The document provides an overview of a presentation on high performance economic development. It discusses how economic development is a team sport and introduces Atlas, a marketing firm specializing in economic development. It outlines the need for metrics in economic development and how to implement a metrics-based approach. The presentation includes exercises where attendees prepare metrics presentations for their communities and provides contact information for the speaker.

1. High Performance Economic Development
Is a Team Sport
Presented by

2. Your Presenter
Ben Wright – CEO
benw@atlas-advertising.com
www.twitter.com/atlasad

3. Setting the Tone
"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but
then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there,
make something happen.”
- Lee Iacocca

4. Setting the Tone
”Winning as a team is better than anything. It’s great
to share success”
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach, University of
Michigan

5. Introducing Atlas
1. Denver-based marketing services company, specializing in economic development
2. Founded in 2001, with 28 employees
3. Has worked with more communities than any other economic development marketing
services firm in the past 10 years: 160+ economic development clients in 45 states
and 6 countries
4. Specialize in providing branding, marketing planning, digital marketing, and GIS
enabled websites, all for economic development
5. Pioneered the industry’s first metrics based benchmarking approach for marketing,
business attraction, and business retention: High Performance Economic
Development Marketing
6. IEDC’s High Performance Economic Development Marketing Partner
7. Frequent public speaker and lead speaker on benchmarking marketing, business
attraction, and business retention programs, as well as on branding, research, digital
marketing, websites, and GIS.

6. View the Slides, Continue the Dialogue
• Continue the Conversation:
– Follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/AtlasAd
– Tweet questions using hashtag
#ASKATLAS
– Join High Performance Economic
Development LinkedIn Group
• View and share the slides with your
colleagues (available now):
www.slideshare.com/wright0405

7. Outline
1. Introductions
2. Two Comments About Change
3. The Metrics Situation in Economic Development
4. The Need for Metrics in Economic Development
5. What Happens if We Don’t Use Metrics
6. How to Put Metrics into Practice
7. How to Get Your Community’s Report
8. Wrap up/Questions

8. Two Comments About Change

11. Heraclitus of Epheseus,
535 BC – 475 BC
Ronnie Bryant?
Albert Einstein?
Steve Jobs?

13. Jack Welch
Former Chairman and
CEO of General Electric

14. A discussion about change as it
relates to Michigan

15. Has Boeing Changed?

16. Poll Question:
What is your primary function in your organization?

17. Poll Question:
As a practitioner, how much do you think you impact the
overall economic activity in your area?

18. The Metrics Situation in
Economic Development

19. History of Metrics for Economic Development
1. EDOs have been measuring their performance for years
1. However, with differing viewpoints, metrics have gotten muddy and
misunderstood
1. In 2011, Atlas put together it’s first survey of EDO outcomes, to assist EDOs
in planning their marketing, business attraction, and business retention
programs
1. In 2014, IEDC published its “Making it Count” metrics for high performing
EDOs
1. In 2015, the general public still doesn’t know the value of what we do

20. Lack of
accurate
data
The Challenges of Metrics
No Standardized
reporting system
Pressure to
show big
wins
Our board
misinterprets the
data
If we live by just jobs,
do we die by jobs
Time to report
data

21. Over 50% of EDOs
Don’t TRACK
their performance
80% of “Non Trackers” have
considered metrics at one
point
Most widely used metrics:
Jobs, Capital Investment, Tax Base, Personal Income
300
menu of metrics
provided by the
IEDC
Nearly 2/3rds of EDO’s
evaluate their
performance
Quick EDO Metrics Statistics

22. History of Metrics for Economic Development
In 2015, the
general public still
doesn’t know the
value of what we
do
EDOs have been
measuring their
performance for years
However, with differing
viewpoints, metrics have
gotten muddy and
misunderstood
In 2011, Atlas put
together its first survey
of EDO outcomes, to
assist EDOs in planning
their marketing,
business attraction, and
business retention
programs
2011
In 2014, IEDC
published its “Making it
Count” Metrics for High
Performing EDOs
2014
2015

23. 175 < 25,000
Average companies served Typical number of establishments
in a community
Source: Atlas 2014 Benchmarking Study
EDOs Service Companies that Comprise a Very
Small Percentage of Their Economies

24. Why We Need Metrics for Economic
Development

25. Trends in the Profession That Make Metrics a
Moving Target
1. Digital is changing the way communities are being evaluated, and changing
our roles in the process
2. Workforce driving business location, and opening up new ways for EDOs to
influence economies
3. The debate about whether the profession drives outcomes continues, even
as the Great Recession is in the rear view
4. There are more deals happening in communities, leading to more positive
impressions of EDOs
5. The investor/stakeholder mindset is changing, as demographics of those
involved in EDOs are changing

26. There is Too Much Discussion About Whether or
Not Economic Developers are Essential, While
Interest in Economic Development Organizations
Wanes

