Old and Cold?

New England Looks to Heat Up Image

Motivated by lackluster economic growth and virtually nonexistent individual state marketing efforts, a group of New England economic development organizations has been exploring creative ways to pool resources to help the region regain its competitive edge. Among other initiatives, these groups have collaborated since 1999 to market the region at national trade shows under the banner, "Discover New England for Business."

Their effort assumes the existence of a New England "brand" that is largely positive. But until recently, no one had actually asked business executives and others who live outside the region their perceptions of the area as a place to live, work, travel and do business.

This past spring, 20 New England organizations funded four national surveys conducted by the University of Connecticut's Center for Survey Research and Analysis. They questioned 1,000 citizens drawn from the general population, 400 U.S. business executives, 100 international executives and 50 national site selection consultants. Here's what they discovered about perceptions of New England:

Above average and monolithic. Respondents saw little difference among the six New England states as business locations, tourist destinations or places to live, but rated New England as a region better than most or all its individual states, indicating a positive influence of the region's "brand."

Costly but innovative. New England is perceived by executives and site consultants as very costly and highly regulated, though its workforce is seen as educated and innovative.

Market no magnet. Fully 25 percent of respondents expressed concern about New England's market size. Worse, 27 percent said they would never locate in the region, preferring lower taxes, a growing workforce, updated transportation and telecommunications infrastructure and lower housing and energy costs. Site selection pros knocked the New England states for weak incentives.

Chilly reception. To outsiders, New England brings to mind cold and snow. More than half of executives viewed the region's weather as a competitive disadvantage.

View beiler from ajar. International firms, accustomed to Europe's pricey, regulated environments, were less concerned with New England's costs. Key issues for foreign executives were access to higher education, an educated workforce and good infrastructure.

No longer a player. With an aging population and iffy weather, New England is perceived as "old and cold"-and no longer viewed as a major competitive threat by other parts of the United States.

The survey results suggest that the New England states need to break through longstanding barriers, such as aversion to promotion, resistance to development, uncompetitive tax and regulatory policies and a few serious misconceptions. We need to reshape our image from one of nostalgia and fall foliage to a modern center of cutting-edge technology, knowledge-based businesses and smart, savvy workers who deliver big value for their cost.

More than 40 New England policymakers and economic development professionals convened in the summer of 2004 in Framingham, Mass., to consider the economic policy, business development and marketing implications of the surveys' findings and to formulate action steps. Among their suggestions:

Promote the region. From a resource and perception standpoint, it makes sense to market New England as a region. Certain regional features, such as major population centers, famous colleges or other significant places and institutions, could be made more prominent by downplaying or even omitting state borders.

Feature key economic assets. Promote New England using less tradition and more flash. The region's market and strategic proximity are misunderstood; the fact that twothirds of North America's economy is within a day's drive of New England should be better communicated.

Tackle negatives head-on. New England is a high-cost region. But its higher costs are counterbalanced by the value it offers through its quality workforce, schools, health care and cultural institutions. In addition, costs are significantly lower in some areas of New England, and the region's compact size makes it easy to get around. The region is also seen as having more government regulations than other parts of the country; we need to better understand the bona fide impact of regulations on business location decisions. Finally, people associate cold and snow with New England. We need to showcase the region's four-season, temperate climate, and demonstrate that, unlike many other locations, New Englanders are accustomed to dealing with weather, so productivity is maintained year-round.

Target international businesses. Overseas business executives have a more favorable view of New England, but have little specific or in-depth knowledge of the region. Effective promotions to foreign business executives could lead to fresh investment in new, foreignowned operations based in the region.

Educate site-selection firms. Site selection professionals influence the decisions of their large corporate clients. We need to augment the site selectors' knowledge of New England, which, largely because of population declines and languid growth, has been off their professional radar screens.

Strengthen the workforce. A growing, educated workforce tops the list of assets that companies seek. But New England's labor pool is shrinking. Young people, especially technology workers such as engineers and computer professionals, continue to leave the region to pursue their careers. New England policymakers need to acknowledge this problem and work to better align education with the needs of a high-tech economy.

Take a long view. Increasingly, public and private sector leaders focus on short time frames such as a term in office or next quarter's earnings. Without a longer-term perspective, we miss emerging issues that affect our future. There is a clear need to identify an organization willing to take on formal responsibility for researching, analyzing and anticipating factors likely to affect New England over the next decade and beyond.

These survey findings underscore the need for an aggressive New England economic policy and marketing agenda. In the face of intense global efforts to lure away companies and workers, the New England states should intensify efforts to collaborate, marshal resources and mass market together, even as each state niche-markets itself separately. Complacency is our enemy. The region needs to take action or it will continue to lose its edge.

Douglas G. Fisher is director of economic and business development for Northeast Utilities and facilitator of the six-state "Discover New England for Business" promotion effort.

Copyright New England Board of Higher Education Fall 2004
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