on September 15, 2009 / by Downtown Dallas Inc. / in Arts and Culture, Blog Posts, DDI News

Bold Moves aggressively targets CEOs primarily from California and the Northeast corridor whose businesses are feeling the effects of the poor economy, tax increases and excess regulation. The “Make a Bold Move” campaign highlights the benefits of moving to Dallas and how the bold move of relocating headquarters will create positive change in a company. The campaign elements include videos, direct marketing, e-mail, iPhones and an invitation-only Web site.  To check out a preview visit downtowndallas.org

From the creative brain trust at TM Advertising, the attention-grabber of the campaign is a branded iPhone. It’s the first point of contact that a CEO will have with Dallas and is loaded contact information of Dallas business leaders. Every application on the phone has Dallas content (phone contacts, photos, news, maps, weather, real estate, restaurants and entertainment). It also contains engaging, short videos of Dallas CEOs who have moved their companies to downtown Dallas, and voice-mail messages from these CEOs.

But this is even more than a marketing campaign.  Meaningful economic data is provided on the web site, driving home the value statement that Dallas is clearly positioned to provide added value and benefits for relocation.  The site is programmed with customizable data, comparing a particular target CEO’s city to Dallas.  Furthermore, the list of CEO’s who have received the information was the result of a highly targeted filtering system, resulting in a list of real prospects.  This is no ‘shoot in the dark’ campaign.

Some of our favorite stats:

• North Texas’ $300 billion annual economy is larger than that of many European nations – A relocation to Dallas can help companies not only survive, but thrive in today’s new global economy.
• Texas created more new jobs in 2008 than all other 49 states combined
• Texas is the only state other than Georgia and North Dakota that is cutting taxes this year
• The business and tax climate in Dallas and breadth of critical labor and infrastructure provide a ripe environment for major corporations to thrive.
• Dallas is the #3 Most popular destination for business travel in the United States
• Dallas is in the top 5 media markets in the US
• Dallas is centrally located with most US cities a few hours away. Travel can be quick, trips can be brief.
• For the fourth year in a row, Chief Executive Magazine has ranked Texas the #1 place to do business (February 2009).
• Dallas, with a population of 6,300,006 (as of July 2008), was the number one metropolitan area in population growth in the nation last year according to a March 2009 U.S. Census Bureau release.
• For companies that operate nationally, yet are anchored on the east or west coast and/or in high cost locations, Dallas is ideal given its central location, with most major US cities 4 or less hours away by air .

The initiative will run through 2010.

On a similar note, the move of a million-dollar plus corporation headquarters doesn’t signify a single, one-time investment. That’s just the beginning of the economic benefits that unfold to our city.On

The AT&T naming announcement that came today for the Dallas Performing Arts Center is a prime example. Their contribution will fund the future annual operations of the world-class venues that create the center, like the Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theatre, opening in October. During the opening week, hundreds of thousands of journalists, visitors and performers from around the world will be experiencing our city and coming back for more for years to come. This benefits both businesses (private and public) and consumers.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center will showcase some of AT&T’s newest and most advanced mobile and internet technologies to further visitors’ experiences at the center, from text messaging and free wi-fi to mobile apps for AT&T users – another consumer benefit.

Having an economic driver company like AT&T call Dallas their home, can only enhance Dallas’ vitality in competing in national and international markets – from business to consumer levels. A sense of pride and ownership of their new home is part of a corporate relocation package and a driving force of getting their name out there to its constituents, partners, neighbors and friends. That’s something all of us Texans and Dallas-ites can relate to and appreciate.

Kourtny and Kristy

tags: Downtown Dallas, Economy, Mayor Leppert See More Posts