DCI

The Challenge

During a time of multiple job loss announcements in the Midwest, the Kalamazoo region remained an oasis of growth through wise investments in the region and its future. Southwest Michigan First turned to DCI to help promote the area as an innovative and business-friendly location, a trend counter to the economic decline being reported for other cities and regions in the Midwest.

The DCI Roadmap

• Place a strong and targeted emphasis on generating positive business stories in national newspapers and broadcast outlets;

• Emphasize the Kalamazoo region as a model for other communities in the Midwest and beyond, highlighting programs such as the Kalamazoo Promise, a first-of-its-kind endowment for education, and the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center;

• Through innovative means, such as national awards and a business book, promote the "Community Capitalism" model - a philosophy that emphasizes tapping into regional assets, such as unique education programs, for the benefit of all citizens in the area.

The Results

• With the help of a steady stream of top-tier media placements on CBS News, ABC and CNN, as well as feature stories in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune, Kalamazoo saw home sales up for the first time in 20 years and nearly 1,000 new students in its public school system during 2006.

• Kalamazoo's life science cluster took center stage in articles in Inc., The Detroit News, Foreign Direct Investment and key trade publications, such as The Scientist and Chemical Marketing Reporter.

• Southwest Michigan First won the prestigious 2007 CoreNet Economic Development Leadership and Innovation Award for its successful "Community Capitalism" model.