A lot of progress has been achieved since the launch of the Regional Branding Initiative this past fall. For those not in the know, the Initiative is an effort to define how we are going to compete as a region. The ultimate goal is to stimulate growth in population, employment, business and tourism.

It’s been one year since the Initiative made its first steps forming the Image Gap Committee (IGC), a coalition of regional organizations to map out a long-term, collaborative blueprint for growth, and six months have passed since the Committee retained an agency to conduct market research and develop the brand.

Getting the IGC off the ground took an unprecedented level of cooperation among all of the region’s stakeholders, and it wasted little time to rally a game plan. Burson-Marsteller of Pittsburgh, along with Landor Associates of Cincinnati and Wirthlin Worldwide/McLean of Virginia, provided consulting expertise to the IGC to formulate a series of mission statements, product improvement recommendations and final deliverables to get everybody on the same page when it comes to marketing and branding southwestern Pennsylvania in a consistent way.

By better understanding public perceptions, we can better position southwestern Pennsylvania to compete against other regions vying for talent and business. The Initiative conducted in-depth research to determine outsiders’ views of the region. How people view the region directly impacts our ability to grow and build a strong economic base.

Based on this research, the Initiative unveiled five “differentiating brand strengths” of the region just this past winter. The brand strengths truly encapsulates our competitive advantages.

“World-Class Urban Setting…Small Town Feel” is a brand strength based on southwestern Pennsylvania’s overall quality of life that allows a balance between work and play. Our region also exudes safe and secure communities, natural beauty with its many parks, easy access to amenities and a diverse collection of regional resources, including arts, culture, sports, education, healthcare business and industry.

“Genuine Opportunity to Make an Impact” is a brand strength that showcases the region’s manageable size and connected communities that provides easy access to leadership. Other qualities tying into this brand strength include access to resources and intellectual capital; unique opportunities for community involvement; vital forums for young professionals and excellent geographic proximity to major markets.

“Heritage and Current Home of Innovation and Transformation” is a brand strength that builds south-western Pennsylvania’s recognized status as a world leader in new and emerging fields, including robotics, tissue engineering, Internet security and green buildings. We also possess an unparalleled philanthropic foundation community tied to our corporate heritage; a home to innovation far exceeding the size and scope of the region and a continuing incubator of intellectual, financial and cultural capital, to boot.

“Pride in Working, Making and Creating” is a brand strength that is directly tied to the region’s diverse workforce, with its strong work ethic and passion for excellence. Our region traces a long history of innovation, and productivity continues in dozens of vital, new emerging fields that are creating a vibrant economic base. We also are blessed with globally renowned brands, including Bayer, Mellon, Rolling Rock, Sony, Marconi, U.S. Steel and many others.

“Rivers, Mountains and Outdoor Adventure Surrounding Unique Urban Beauty” comprises the last regional brand strength. Southwestern Pennsylvania is an urban and regional playground for outdoor activities from hiking and biking to golfing, fishing and boating. The region is a model-setting leader in environmental transformation with miles of riverfront.

We now are entering the phase where we can build upon these brand strengths and effectively and consistently market them to the rest of the world. Now is the time when we have to roll up our collective sleeves and carry our new spirit of cooperation to an even higher level.

Most notably, the region needs to address three primary challenges if we are to attract more talented people to the area. First, we must show the great number of opportunities available within our diverse economy. In that same vein, we have to support new ideas and develop companies to build even more opportunities, and the region must pursue world-class standards in these measures.

In terms of promoting the number of opportunities, the Committee says we must create greater visibility for mid-sized companies, better promote our regional success stories and develop more effective communication and recruiting between universities and the corporate community. It also goes on to say that we need to sensitize the corporate community to the importance of supporting existing job networks and introduce newcomers into the inner circles.

To better support new ideas and developing companies, the Committee emphasizes the importance of creating a thriving entrepreneurial community. There must be a greater emphasis on developing companies versus licensing technology, and there has to be an increase in “intrapreneurial” activity and spinoffs among our large corporations.

In the pursuit of world-class standards, southwestern Pennsylvania must compete with other regions that are not afraid to think big. Part of this pursuit includes educating internal audiences on the high caliber of leadership where it exists and leveraging thought leaders of the region to stimulate dialogue and set standards for future product improvements.

There are several other areas that the Committee has determined to be key in branding the region effectively. For instance, we continually will have to challenge the status quo, encourage diversity, pursue unified marketing of the region and break through outdated stereotypes.

This is going to require a lot of work on every stakeholder’s behalf. It is going to be a long and involved process with plenty of challenges to meet along the way.

I’m very optimistic despite the challenges, and I look forward to the work ahead. With a continued spirit of cooperation, I’m confident that we can achieve these goals beyond our expectations. The Pittsburgh Technology Council will be there as a committed partner in improving the regional product and building the brand. Join us!