Spring 2006 issue of Horizons

New Brand

with C-level executives from national site selection firms, real estate firms, venture capitalists and headhunters. After an extensive selection process in which 30 agencies participat- ed, we selected Fleishman-Hillard to perform the internal research and assist with brand development. Among our own stakeholders, we learned that artic- ulating the brand internally is as important as articulating it externally. Non-natives seem to be better, more positive ambassadors for our region than are natives. CEOs who have worked in Chicago, New York and other large metros had a favorable view of quality of life in St. Louis. In terms of overall business image, relatively few negative images are out there. We also learned that decision makers want to receive regular, substantive online updates followed by in-depth printed materials. So, an engaging and comprehen- sive Web site became a priority. We're really starting with a clean slate. Fifty percent of the 300+ external interviewees have neither a positive nor negative image, while 5 percent think of us as a rustbelt city. More than 40 percent of those polled had a positive impres- sion and could single out particular attributes with lots of specifics. In fact, Wilson said it had never seen so many specifics mentioned. In our external interviews, quality of life ranked highest among the most important reasons to invest or locate here and was second only to our ability to retain and attract a quality workforce. In our internal interviews, quality of life scored at the top of our credibility chart, but again, the ability to maintain a quality workforce scored high- est for importance. Location was a positive across both groups. Q : A : What were the main 'take-aways' from the interviews? Q : A : What else did you learn from your research? So, how did the brand evolve from what you learned? Clearly, three issues surfaced immediately - quality of life, quality workforce and, finally, location/economic diversity. These issues became the three pillars for our new brand. I think an executive from Atlanta said it best: “Some cities may have a few more cultural assets. Some cities may have a comparable ease-of-living. No other city offers the combination of both.” There's great diversity in our lifestyle - something for everyone. St. Louis is affordable, solid and safe. We have access to big-city amenities without the big- city hassle. We have a quality of life comparable to major cities and actually superior to our peer markets. Q : A : Q . A . Let's talk about St. Louis' quality of life.

Q . Workforce seems to be a constant theme. What did you hear? St. Louis offers broad-based skills from which to draw, we have strong work ethics and strong values like hon- esty and integrity. Quality workforce is not perceived as our strongest attribute, but we lack credit for what we do have. A . How is our location and economic diversity another strength? St. Louis offers an extremely diverse business base; we're not dependent on one or two industries. In economic development, we're also able to capitalize on options and programs offered by two states. That's definitely a strength. Our central location also is viewed as a strong positive. We're still considered a hub, 2-4 hours from almost anywhere. Our location is not a primary differentiator but provides a distinct advantage. A . So how exactly did all this research evolve into the RCGA's new brand platform? We started by grouping together some issues, like quality of life, workforce and location. You can have it all here - access to workforce and different lifestyles - big-city ameni- ties without the hassles, a sense of being connected, and a community that's “centered” in both location and character. In other words, St. Louis provides the ideal balance between living and working. We tested different brand platforms with several groups and “Perfectly Centered. Remarkably Connected.” was the overwhelming choice. One of the busi- ness leaders surveyed said it very well: “Perfectly centered says the location is perfect to get to all markets. Remarkably connected says it has everything from technology to transportation to workforce…it has whatever you need.” Personally, I really like the exclamation point because it emphasizes the fact that we do have a competitive advantage. It drives the message home. We found that the exclamation points also work well with the logos for many of our economic partners, like St. Charles, St. Clair, Franklin and Madison counties. A . Q . A . Any value-added benefits to the new logo? Q . Q . A . Are there any additional issues? Definitely. It's the matter of being business friendly. This is an emerging opportunity for St. Louis and means dif- ferent things to different people. We need to define our story and promote a positive regulatory and legislative environment. Q .

14 • spring 2006 issue