Archive for the 'Economic Development' Category

Using YouTube To Promote Your Region and Economic Development Agency

Published
by
Ian Smith
on February 5, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 0 Comments

Below is a best practice example of how to use a social media marketing tool such as YouTube, to promote two items at one time.

In the video, “Michigan Gives You the Upper Hand”, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is able to market: 1) the state as THE place for investment opportunities and 2) themselves as facilitators in getting companies to invest.

Using testimonials by CEOs, MEDC drives home the message that they are will equipped with the incentive tools,  services and skills to address investors’ key location factors inquiries.

Does your economic development agency have a video or channel on YouTube for investment attraction purposes? Is it effective? Let us know and we will mention you and the video or the channel in a future blog post.  Please email the link to Ian at ian@intelegia.com.

Intelligence “R” US: Innovative Economic Development Practices in Mauricie, Québec

Published
by
Isabelle Poirier
on February 1, 2010
in Author-Isabelle Poirier, Economic Development, Economic Intelligence, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 3 Comments

New economic development practices in a region is not the result of a sole leader. Changing the economic landscape of a region will be the work of individuals who collectively engage into innovative economic development practices.

Last week, I had the opportunity with my colleague Aicha Habiby to conduct the seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.  Sixteen participants representing different sub-regions in the Mauricie Region gathered in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Canada.

It was a busy day :-) Needless to say that because this course was computer based and we were more than happy to provide this training as a team. All participants agreed to start slowly but surely embraced social media tools to improve their regional investment attraction strategy and place their region on the radar of investors and site selectors. The process included achieving the following goals:

  • Establishing their “web identity” on social networks
  • Putting into place an information monitoring system
  • Improving their web researching skills by learning advanced research techniques using web 1.0 tools and sources, social media applications and real-time search engines
  • Generating “Intelligence” using specific analysis frameworks for investment attraction
  • Nurturing their virtual and real life communities by sharing information and knowledge
  • Being aware of key success factors and best practices for their future communication strategy

For quite awhile,  investment attraction techniques have included taking advantage of the web 1.0 however; it was just the beginning.  By tapping into the new applications on the internet,  the participants can now efficiently benchmark their region, target leads and promote their region.

If you want to know more about economic development opportunities in Mauricie, you can get in touch “within a click” with the following professionals:

At the end of the day, interesting opportunities are just one click or one phone call away from you… It’s yours to discover :-)

The Use Of Testimonials In YouTube Clips For Investment Attraction

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 27, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

What makes a good YouTube clip for investment attraction purposes?

1. A concise message with all the key locational factors that site selectors and or investors are primarily concerned about?

2. Footage of the existing land opportunities and transportation infrastructure in the region?

3. Testimonials from existing investors about the positive aspects of investing in the region?

All three elements are needed however; testimonials can go a long way in regards of putting a region on the map for investment attraction.

The following clip is from the Niagara Economic Development Corporation, the agency responsible for activities to advance the economic prosperity of the Niagara (Ontario) community.

The key elements of the video are:

  1. The various companies from an array of sectors that has selected Niagara to do business.
  2. How companies have built links within the business community and universities in the region.
  3. The level of government assistance offered to investing companies.

Through the use of testimonials to promote Niagara, the YouTube clip can effectively grab the attention of potential investors and site selectors.

Are seeking to improve your region’s investment retention or attraction strategy?  Attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

SeeClickFix: A Possible Economic Development Application?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 20, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Economic Development
. 0 Comments

Here is a web application that we happened to notice on the City of Evanston’s Facebook Fan Page.

SeeClickFix is a tool that “encourages residents to become citizens by participating in taking care of and improving their neighborhoods“.  In short, the application is a platform to post concerns about the communities that they live in.  Figure 1 illustrates the SeeClickFix page for the City of Toronto.

Figure 1: City of Toronto’s SeeClickFix Page

As shown in Figure 1, the main issues that are posted on the page are:

  1. Maintenance destroying park
  2. Dead tree branches
  3. Tree Removal

Located on the righthand side of the page is a list of locations in and around Toronto that citizens are free to post their concerns about where they live.

By using the same model as SeeClickFix, would there be a need to have an identical application for an economic development agency?  The agency would be able to open it up to citizens and other stakeholders of  the city or region to measure their needs.  On the other hand, would agencies be ready to manage any reconstructive feedback (be it positive or negative)?

SeeClickFix is available at www.seeclickfix.com

Would your economic development agency be willing to use a tool such as SeeClickFix?  Tell us!!!

