From this past week’s Optimization Summit #optsum social media conference: How to Rock PR Coverage for Your Business or Brand. It was a two-hour workshop all about finding your stories and sharing them effectively. Enjoyed the audience’s involvement, questions and results. They were rocking their first pitchengine.com releases before the end of the workshop.

And from this past week’s Oklahoma Municipal League‘s Annual Meeting: Using ICSC To Attract Retail for Cities. A primer for cities wanting to grow their retail base.

The average person can recall and correctly identify logos for global, long-established companies (think McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Nike, etc.), a handful of local businesses they frequent, and their city’s logo. Whether the smallest town or the largest cities, municipal branding ranks high on recognition regardless of the logo.

The challenge for cities isn’t whether or not their logo is memorable to their citizens because no matter how bad, it will be… water bills, public works trucks, the water tower, employee uniforms, city hall signage, etc. The challenge is what story does it tell outsiders – potential new residents, businesses, developers and so on. Businesses know that a logo is a visual part of the brand… the promise. A logo represents not just who you are, but what you’re offering. Too many city logos focus on where they’ve been… on the past. Take a look at your city (or your business) logo.

If it showcases what people remember about your past, or what made you into the city you are now, it’s time to rethink your brand.

Every time I share those thoughts with a municipal committee (and city logos are almost always a committee-based process), someone – or several ones –  says, “What?! We can’t ignore our history like that! XYZ is what made us famous/great/different!” I’m not advocating that cities ignore their history, just asserting that the logo is not the place to focus on it. Add a page or two to your website that tells the story of where you’ve been and what made you great. Invest some dollars into your local museum, or better yet, into promoting it to your citizens.

Again… everyone who lives in your city will know your logo. The people or businesses you want to attract aren’t going to investigate what you’re all about (and whether they belong in your city) based on your history. They’ll base the decision to dig deeper based on the future possibilities you promise. Your logo should focus on the future possibilities.

Once we hurdle the past v. future debate, it’s time to start the real work.

Good brands usually have both a strong visual icon or image and a tagline that sings. Again, think about Nike or McDonald’s…. the brand promise isn’t just the swoosh or the arches, it’s the icon plus “Just do it” or “I’m loving it.” Because city logo design is typically a committee-driven process, we don’t start with the logo. We start with the tagline. Removing the visual element lets us concentrate with the group first on the story we’re trying to tell… on what one thing we want people to think, know, feel about this community if they see the brand.

In the next post, I’ll detail the process we go through with the group to develop a tagline for a community. It usually takes between 90 and 120 minutes, and I’ve used it successfully with multiple cities. It’s a process I enjoy, and one the members always tell me afterward was way more fun than they thought it would be

ICSC RECon convention common area

This year, the mood, pace and tone of RECon (the International Council of Shopping Centers annual Retail Convention in Las Vegas) is palpably different. Whatever the economists say, the winds have shifted in the development and tenanting side of retail. A few observations from days 1 and 2 of the show:

People are dressed for success. Gone is the recent trend of more casual wear… far fewer attendees this year are in khakis and a golf shirt. And jeans? Unless you’re from Texas and wearing them with the requisite boots, sport coat and belt… no. In the easy days, a few years ago, the mood was different. There would always be more deals; there was plenty of retail to go around. Today. everyone seems to understand that while retailers are beginning to plan new stores again, fewer deals to do overall means you better work what you’re selling. And look like the recession didn’t kill your business and wreck your balance sheet.

Shows cost money and time is money. People are focused this year. Tight schedules, business-like attitudes and less chit-chat seem to be the rule. The economy has forced developers, retailers, brokers and cities to carefully consider the cost of attending the convention and how best to maximize the return on the investment. For instance, our day yesterday started with a coffee meeting at 8:30 and ended after a dinner with clients that wrapped at 9:30. No breaks in between… I finished the night in the same outfit I wore to the first meeting of the day. Lunch was a free fruit and walnut salad from the McDonald’s booth and a free hot dog from Thor Equities booth (thanks to you both!) eaten leaning against a pillar on the show floor.

Cautious optimism is the new normal. Developers we’ve talked with about sites in our client cities (the “Marketing Places, Spaces… part of our company) have been universally cautiously optimistic. We’re hearing, “[retailers] are beginning to plan new stores and think about the future, but everything matters on every site.” In other words, with so many sites out there and fewer stores to take them, only the sites that truly suit the purpose, generate return, have the access and amenities desired and where the development process is swift and simple are making the cut. Many retailers who in the past would build 50 stores a year and now looking for the 5 to 10 best sites for 2012 sites.

