174: Building a Regional Brand: Kansas City's Marketing Success with Jonathan Knecht
In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson interviews Jonathan Knecht, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services at the Kansas City Area Development Council, who reveals how his team markets the greater Kansas City region to attract business investment and talent. Jonathan, a self-described "refugee from advertising" who's been with the organization for 21 years, discusses their collaborative approach to regional branding centered around the iconic KC Heart logo, their focus on key industry sectors like digital health and sports architecture, and how Kansas City's central location, affordability, and quality of life create competitive advantages. He also shares insights on building consensus across state lines and how their in-house creative agency supports economic development efforts throughout the region.
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Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers
Consider adopting organically popular community symbols rather than creating new brands from scratch to ensure authenticity and community buy-in.
Build collaborative relationships across political boundaries to present a unified front when pursuing major projects and investments.
Leverage your region's unique industry clusters (like KC's sports architecture) to create compelling specialization stories for targeted marketing.
Create an in-house creative agency to support marketing needs across your region, especially for partners with limited budgets.
Develop talent attraction initiatives like KC's "Team KC" that connect employers and equip them with shared marketing resources.
Create specialized content for different audiences, such as belonging guides for various cultural communities, to support talent recruitment efforts.
Focus on tracking meaningful metrics tied to actual business attraction and expansion results rather than just marketing activities.
Identify and promote quality of life advantages such as central location, cost of living, and cultural amenities as competitive differentiators.
Establish sector-specific initiatives (like KC's Digital Health and Animal Health Corridor) to target industries where your region has competitive advantages.
End counter-productive incentive competitions between neighboring communities to better focus resources on attracting new businesses to the region. Special Guest: Jonathan Knecht.
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31:24
173: From Possibilities to Reality: How to Save Your Small Town with Deb Brown
In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson speaks with Deb Brown, co-founder of Save Your Town and author of "From Possibilities to Reality: How to Save Your Small Town." They discuss Brown's workbook-style approach to small town economic development, sharing practical examples of community revitalization, including movie theater revitalization as an economic driver. Brown offers insights on addressing resistance to change by exploring what people truly valued about their towns in the past, and provides actionable strategies for community members who want to make a difference in their small towns.
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Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers
Implement the "idea friendly method" to bypass traditional committee bureaucracy and mobilize community-driven economic development projects.
Organize "Tour of Empty Buildings" events to showcase vacant commercial spaces and connect potential business owners with available properties.
Focus on attracting and supporting local businesses to expand into empty downtown spaces rather than solely pursuing large outside employers.
Create accessible maps and resources that showcase available commercial properties to potential investors and entrepreneurs.
Engage residents outside the "usual suspects" (city officials, chamber members) by hosting informal idea-gathering sessions at local coffee shops or breweries.
When communities resist change, dig into what they specifically valued about the past to identify the core needs that modern solutions can address.
Develop sustainable business models for community assets (like movie theaters) that create real employment rather than relying exclusively on volunteers.
Establish clear pathways from idea generation to implementation that don't require formal committee formation or extensive bureaucratic processes.
Prioritize filling downtown vacancies with businesses that serve current community needs while preserving historical character.
Leverage success stories from similar small towns as proof-of-concept examples when pitching new development ideas to stakeholders and building owners. Special Guest: Deb Brown.
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28:00
172: Pennsylvania's First Economic Strategy in 20 Years with Aaron Pitts
In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson speaks with Aaron Pitts, Chief Commercial Officer for Business PA, who shares how Pennsylvania is revitalizing its economic development approach under Governor Shapiro's administration.
Aaron explains the creation of Business PA, a dedicated unit within the Department of Community and Economic Development focused exclusively on building and maintaining business relationships. He details Pennsylvania's strategic advantages as a founding state with major cities, rural areas, and world-class educational institutions like UPenn and Carnegie Mellon, while highlighting their focus on five key sectors: life sciences, manufacturing, energy, AI/tech, and business services.
Listeners learn about Pennsylvania's impressive $500 million investment in site development, streamlined permitting processes that reduced business license waits from eight weeks to two days, and how Pittsburgh has emerged as a global AI leader with companies like Google, Nvidia, and Duolingo.
Aaron also shares insights from his previous experience helping create JobsOhio and explains why leaving corporate America for economic development has been so personally fulfilling.
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Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers
Create dedicated units focused solely on business relationships within your economic development organization to ensure businesses receive specialized attention.
Invest significantly in site readiness programs with dedicated funding to create shovel-ready locations that can immediately accommodate business relocations.
Implement a concierge service for permitting to help businesses navigate regulatory processes more efficiently and combat negative perceptions about permitting complexity.
Identify and focus on 4-5 key sectors where your region has competitive advantages rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
Build regional partnerships with clear roles and responsibilities for business retention, expansion and attraction activities to present a unified front to prospective companies.
Bring corporate experience into economic development leadership to better understand and speak the language of business executives.
Develop a strategy that balances care for incumbent businesses while positioning your region to attract cutting-edge industries.
Create a disciplined financial model to evaluate incentive offers that ensures both the business and the region benefit from each deal.
Leverage educational institutions as key partners in workforce development and innovation to create distinct advantages in specific sectors.
Foster an attitudinal shift within economic development organizations from reactive to proactive engagement with businesses to demonstrate that you genuinely care about their success. Special Guest: Aaron Pitts.
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22:16
171: Leading Virginia's Largest Economy with Victor Hoskins
In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson sits down with Victor Hoskins, President and CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, who oversees Virginia's largest economy and leads a team that has secured approximately $3 billion in capital investment. Victor shares insights from his unique career spanning both public and private sectors, including his instrumental role in securing Amazon HQ2 during his time at Arlington Economic Development. With candid reflections on his education at MIT, experience in private equity, and passion for creating economic opportunity, Victor reveals his philosophy that has helped companies create over 38,000 jobs in Fairfax County – a place he describes as "where companies come to dent the universe."
Like this show? Please leave us a review here (https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/) — even one sentence helps! Special Guest: Victor Hoskins.
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25:41
170: The Art of Downtown Transformation in Birmingham with David Fleming
In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson speaks with David Fleming, president and CEO of Rev Birmingham, about transforming Birmingham from an industrial city into a thriving service economy centered around healthcare and education. Fleming discusses how his organization fosters downtown vibrancy by preserving historic character, supporting local businesses that "make the city cool," ensuring economic and racial diversity, and collaborating with various municipal authorities to create a downtown that attracts over 30 million annual visitors while maintaining its unique identity.
Like this show? Please leave us a review here (https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/) — even one sentence helps!
Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers
Focus on supporting local businesses that give your city a unique character and "make the city cool."
Create incentives that help historic redevelopment while still allowing for new growth.
Work in partnership with various city authorities (parking, transit, housing) to align development goals.
Develop housing incentives that encourage economic diversity, not just luxury developments.
Measure downtown success by evening vibrancy and residential activity, not just daytime business metrics.
Recognize the importance of maintaining racial and economic diversity in downtown development plans.
Position anchor institutions like healthcare and universities as catalysts for urban revitalization.
Balance the needs of various stakeholders: residents, workers, and visitors.
Create development tools that preserve local character while encouraging economic growth.
Focus on making downtown a destination with diverse attractions that can draw millions of visitors annually. Special Guest: David Fleming.
About Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development
Dane Carlson explores the strategies, ideas, and insights that are driving economic development forward into the future. You'll hear new insights from passionate ED's about their successes and struggles, and you'll learn from attraction and retention experts about how to apply actionable strategies inside your EDO. We'll help take your organization, your community, and your career to the next level.
Listen to Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development, Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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