| John L. Gann, Jr.,"Beefing Up Your Brochure: A Marketing Checklist," Missouri Municipal Review, (Missouri Municipal League), January, 2000, p. 15.
Costly brochures promoting towns or their business districts or neighborhoods can yield disappointing results. Gann offers a checklist to evaluate your present brochure and make your next one more effective without spending more. Pointers include cover, copy, graphics, layout, and response, all with explanation and illustrations. John L. Gann, Jr., "Competitive Advantage: The Key to Successful Communities," Pennsylvanian (Pennsylvania State Association. of Boroughs), June, 2000, p. 24. Incentives aren't enough in an era when communities have become commodities. But places can learn what their "customers" want and be better at something. John L. Gann, Jr., "Competitive Community Marketing: Fluff Is Not Enough," Current Municipal Problems, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2006, p. 389. Communities can spend on logos, slogans, Web sites, and color brochures without much marketing payoff. Here's how to boost effectiveness while also saving money. John L. Gann, Jr., "Immigrants Infuse Upstate With Fresh Jobs," Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, June 23, 2013, p. D1. Entrepreneurial immigrants are job-creators, and lagging economic regions like Upstate New York do well to seek them out. |
John L. Gann, Jr., "Making Your Community Special," Municipal Maryland, September-October, 2004, p. 6.
There's a better strategy for attracting jobs and tax base than price-cutting financial incentives. It's marketing your community as a special place. Gann cites 7 examples that allow places to add value and avoid competing with "commodity communities" on price. John L. Gann, Jr., "What the Detroit Bankruptcy Means for Our Communities,"Cities & Villages, (Ohio Municipal League), September/ Detroit went bankrupt because it didn't sell to automakers, other businesses, and families. It can learn about reinventing itself from one of its greatest business leaders. John L. Gann, Jr., "Industry Wanted," Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, November 30, 2008, p. E1. Neither silence about its advantages nor meaningless advertising messages will overcome perceptions of New York State as an undesirable place for business. John L. Gann, Jr., "Time to Start Selling Idea of Region," Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News, Mar. 5, 1998. "Visioning" programs result in little more than glorified wish lists. Communities can't stop with just seeing their future; they also have to sell it. |