Industry Cluster Development In Remote Regions: Desert Knowledge Australia

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 13, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Economic Development
. 0 Comments

The following YouTube video clips provides a look at two industry cluster development initiatives by Desert Knowledge Australia. Desert Knowledge Australia is an organization dedicated to “the know-how, ideas, innovations and perspectives that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of the desert have developed to thrive. Identifying, building, using, and sharing this desert knowledge can and does create social and economic benefits.”

Desert Knowledge Australia Mining Services Network

This video presents testimonials of how small and large companies in the mining services sector in a remote region are operating together to offer their expertise to large mining and metal companies.  The expertise of each member of the hub is used to leverage the cluster as a whole to procure contracts for Rio Tinto Alcan, BHP Billiton and Xstrata.

Desert Knowledge Australia Bush Products and Local Foods Network

This video shares some insights regarding the working dynamics of an agri-food industry cluster.  Members discuss their experiences and the benefits of being apart of the network.  In addition, it provides an example of how the companies collaborated on a strategic initiative to identify gaps in the sector to better market their products.

Monitoring Social Networks For Economic Development

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 11, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence, Economic Development and Web 2.0 Search
. 4 Comments

As of January 8th, 2010, results for the keyword search, “economic development” on Facebook yielded 396 hits for fan pages. These pages are not only built for promotional purposes but to share information with the city’s or region’s stakeholders.   As a result, the pages become as a public source of information in which competitive intelligence data can be gathered for economic development purposes.

Search Results For “Economic Development” On Facebook For Fan Pages

With the use of Google, some think that there is no need to monitor content on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.  An argument can be made that tracking information via these platforms may contribute to a region’s economic development strategy by providing strategic intelligence.

How you may ask? Consider the following:

  • Facebook Fan Pages serve as a compliment to websites and hence provides information on a frequent basis.   The pages are easier to update than websites and enables agencies to maintain the resource within a matter clicks.
  • Twitter pages can be used as a tool to push relevant information to interested individuals.  Information such as local or regional news, analysis reports or details on financial assistance programs can be available.

The motivation to “Become a Fan” or “Follow” is simple to understand from competitive intelligence point of view.  Individuals with accounts for both social networks can have a steady stream of information on regions and/or cities that are competing for investment dollars from around the globe.

Strategic intelligence for economic development purposes that can be gleaned on Web 2.0 can be in the form of:

  • Success stories in the region
  • List of key sectors / companies in the region / cities
  • Successful incentive programs
  • Regions’ value propositions

To learn more about monitoring social networks for economic development, attend Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“.

Customizing Your Facebook Page For Economic Development

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 6, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0
. 2 Comments

Now that you have created your Facebook Fan Page for your economic development agency, it is time to customize the page to make it is easier for fans to find information.  Not only can it be beneficially to your fans but to your economic development agency’s search engine optimization strategy.

Here are few examples of economic development agencies and cities that have selected to customizing their Facebook Fan Page.

Levelland, Texas

The City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page has a section that is customized thanks to boxes which contains content.   Figure 1 presents a look at the section.

Figure 1: City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page With Customized Boxes
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

Fans of the page has a “one-stop” point for news and information about Levelland.

To visit the City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page can, please click here.

Chaleur Region

The Chaleur Region, located on the northeast coast of New Brunswick, has a Facebook Fan Page with customized tabs to facilitate navigation of the page. This Web 2.0 initiative is managed by Entreprise Chaleur, an economic development agency. Figure 3 presents the tabs for the RegionChaleur page.

Figure 3: Navigational Tabs On RegionChaleur

Individuals interested in investing in the Chaleur Region can simply click on the “Invest” tab and access information on the industrial parks in the region as seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Information On Industrial Parks In The Chaleur Region

Customizing a Facebook Fan Page entails obtaining the assistance of a programmer and searching for different web applications available on Facebook that can be added to the page.

Are you seeking to build a Facebook Fan Page for economic development purposes?  Learn more about Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“

Best of Tools For Thought 2009 - Economic Development 2.0

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 23, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

In 2009, we examined the use of social networks for economic development initiatives.  Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twtter and YouTube serve as efficient vehicules to market a region without spending a huge amount of money.  The following post highlights the best practices in economic development 2.0 and related fields.

YouTube: Nova Scotia On The Map For Investment Attraction

This post provided an excellent example of how a private sector organization can use a Web 2.0 application to convince potential investors that Nova Scotia, Canada as the best location for foreign direct investment.

To learn more about this initiative and view the video spotlighting the key locational factors, click here.

Web 2.0 For E-Government?

Can Twitter be used in an e-government context?  Why not. Both Tools For Thought and Des Outils et Des Hommes identified San Francisco and New York as the cities that are utilizing Twitter to compliment a government service such as an 311 information telephone hotline.

