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Businesses have to tell their 'story' [The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.](Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 06--BLOOMINGTON -- A quality product or even a good price are not enough to compete in today's marketplace; you have to have a story to tell, those attending the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council's Community Leaders Breakfast were told Friday morning. "No story equals no demand," said keynote speaker Ken Schmidt, former communications strategist for Harley-Davidson Motor Co. He said showing passion and appealing to an individual's desire to say, "Look at me," is more likely to yield brand loyalty and returning customers. But don't call them "customers," Schmidt cautioned. "We 'customered' ourselves into Chapter 11," he said of Harley-Davidson's struggles before it put more emphasis on the passion and lifestyle of owning a Harley motorcycle. Now, he said, "they're our disciples." Schmidt's discussion of branding and telling a story followed an update by EDC vice president Ken Springer of a partnership to create a "branding" strategy for encouraging development in McLean County. About 560 people attended the breakfast, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington. Schmidt said passion shown by those who work for and sell Harley-Davidson rubs off -- and it works for more than just motorcycles. "Every human being on this planet is magnetically attracted to a passionate human being," Schmidt said. "Visible passion is the most powerful attractant in the human race." Schmidt said business owners and service providers must ask themselves, what do you want people to say about your business and "What would you be willing to do to have them say it?" The branding initiative discussed by Springer involves the Economic Development Council, the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, the Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau, the McLean County Planning Commission and the Central Illinois Regional Airport. "Economic development is a sales process," Springer said. "We must go and sell that product." The goal of the marketing and branding initiative is to develop common message points that would be shared by all the participants. "Bloomington-Normal has to keep revitalizing and redeveloping," Deanna Frautschi, the EDC's interim CEO, said in opening remarks. "And we all know Illinois itself is challenged economically and has been for some time." EDC members also receive a progress report on the third year of "Forging Ahead," the EDC's five-year plan to add 1,500 jobs and bring in about $150 million in capital investment. As of Thursday, 50 percent of the jobs' goal and 88 percent of the capital investment goal had been achieved. ___ (c)2014 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |