A Strong Foundation of Economic Growth Retrenches by Fortifying the Ties that Bind Local
The South Bend Regional Partnership, comprising 47 communities including the hometown of former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, enlisted Resonance’s expertise to illuminate and define its competitive identity. The objective was to transform this understanding into an impactful advertising and communications campaign aimed at drawing in talent, residents, and investment.
Resonance began the process by benchmarking the region against a robust competitive set, surveyed residents, and held roundtable discussions with stakeholders to uncover strengths and weaknesses. We discovered an accessible region with a high rate of GDP growth and an economy geared towards technology and innovation, with a strong political will to shape the future, move beyond a rustbelt narrative, and bring university grads back from larger urban centers. We put the research together with tangible brand attributes and intangible brand persona to create a versatile campaign called We+You that positioned the partnership as actively engaged in making newcomers, talent and investors successful in the region.
As COVID hit, just after the completion of the campaign, members used the We+You formula to devise a flexible communications umbrella for the region and disseminate custom communications to inform and engage the community.
A Strong Foundation of Economic Growth Retrenches by Fortifying the Ties that Bind Local