Northeast Indiana Launches Survey to Garner Regional Insight for Branding Initiative
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership recently announced a new project to develop a strategic brand for the 11-county region to target and attract new residents and talent and is seeking community input as part of the process.
The ultimate goal is to create a unified vision and road map for long-term initiatives including an authentic brand, logo and tagline that resonates with skilled talent who want to call Northeast Indiana home. The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership has collaborated with Development Counsellors International (DCI), a specialized place-marketing agency, and Northeast Indiana-based Britton Marketing & Design Group to develop this new brand and forward-looking marketing strategy.
President and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership John Sampson explained that Northeast Indiana’s vast opportunities and quality of life are often unfamiliar to or misperceived by both people outside the region and many current residents.
In the global war for talent, he noted, the region must do more to attract business and talent.
“A strong branding strategy will increase our region’s positive brand awareness. By leveraging our momentum, sense of regional identity and pride, the branding will encourage our own residents to act as ambassadors to promote Northeast Indiana. We believe that reaching talent and businesses outside of Indiana and showcasing the strength of our regional brand will increase the size and quality of the regional labor force. This will positively affect business attraction efforts and result in a skilled, more credentialed workforce and increased per capita personal income.”
As part of the first research phase, Northeast Indiana will survey residents who work and live throughout the region to gauge perceptions, strengths and weaknesses of the region as a place to live and work. The survey will be conducted online, and all residents are encouraged to provide feedback that will be used to develop the ultimate brand strategy.
The survey is open through Aug. 15.
In the months following the initial research phase, DCI, Britton and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership will work closely together to develop a branding and marketing strategy for the region. The strategy will be completed in early 2019.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s mission is to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. Founded in 2006, the public-private partnership strives to build a globally competitive region. The Partnership’s Vision 2030 framework supports collaborative regional efforts to increase per capita income, population growth and educational attainment by focusing on business attraction, talent attraction and talent development. The Partnership represents 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.neindiana.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com
