what makes your community unique and valuable to your target market.

• It answers the question: How does your community benefit your target audience better than anyone else can?

Positioning Statement

For people and businesses who are not content with the ordinary—in themselves, their work or their lives—

Colorado is the state that constantly reveals and inspires the extraordinary in how we play, work, create, feel and

live.

Positioning Statement Example

52

The Place Branding Timeline

Research

Which Develops

Your Position

Which Influences Your Logo

Inspired by Geography

Inspired by the SWOT

WINING

STRATEGIES

Most Communities Stop Here

Your Brand is Built by What Others Say

57

The Place Branding Timeline

Research

Which Develops

Your Position

Which Influences Your Logo

Which You Market

the Heck Out of

Tips to Effectively Communicate Your Brand

Tips to Effectively Communicate Your Brand

Networking Break

11:00am-11:30am Networking Break

11:30am Return to Ballroom (brief discussion)

Noon Boxed lunch & “Story Telling” Exercise

WINING

STRATEGIES

Telling Cincinnati’s Story

Provide spokespeople

with key messaging.

WINING

STRATEGIES

Interactive Learning Lunch

Tool #3: Design the Economic Development Website of the Future

The Economic Development Website of the Past

They are Generic

They are Built on Outdated Frameworks

They are Withholding

They Target the Wrong Audience

They Report Vanity Metrics

The Economic Development Website of the Future

Add Photo Here

They Include the Basics

Add Photo Here

• They drive visitors down their correct path clearly

• They have specific call-to-actions based on the needs of each end user

• Use new technology to identify specific companies visiting your website

They are Specific

Add Photo Here

• Responsive pie charts, tables, and graphs Listed throughout the entire site on relevant pagesFocus on labor statistics, demographics, statistics by industry, major employers, gdp, rankings and any other data that have been used in responses to proposals.

They Bring Data to Life

Add Photo Here

They continually monitor what’s

happening in the global web

community and update their

website to stay relevant in the

eyes of Google.

They Adapt

Add Photo Here

• They have a content plan in place based on key pillars

• Every piece on your website, social and digital campaigns align with your content pillars

• They bring your data alive into something relatable

They Tell a Great Story

Live Analysis

Websites for Inspiration

91

Tools #4 Engage the Media Proactively

State of the Media

Since the end of the recession, newspapers and magazines have shed about 113,000 jobs, while Internet publishing companies have added about 114,000 (The Atlantic).

The Traditional Newsroom• Budget cuts• High turnover/layoffs• Reporters are more stretched than ever• 24 hour news cycle = doing more with less• Shift from print to online

75% of journalists surveyed feel like less than 25% pitches they receive are relevant (Cision’s 2019 State of the Media Report)

How the media is covering places:

10 trending topics this year1. Political figures2. Rankings3. Workforce4. Real estate developments5. Race, diversity and culture6. Lifestyle7. Smart cities8. Sustainability 9. Quirky startups10.Public policies

Prepare to Tell Your Story to the Media(5 KeySteps)

1. Determine 5 -7 key messages (that build on your brand)

2. Select spokespeople who represent your brand/story

3. Prepare spokespeople

4. Determine target media list (your “most wanted”)

5. Build up a library of visuals that reflect well on your community

Provide Spokespeople with Key Messaging

96

o

Provide Spokespeople with Key Messaging

What Makes News?

• FUEL Assets• First• Unique• Extraordinary• Largest

99

Proactive Story Telling (3 Approaches)

Pitch A Reporter Schedule A Desk Side Host Reporters

Email introduction, story

idea, why it’s relevant.

Provide spokespeople,

facts/data.

Follow up with phone call.

Meet with local editorial team to share relevant

story ideas.

Take spokespeople to major media market.

Invite journalists from your

target media list to your

community. Meet with

spokespeople/tour

companies.

Host Reporters to your Community

1. Determine your storyline (that supports brand)

2. Find companies that relate to that storyline

3. Develop a target media list for that particular industry

4. Invite reporters via email to participate

5. Host reporters to the region

6. Playback the trip to your local media

7. Capture all placements from the trip

Case Study: Calgary, Alberta

• Goal: Showcase Calgary, Alberta as a major North American hub for transportation and logistics via road, rail and air.

• Hosted four transportation and logistics journalists; toured 9 Calgary companies.

• Resulted in 4 articles, equating to more than $147K in advertising equivalency.

Tools #5 Engage the Media Reactively

Tools #5 Engage the Media Reactively

Being prepared is critical.

Establish ground rules early, such as:• Who speaks for the city;• Which experts are needed;• What information will be available; and• What can be shared and; • When it should be shared.

Tools #5 Engage the Media Reactively

When YOU are being interviewed….• Never repeat a negative• Don't be defensive• Don't say no comment• Nothing is off the record• Don't answer hypothetical questions• Learn how to block and bridge

Tools #5 Engage the Media Reactively

Blocking in an Interview

A few blocking options:•“Thank you for bringing that up, however, it’s also important to emphasize…”•“That is an important point and it also speaks to a bigger issue which is…”•“That is one way to think about it. Another way is…”•“That is not my area of expertise, but I can tell you…”•“It’s our policy not to discuss XYZ, but what I can tell you is…”

Tools #5 Engage the Media Reactively

…then Build a Bridge• The truth is…

• The facts are…

• What you really need to know is…

• The real issue here is…

• What I can tell you is…

• What I want to discuss today…

• Let’s start from the top…

Working with Your Local Media:Up Close with Michael Martz, Richmond Times Dispatch

Networking Break

Tool #6: Manage Your Online Reputation

Insert PollAnywhere for following questions:

#1 – Overall, do you like what you see?

