Done properly, ambassador programs are a valuable marketing tactic for economic developers. As competition for investment increases, economic developers are turning to non-traditional means of promoting their municipalities. One of the most promising approaches is the introduction of an ambassador program.
We know that the decision to locate in a particular city is strongly influenced by the opinion of peers, colleagues, family and friends. Local leaders bring a new level of credibility to economic development efforts by offering a qualified opinion about the strengths of your community based on their own success stories.
New research supports this idea:
A U.S. consultancy, Development Counsellors Inc., has released the results of a survey of top executives responsible for site selection. The survey has been conducted five times since 1996, and asks the question: “What sources of information influence your perception of a city’s business climate?” The number one response was “Dialogue with industry peers”, with 61% of respondents citing it as a valuable decision-making resource.
Building a successful ambassador program means creating tools and materials that you can arm your ambassadors with. Ambassador training is a must, so that each ambassador understands that their mandate is to promote your municipality as a place to invest and live by highlighting specific programs, incentives and partnership opportunities that they believe will be attractive to their industry networks. Ambassadors benefit too: strengthened relationships with city officials, increased networking and profile for their organization are just a few of the incentives that convince would-be ambassadors to become involved.
When developing an ambassador program, recruit participants based on your economic development objectives. If you are focusing on advanced manufacturing for example, then target local leaders in that sector who have an established network of industry peers that they can leverage. Support your ambassadors in their efforts and keep them involved throughout the process. Finally, be sure to celebrate the accomplishments of the program and use the success to continue to build your roster of local champions. A peer-to-peer recommendation is worth a thousand brochures and community profiles any day. Tap into these people and work together to bring investment to your community.