persistence
branding
jobs
messaging
MARKETING AND
recruitment
advertise website
investment
social media
connections
media attention
red carpet tour
I
n 2014, NETWORKS launched its “Where Tennessee Begins Its Business Day” branding campaign. Not only are our residents among the first Tennesseans to see the sun come up each morning, the region also boasts a rich history of creating innovative economic and community development initiatives, many of which have been replicated across the region and state. The brand has proven to be effective and well received, so the organization continued to market its message in a variety of avenues over the past year.
The “Recruit the Recruiters” strategy was again a focal point in 2015, as NETWORKS and its local partners continued to feed regional and state economic developers pertinent information about the product here. In addition to regular contacts, NETWORKS hosted a dinner for senior staff of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) prior to the Governor’s Conference for Economic Development in Nashville and was joined by four TNECD staffers at the Red Carpet Tour in August.
The Red Carpet Tour, in its second year, is an inbound marketing event in partnership with the Tennessee Economic Partnership (TEP). NETWORKS hosted eight site location consultants for three days, familiarizing them with the unique business advantages of the region and treating them to the Bristol Night Race and VIP access and accommodations.
Photo Courtesy VIPSEEN Magazine
“In Tennessee, we have great colleagues throughout the state that help us maintain our momentum, and NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership is no exception,” TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd said. “NETWORKS does a great job with reaching consultants and c-suite level executives. They are known for their innovative economic development initiatives and we are lucky to have them as part of Team Tennessee.”
NETWORKS Project Manager Brian Ritz, Tri-Cities Regional Airport Executive Director Patrick Wilson, RCT Guests Amanda & Dustin Swartz
“I handle all the labor analytics for our clients, so having an opportunity to learn about a community beyond my desktop is incredibly helpful because there are some things that do not show up in the data,” said attendee Amanda Swartz, Vice-President – Site Selection & Research for E Smith Realty. “This has literally put the Kingsport-Bristol market on the map for a project I am currently working on that was wide open to anywhere in the U.S. “NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership did an excellent job facilitating this event, it was the perfect balance between work and play!” CEO Clay Walker, already on the TEP Board of Directors, has increased his involvement in the state’s marketing organization, having been elected to serve as its Secretary/Treasurer and Chairman-Elect in 2016. NETWORKS also agreed to partner as a major sponsor of the upcoming 2016 Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference, to be held in Nashville. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce lured the conference to Music City where about four dozen of the nation’s top site location consultants will gather. “NETWORKS is a key partner of the 2016 Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference,” said Courtney Ross, Chief Economic Development Officer for the Nashville Chamber. “Their sponsorship further demonstrates their aggressive marketing strategy for Northeast Tennessee and we look forward to a successful conference in February showcasing Tennessee as an ideal business location.” Working with regional partners and capitalizing on media contacts, NETWORKS was able to grab some national attention throughout the year in site selection magazines. In Trade & Industry Development’s May/June issue, NETWORKS properties were listed among the top industrial sites in the nation; Site Selection featured the county’s Educate and Grow program in a feature regarding the Tennessee Promise as well as the Pure Foods corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility announcement in July; in its September/October issue, Expansion Solutions featured Tri-Cities Aerospace Park and the Northeast State Community College’s aviation initiative; and Expansion Solutions followed up by featuring the NETWORKS service area in a community profile piece in November/December.
NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership Annual Report • 2015 • 3