A. Yes, love it! My community looks sharp.B. Some searchers make us look solid; others could be better.C. Eeck! This is what people see when they google us?

#2 – Do the images you saw accurately reflect your community?

A. Absolutely.B. Yes, but they could be better.C. Oh heck no! This isn’t good.

#3 – Roughly how many total search results came up across all of these that linked to your own organization?

A common theme among several of this year’s findings is the increasing value placed on the internet and other digital information during the site-selection process.”

DCIWinning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing

111

Assessing Your Online Reputation

Google It Go on Social What’s Missing?

Put yourself in the shoes of

executives (and even

talent). What you see is

what they see. Focus on the

first page.

Check hashtags and geo

tags to see what comes up

on Twitter and Instagram.

What conclusions will

people draw?

Just as important as what

comes up is what doesn’t

come up. Which community

assets need a boost?

112

Three Things You Can Do This Month

Update Wikipedia Driving Traffic Boost Your Authority

Often among the first

results on “place” queries;

can set the narrative on the

economy, major employers

& quality of life.

Use social media, email,

etc. to drive traffic to your

website. Increased traffic &

engagement on the website

can help improve rankings.

Work with local partners to

link to your website. It

helps Google see your

content as more

authoritative, boosting

rankings.

Tools #7: Pragmatic Digital Tools forCommunity Story Telling

2019 is the Year of Pragmatism

Source: Forrester

50% of digital transformation efforts stalled in 2018.

119

Why Did the Digital Transformation Stall

Organizational Readiness Clear Executive Support Revenue Impact

Source: Forrester

A year of pragmatism will be good for traction “if it

yields purpose-driven,

decisive, and more far-reaching strategies in 2020.”

Practical Tips for Social Media

Add Photo Here

●How will this benefit or inspire my audience?●Be human – it’s a two-way

conversation ●Promote news items, blogs and

successes and driving traffic back to the website●Celebrate your team, your economy,

the businesses and people finding success

Be a Valuable Advocate

●Outline your organization’s rules and

regulations, including branding,

etiquette and engagement, and

confidentiality.

●Consider it your 10 Commandments of

how to engage online

Develop a Social Media Policy

Add Photo Here

●Outline your organization’s rules and

regulations, including branding,

etiquette and engagement, and

confidentiality.

●Consider it your 10 Commandments of

how to engage online

Incorporate Hashtags

Add Photo Here

●Establish professional connections and

thought leadership.

●Optimize your profile, encourage your

staff to share updates and network.

Leverage LinkedIn

Practical Tips for Reporting

Add Photo Here

●Awareness:

▪ Increase in site visitors▪Sources of traffic (direct, organic, social media,

other marketing efforts) as well as actions driven by each.

●Engagement:▪Goal completions (pages that are indicative of

gold standard behavior for your website’s overall KPIs)

▪Downloads ▪E-newsletter sign-ups

●Conversions:

▪Contact outreach ▪Any other big CTAs on your website

Tool #8: Embrace a Content Strategy That Tells Your Story

Whereas you might use features and benefits in your marketing, the C-Suite needs credibility and business case first. Your product and your brand are distractions. Features and benefits are white noise.”

SeraphScienceThe Definitive Guide to C-Suite Marketing

133

“We’re a talent magnet.”

“Our quality of life is second to none.”

“We are centrally located.”

“We’re at the crossroads of two major interstates.”

“Our tech scene is booming.”

What are Features & Benefits in EconDev?

134

Instead, Build Credibility Through…

Data Facts Success Stories

Consider data visualizations

that compare your market

with peers; be specific

about size, quantity, wage

data, etc.

Feature credible rankings

and reports; the first’s,

most’s, and best’s that are

based in fact; PR successes

that highlight your assets.

Feature other companies

that have succeeded. Work

with them to get data.

Highlight companies that

not only came, but grew

their presence.

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Five Minute Energizer! Everyone stand up!

What is one new perspective you have about digital tools?

Based on today what is one of your community’s greatest story telling opps?

If you could change one thing about your website, what would it be?

What is one learning you are going to share with your marketing team?

What is one “ah-ha” you had about working with your local media?

What is one meeting you are going to schedule when you get home (based on today’s content)?

Tool #9: Amplify Your Message Through Paid Search

Tool #9: Amplify Your Message Through Paid Search

144

• Rank for keywords you otherwise wouldn’t

• Capitalize on “intent” driven searches

• Often the highest click-through rates and conversion rates in advertising

• A low-cost, low-risk way to increase visibility & drive traffuic

Add Photo Here

The Power of Paid Search

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Some Numbers…

50% $2.69 1 in 5More likely to make a

purchase via paid search than organic.

Average cost per click for a

paid search ad. The cost per

action is just $48.96.

Users is unable to tell the

difference between native

ads like paid search and

organic content.

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How To Get Started

Identify Top Assets in Community

Use Keyword Tools to Confirm Searches

Keywords in Ads & Landing Pages

What are the top assets in

your community that

people could potentially

find via search (megasites,

CRE, industrial land).

Use Keyword Planner to

determine if search volume

is enough to trigger the ads

(or if alternate phrasing is

possible).

Use top keywords in ad

copy & on the landing page.

This will help the ads

appear more often and

drive better engagement.

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150

3 Tips for Successful Campaigns

Watch for Negatives

Include a Call to Action

Use MatchTypes

Keep an eye on the “search

terms” section of your

campaigns. If irrelevant

keywords appear, add them

as“negative keywords”.

Use CTAs in ad copy to help

guide users towards specific

actions, such as “Contact

Us”, “View Sites” or “See

Available Properties.”

Utilize “exact match” and

“phrase match” keyword

types to minimize spend on

irrelevant queries.

Thank You!Now go out and tell your community story!