Can the G-20 Elevate the Brand of Pittsburgh?
All eyes will be on Pittsburgh the week of the G-20 Summit in September, and local government officials, community leaders and the media are talking about what an opportunity this is to elevate the perception of Pittsburgh to something more than a dirty old steel town. Pittsburgh is not the market leader when we think of US cities. It’s definitely not the biggest. It’s not top-of-mind. And it certainly has never been thought of as the most prestigious. These characteristics make Pittsburgh a Challenger Brand city, and they’re why we must break the rules to take our rightful place in the market — as the most innovative and marketable city in the US. (Dream Big! Brand Spanking® Cardinal Rule #4*).
So as we prepare for, market to and engage our world leaders, I suggest we Tattoo our Values on our Foreheads! (Brand Spanking® Cardinal Rule #2). Every one of us is a potential touch point for Pittsburgh, and we need to engage our audience every chance we get — and we should do it proudly.
- Yes! We should scream our values from the top of every building and Mt. Washington! (Thanks, Bayer)
- Yes! We should talk to our visitors about our three rivers, green building initiatives, non-profits, sports and all of the reasons we call Pittsburgh home! (Evoke a Strong Emotional Response. Brand Spanking® Cardinal Rule #3)
- Yes! We should befriend, follow and link in with all of the interesting people we are sure to meet during the G-20 to keep the conversation going! (Use Social Networking to the Max. Brand Spanking® Cardinal Rule #5)
- We should not sit by quietly and hope the world notices! (Think like a 2-year-old. Be rebellious. Brand Spanking® Cardinal Rule #1)
So don’t hide in your house, scoot out of town or bury your head in the sand until it’s over. Get out there and be an ambassador! You can help elevate the Pittsburgh brand!
*These are the five Cardinal Rules of Brand Spanking® that we live by and encourage our clients to follow.
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Posted by: Belinda Yeager Carter in: Brand Vision, Marketing, Media Relations, Political Branding, Words of Wisdom at: 11:31 am Keywords: Bayer, Brand Spanking, branding, Challenger Brand, G-20, G-20 Summit, G20, G20 Summit, Pittsburgh |
Belinda — I hate to get New York cynical on you, but all the citizens here care about is the Steelers, (and the Penguins) and guns. The same people who would care about the G-20 are the same people who go the museums, concerts and actually read newspapers. They are few and far between and old and don’t use their turn signals.
I once asked some young ad people who worked for me to go see a movie called “The Festival Express” It was a documentary about a rock and roll tour,that went across Canada by rail. On the train were The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band, Delany & Bonnie, etc. The concert footage was incredible, and their conversations aboard the train about the Viet Nam war and wondering if they’d get paid was incredibly cool. And they were funny. Guess how many of my 12 creatives went to see it? None! If they won’t go to see rock and roll, guess how many will give a rat’s you know what about the G-20, other than it’s an inconvenience. And these are smart kids. Imagine the lack of impact it will have on the “NRA folks”. I’m afraid it’ll be the Steelers forever, and God forbid Big Ben gets hurt. Actually I’d like that. Charlie Batch is a much better human being. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but I’ve been here for about 15 years and nothing has changed except there are more condos.
[...] few weeks ago, Fitting Group’s own Belinda wondered if the G-20 summit would elevate the city’s brand. Now, in the wake of the event, I can only confirm that it has. For weeks, the iron city was [...]
Our governments ignore us, worse, the make the problem even more insurmountable every passing day. ,
Both your comments are, I suggest, contradictory. ,