Click here to read more about this simple use of Twitter.

What Is Available On YouTube For Site Selectors?

YouTube has quickly become a search engine for information.  Rather than using Google, some individuals are turning to the Web 2.0 site.  Intelegia conducted a search on YouTube to see what relevant videos are available for site selectors in terms of promotional content for investment attraction.

Click here to read the results of the exercise.

Are you seeking to create or improve your economic development 2.0 strategy for investment attraction?  Register for Intelegia’s seminar, Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications

Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index : Update

Published
by
Ian Smith
on December 9, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Social Media Marketing
. 4 Comments

In September 2009, E&B DATA, Intelegia’s parent company, published “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction: Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index“, a study that measured how well Canadian cities economic development agencies are marketing their regions to potential investors via the web.  Specifically, the use of social media marketing tools and the availability of relevant information for site selection purposes were assessed.  The top four ranked cities were:

  • Halifax
  • London
  • Hamilton
  • Ottawa

To see if any of the top Canadian Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA) has adopted additional Web 2.0 applications as apart of their marketing strategy for investment attraction, Intelegia visited the websites of the economic development agencies of the CMSAs on December 3rd, 2009.

The following agencies have integrated some social media marketing tools over the past few months:

  • Vancouver Economic Development Commission
  • Hamilton Economic Development
  • Montreal International
  • Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency

Vancouver Economic Development Commission

Since October 23rd, 2009, the Vancouver Economic Development Commission has been micro-blogging via its Twitter page, vaneconomic. Figure 1 presents a look at the vaneconomic page.

Figure 1: vaneconomic Twitter page

This page provides information in the form of announcements regarding award winners to the latest news about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Hamilton Economic Development

Hamilton Economic Development offers videocasts via investinhamilton TV.

Figure 2: investinhamilton TV on The Hamilton Development Website

The videocast offers news regarding companies that are investing in the city of Hamilton.

Montreal International

Montreal International recently revamped their website to include a videocast on the front page.  Figure 3 shows what the index page of the website.

Figure 3: Index Page Of Montreal International’s Website

Besides the content of the videocast that promotes Montreal as the best place to invest, the website has four navigational tabs that enable individuals to locate information easier.  By clicking on the “INVEST” tab, individuals can now access contact information for the person who is responsible for fielding inquiries about investment opportunities in the Greater Montreal area.  This piece of information was not available on past versions of the website.

Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency

The Greater Victoria Economic Development Agency has an online presence on LinkedIn and Facebook.

The LinkedIN group page was created in October 2009.  Figure 4 is a screen shot of the LinkedIN page.

Figure 4: Greater Victoria Development Agency LinkedIn Group Page

As of December 3rd, 2009, there has not been any activity on the page.   The agency’s Facebook group, started September 26th, 2009, offers the following elements to members:

  • Wall posts
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links

Figure 5 is an image of the Greater Victoria Development Agency’s Facebook group.

Figure 5: The Greater Victoria Development Agency’s Facebook Group

According, Economic Development Marketing in Canada (2009), a survey commissioned by the Economic Developer Association of Canada (EDAC), 70% of respondents identified that social media or blogging will be new marketing initiatives in 2010 for their organizations.  Based on the benchmark conducted in September 2009 and visits to the four sites listed above, it seems that some cities are slowly realizing the power of using Web 2.0 applications.

Has your organization started to use social media marketing tools for economic development 2.0 initiatives? If so, tell us and we will happy to make it the subject of a future blog post.

YouTube: Nova Scotia On The Map For Investment Attraction

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 30, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Investment Attraction and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 3 Comments

Here is another indication that the use of YouTube as a part of an economic development 2.0 strategy is being adopted by different organizations around the world.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. is a private sector-led business development agency for the maritime province located on the east coast of Canada. Along with a Twitter feed and a Facebook Fan Page, the agency has a YouTube channel with the following powerful video titled, “Nova Scotia Gets It!!”

There are four main themes that Nova Scotia Business Inc. highlights during the video:

  • Access to talented and available labour in the province
  • Competitive operating costs for companies which are located in the province
  • Providing a gateway to the North American continent
  • Quality of life in the province of Nova Scotia

For each theme, the agency provides a testimonial from representatives of companies that have invested in Nova Scotia and words from Stephen Lund, President and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc.

From a creative standpoint, the video uses headlines from news publications to show that companies are investing in Nova Scotia from different sectors.

Have you began using YouTube for your business attraction efforts for your province, state or country? Have you seen any returns as of yet? Tell us!!!