I think it’s been one of the most productive ICSC shows I’ve attended and I am looking forward to the hard work after the show of changing interest into announcements. I’m cautiously optimistic that the next year in retail is going to be a good one.

Some of you know that about half of my consulting-side work is in economic development for cities and site owners. Mostly retail, but we also help cities attract new residential and industrial/office development as well. It’s work I love because if I do my job well, a corner of the world is a better place when I’m through… the new businesses increase the tax base, allow cities to provide additional services for residents, provide access to goods and services within a community (less driving, less sprawl) and provide employment. We also work with client communities to facilitate public involvement, manage public perceptions and effectively use public relations to promote positive developments.

For retail attraction, the biggest show of the year is the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) annual convention in Las Vegas, a show we attend every year. I spend most of April and May preparing for the show, updating marketing pieces, research, white papers, graphics, etc., etc., so we’re armed and ready. Typically, several of our clients attend the show with us, so we’re “on” from the moment we hit the airport until the moment we actually get into our car to drive home from the same airport 4 days later. It is the most exhausting experience next to childbirth. And it usually takes me fewer days to recover from childbirth.

The show is 3 hard days of pressurized meeting, rounds of receptions and engagements, and an INSANE amount of walking. Needless to say, I don’t wear my high heels. We hope to come back with new client leads for our services, new interest in sites in our client communities, and closed deals on other parcels or lots already in process. Even in this hyper-connected world of ours… the hard work in this arena still gets done face-to-face. Priceless connections are made, relationships renewed and business furthered. While the trip is a major expense and emotional drain, it is the single most important and effective event in our year.

Why am I telling you all this? I’m begging your forgiveness, in advance, for the break I’ll be taking this week from blogging. I probably won’t be coherent until sometime next week after returning late Wednesday from the show. And I hate to post incoherent ramblings on the blog. ;P In the meantime… if you all have something to say, just go on and post in the comments. I’m looking forward to hearing your trade show experiences and (shareable) Vegas experiences.

My Gowalla Page

The mantra in real estate has always been, “Location, Location, Location!” Over the past year, since the advent of  location-based apps such as Foursquare and Gowalla, it’s seemed the plugged-in community has adopted the location motto as its own. Predictions were made, and disputed, about how important these apps could be.

I resisted the allure for a while but succumbed to the new avenue for connection. I’m a sucker for connecting. After several months of using both Foursquare and Gowalla… here’s what I think about the potential and the problems:

Problems I see:

Spam abounds. (It’s possible to drive by a strip center slowly and “check in” to a dozen places in a few minutes.) I’ve “turned off” several people on either service who did this routinely and made my phone go nuts with their check in message. And their poor Twitter or Facebook friends! *shudder*

Stalker potential is high. Early on, I was enamored with the newness of it all and checked in to both services most everywhere I went. Then the sobering reality of just how much information I was giddily sharing with the known world made me pause… and rethink a bit. I still check in often, but not usually if I’m traveling alone. And I keep many of my check ins off of Twitter and FB…. only the connections I’ve accepted on the location services see where I’m visiting.

Reward factor is low. I’m the Mayor of 18 places on Foursquare. Yes, it’s true… 18. And the rewards for that, so far? Nil. Nada. Zilch.

Connection potential is limited. Yes, I can see the possibility of real-world connections happening because of online posting. That’s why I’m still using the services. What bothers me is that when I see someone has checked into St. Francis Hospital, for instance, there’s no mechanism through the service for me to say, “Hey, you OK? Need anything?” or, if they’ve checked into my favorite Mexican restaurant, to say, “Hey, ask for Melinda’s section, she’s fabulous!”

What I’d like to see happen, in order to make location-based services really take off:

Stop the spam. Limit the time between check-ins, perhaps? Reward frequency at the same venues rather than overall number of check ins?

