KEN BANKS’BLOG OCTOBER 2023
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HOMETOWN BRANDING!
As fall sports start gearing up, I have always enjoyed watching my favorite teams get back into action. NFL, NHL, NCAA, NBA, MSL. You name it I’ll usually be tuning in to check the scores. My love of sports started when I was growing up in Detroit and I rarely missed a game on my transistor radio or TV when the home team was playing. My allegiance has changed to Tampa Bay teams since I’ve been here for over 40 years now, but I was particularly interested in this past weekend when the Lightning played the Red Wings and the Bucs hosted the Lions. Over the past few years, this usually meant an easy Tampa Bay victory, but the home teams were humbled badly. The Lions are now favorites to be in the NFL play-offs and the Red Wings (the former hockey powerhouse that earned Detroit the name of Hockey Town a few years ago) have emerged as a young team on the move. To be sure the teams really didn’t need a “re-branding” strategy, they just need to start winning. Both had been big losers for a while, and now have rekindled the fan’s support.
In the same way, the city of Detroit has re-emerged from an image as one of the US’s least desirable places to live to a more vibrant locale. Having lived there with frequent returns over the years for business and pleasure, I knew that the lousy image of the area was confined to the metro area of Motown while the suburbs and outlying areas are still some of the most desirable places to live in the Midwest. I was pleased to experience the downtown area of Detroit on a recent visit for our high school reunion which was held downtown with trips to the Motown Museum and a dinner cruise on the Detroit River which borders downtown and Windsor, Ontario. I was pleased to see a great deal of revitalization with new buildings, hotels, restaurants, a vibrant Riverwalk, and a positive spirit in the local citizens that I met.
However, it’s not just building new structures or expanding service. Just as the new stadiums that the Detroit teams have built in past few years have not translated to winning records, revitalization (as in branding) needs to come from within and requires a strategy that everyone in the organization/government understands and supports. There has been a resurgence of activity and popularity in the smaller towns and villages that are beyond the suburbs of major cities. These “small towns” have an old-fashioned atmosphere that today’s population are attracted to an enjoy visiting regularly. The old main street business areas are being updated with new boutiques, shops, restaurants, and professional services. Weekend markets are popular destinations for families and retirees alike. City councils and chambers of commerce have developed long-term plans that have drawn financial and citizen support. In the same way, major cities are making their downtown more user friendly with pedestrian malls, outdoor event venues, river walks, and a small town appeal despite the large office buildings and other structures. That has made Detroit a winner in more ways than sports performance. While the city still faces major infrastructure challenges, it is becoming more of a hometown than a metropolis. In the same way as long time brands revitalize their products and services with research, strategy and a plan based on understanding their changing marketplace and customers, cities around the country are developing a winning strategy that brings back the fans.
Ken
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