27. Implications if we Don’t Use Metrics

28. Budget Level
LOW JOBS
ANNOUNCED, 2014
HIGH JOBS
ANNOUNCED, 2014
Under $100,000 20 243
$100,000 to $249,000 2 1,500
$250,000 to $499,000 5 5,000
$500,000 to $999,000 4 4,283
$1,000,000 to
$2,500,000
35 8,000
Over $2,500,000 6 16,835
Source: Atlas Report - Why Metrics Matter, 2014
Average
difference:
978x
The Spread Between High and Low
Performing Organizations is Staggering (at all sizes)

29. How to Put Metrics Into Practice

30. How Does Your Organization Prioritize Business
Recruitment, Retention, and Marketing/Promotion?

31. Four Ways the International Economic
Development Council Defines High Performance
1. Internal Segment (Employee
satisfaction, funding sources)
1. ED Program Segment (Business
Attraction, Business Retention,
Business Creation)
1. Relationship Management Segment
(Relationships with internal and
external stakeholders)
1. Community Segment (Community well
being, in terms of demographics,
workforce, household income, etc.)

32. Steps to Put High Performance into Practice
1. Discuss your organizational priorities for marketing, business
recruitment, and business retention, and start with a simple score card
2. Assign metrics to certain staff
3. Set a plan to influence that metric for each staff person
4. Make the plan transparent to your stakeholders
5. Execute, report, and adjust

33. If you are Focused on the Internal Segment, What
Basic Metrics Should be your Priority?

34. If you are Focused on the Program Segment,
What Basic Metrics Should be your Priority?

35. If you are focused on the Relationship Segment,
What Basic Metrics Should be your Priority?

36. If you are focused on the EDO Outcomes Segment,
What Basic Metrics Should be your Priority?

37. If you are Focused on the Community Outcomes
Segment: What Basic Metrics Should be your
Priority?

38. Economic Development CEO / Executive
Metrics He/She Should Influence
1. All
Role He/She Plays
1. Setting the vision for the organization
2. Creating a culture of accountability and transparency
3. Setting the parameters for a metrics score card
4. Allocating staff and resources
5. Building capacity to ensure board engagement
Sphere of Influence

39. Business Developer
Metrics He/She Should Influence
1. Inquiries/Conversations with Companies
2. Jobs Announced/Conversations
3. Capital Investment Announced/Conversations
What He/She Should Focus On
1. Rapid response to prospects
2. Investigating prospect needs
3. Providing customized responses
4. Proactively prospecting
5. Filling, monitoring and maintaining BD pipeline
Sphere of Influence

40. Marketer
Metrics He/She Should Influence
1. Website visits
2. Ratio of website visits/inquiries
What He/She Should Focus On
1. Creating opportunities for BD, through
marketing
2. Driving traffic to the website via search engines,
social media, email
3. Keeping content fresh and relevant
4. Leveraging the latest marketing tools and
software to create a competitive advantage for
her community
Sphere of Influence

41. Researcher/Economist
Metrics He/She Should Influence
1. Website Visits
2. Jobs Announced
3. Capital Investment Announced
Role He/She Plays
1. Creating outstanding and differentiated content for
all teams
2. Providing customized data to the business
developer
3. Managing and reporting on benchmarked data
4. Leveraging the latest data sources and tools
Sphere of Influence

42. Benchmark Your Community Using Atlas’ High
Performance Economic Development
1. Take the survey here:
2. View your report online: here

43. Download our white paper
http://atlas-advertising.com/Home/Download-our-white-paper.aspx
Take the survey to participate http://atlas-
advertising.com/Community-Benchmarking-Study.aspx
Next Steps: Taking Action

44. Questions/Discussion

45. Exercise: Deciding What Position You
Will Play in High Performance

46. Exercise
1.Each table will take one of five metrics
presentations, using the industry standard four
groups of metrics
a. About fundraising/staff development/capacity
b. About the quality and activities in your programs,
including retention, recruitment, workforce
development, infrastructure
c. About the relationships your organization has with
internal and external stakeholders, including
employers in your area, prospects, and
stakeholders/investors
d. About the Outcomes that your EDO actually
influences in your community
e. About the performance of your community over time
in terms of demographics, workforce, cost of living,

47. Exercise (2)
2. Each table will have 30 minutes as a group to
prepare a metrics presentation about your
community.
2. Two or more members of each team will
present.
2. Each presentation will be five minutes in length

48. Exercise (3)
5. At the end, all presentations will be anonymously rated by the group on
the following basis:
a. As a practitioner, which presentation did you respect the most?
b. Putting yourself in the position of a stakeholder, which presentation
gave you the most relevant information?
c. Putting yourself in the position of a stakeholder, which presentation
would inspire your support and involvement the most?

49. Presentations

50. Questions I Have for You
1. Of what you have seen today, which of these approaches do you already
do regularly?
1. Of what you have seen today, which of these approaches would you try
that you are not currently doing?
1. What would you stop doing to make room for these approaches?

51. Thank you!
Contact information:
Ben Wright
303.292.3300 x 210
benw@Atlas-Advertising.com
929 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
www.Atlas-Advertising.com
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