Build actual rewards into the service… Oh, my… the potential here is incredible. Location based apps are the digital convergence of direct mail and intent-based web search. Take for example Pei Wei Asian diner… no dessert offered there. In Tulsa, one of their locations sits adjacent to a Maggie Moo’s store. When I check in to Pei Wei, I ought to get a coupon or offer sent to me from the app for 20% off my order THAT NIGHT at Maggie Moo’s next door. Why, oh why, don’t they do this? They know where I am, they know what I’m doing (location, intent) and the potential to offer me something that is timed perfectly and co-located is huge. Why limit the rewards to free fries for the “Mayor?” Seriously… the data they are developing on customer behavior is worth lots of money and can be leveraged in so many ways. Would bring new meaning to point-of-purchase advertising.

Add connectivity. Let me respond to the shout-outs of my friends. Actually foster real-world connection. What about a badge that’s earned any time 5 people simultaneously check in to the same venue? (the Lemming badge?) Or maybe a trigger for free fries if you and 3 of your friends all check in to the same venue within 20 minutes (long enough to get the ping, decide to go, and get in the door)?

Those are my thoughts… what did I miss and what do you think?

After attending this week’s past Oklahoma Municipal League conference and trade show, I realized anew how desperately many places, and the people who manage them, need some help branding places and spaces effectively.
In some ways, branding a place is much like branding anything else…

• You need a good visual identity. One that promises something valuable to your intended audience.
• You must effectively communicate the promise to the audience.
• You need to deliver, consistently, on that promise. And make no mistake, your town’s slogan or tagline and the logo on the point-of-entry sign ARE a promise. What are you promising? Can you (really) deliver?

What you say about your place is marketing. What people think about your place is branding. When I see a city manager’s business card produced in house and printed on donated paper at the least expensive price point possible, with a “logo” that consists of a divided shape of some sort with each quadrant filled by some hallmark of place history, I shudder. Again. What is the promise?
The promise seems to be that the city will remain as it has always been, and will be resolutely backward-looking. With what audience will that promise resonate?
Probably not a real front-runner for attracting new residents nor new businesses.
Let’s throw in a poorly designed, out of date city web site and no real attempts at good PR, meaningful collateral designed to attract new residents or businesses… and the entire image (brand) says, “We don’t pay attention to details. We aren’t forward-thinking. We won’t invest in technology, information or tools to help us do our jobs.”
Wow… can you see why I shudder? The problem of poor city branding is not unique to Oklahoma by any means; the net is full of examples. And I do understand, intimately, the desire to satisfy multiple groups/interests in a city logo and the need to “respect our history.”
Here’s a bit of truth about history… every town has one. Unless yours is truly unique, it isn’t a brand promise. And most towns of any age boast “an historic downtown,” too.

Take a good look at most city logos. Most look like they were designed by a committee (chopped up into pieces, everyone gets to stick their idea in the logo) because they were. If cities want to promise residents and businesses progressive leadership, commitment to excellence, vision, growth, infrastructure (whatever your list is), it’s time to lose the circle logo featuring water, oil, industry, and a flag. That generic formula applies to many, many city logos. Don’t be generic.
If you’re not sure where to start, or how to undertake a rebranding without alienating stakeholders, I can help.

When Richard Florida wrote in 2002 that,

“Place has become the central organizing unit of our time, taking on many of the functions that used to be played by firms and other organizations.”

He was making a case that what you could DO in a place would be people’s first consideration before moving there (and then finding a job). And I agreed… the economic development arm of my business is built on the foundation that adding amenities that residents want and desire (shopping, dining, parks & recreation, education opportunities, culture) leads to long term economic health and growth. If talented people want to live in a place, companies will go where the talent is.

I’ve been thinking… perhaps Florida’s definition of “place” is too narrow, though, to apply to today’s socially-connected world. Perhaps the new organizing unit is knowledge…. where it lives, how its found and accessed, and then how it can be acted upon. Maybe now it’s all about what you can do in a SPACE rather than in a PLACE.

Today’s spaces are not defined so much by walls or physical boundaries as they are self-sorted, self-elected affinities. I am part of several “spaces” online and also offline, nearly all of which I’ve chosen belonging.

Interestingly enough… marketing up until very recent times was based almost entirely on those spaces we CANNOT choose or have limited control over… my gender and age, for instance. As marketing shifts toward “engagement” and “conversation” it better also shift the basis to those affinities we choose. The spaces to which I’ve chosen to belong are a far more powerful way to connect.

What spaces, physical or not, are Florida’s Creative Class inhabiting now? How will companies find them? Does physical place still serve as our primary organizing unit and a defining characteristic?

(Quote from pg 6 of “The Rise of the Creative Class”)