Dartlet and Fourth Economy selected to develop Southwest Central Indiana competitive identity strategy

Dartlet and Fourth Economy have been selected to develop a competitive identity strategy for Southwest Central Indiana. The two organizations will work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop a strong, unifying regional identity and position Southwest Central Indiana as a desirable place for businesses and individuals to work, live, play and invest.

“Southwest Central Indiana is a region with a compelling story to tell, and it’s imperative that we begin to share that story,” said ROI CEO Tina Peterson. “For organizations across Southwest Central Indiana to work collaboratively in attracting and retaining workforce, business and investment, we need for the rest of world to know about the exceptional assets and opportunities in our 11-county region.” 

In April, Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc., issued an RFP to organizations selected for their capacity to help regions like Southwest Central Indiana identify and define competitive positions and brand identities. After a thorough review and interview process by ROI’s board of directors, Dartlet, in collaboration with Fourth Economy, was selected to guide the region through this process.

“Dartlet and Fourth Economy have the expertise and experience to help this region define its identity in a way that values the unique attributes of our individual communities that when combined regionally create a substantial competitive advantage,” added Peterson. “We have chosen this particular consulting team because of the emphasis they place on broad and inclusive engagement in the process. We know that many voices from across Southwest Central Indiana will be required to develop a story that embraces the totality of the region.”

The competitive positioning process is expected to take 4 to 6 months to complete. Dartlet and Fourth Economy will utilize Southwest Central Indiana’s existing Strategic Plan for Economic and Community Development, Occupational Needs Assessment, I-69 Interchange Analyses, and other regional data to help inform the competitive identity process. They will also conduct market perception research, develop a competitive audit, and facilitate workshops and interviews with hundreds of stakeholders across the region. In addition to other in-depth market analyses, Fourth Economy will explore current commuting/live-work patterns, shopping trade areas, industry supply chains, growth trends similar to other regions, investment, and population data.

This comprehensive research analysis will then be synthesized into a personality and regional identity messaging strategy with a series of storylines and dimensions that can be used widely across the region by a variety of stakeholders, including economic development, tourism, government, industry and community leaders. Recommendations will also be provided for using the messaging strategy across the region to attract and retain talent, business and investment.

About Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc.:

The mission of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. (ROI) is to support economic and community prosperity in the 11 counties of Southwest Central Indiana (Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen and Washington counties). ROI is implementing education and workforce initiatives and regional initiatives for quality of place development. More information can be found at https://swcindiana.org/

About Dartlet:

Dartlet is a specialized team of innovators in the science of reputation strategy and research. Using an original approach and methodology refined over the past decade, Dartlet works with entities to clearly define their best, most authentic self, as the catalyst for communication alignment. Dartlet’s research-driven, consensus-built, objective approach involves and unites the masses, reaching thousands of stakeholders through custom workshops and proprietary online and live software.

About Fourth Economy:

Fourth Economy is a national consulting group that equips change agents with the tools they need to build better communities and stronger economies. Driven by the belief that the economy should serve people, Fourth Economy cultivates collaboration across multiple sectors and develops a unique, data-powered approach to guide each client engagement.