Per the JBJ:
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/03/05/halverson-great-cities-require.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/03/05/halverson-great-cities-require.html)
Haskell CEO Steve Halverson speaks at JaxUSA.
(http://media.bizj.us/view/img/2113831/halvweb*600.jpg)
One of Jacksonville's most prominent executives issued a call for action Wednesday, tasking business leaders to join a mission to help build an authentic brand for the city.
Ticking off a list of small to mid-size cities with great brands — Denver, Oklahoma City, Portland and Austin — Haskell Co. CEO Steve Halverson called for Jacksonville leaders to do what those cities have done.
"I'm not saying they're the best, but they're their own selves," Halverson said, "and they are what they are because they had a vision."
Read the rest at the JBJ website (link above)
JCCI held a forum last week on developing a brand/identity for Jacksonville. Speakers included Paul Astleford and staff from VisitJax, Broderick Green from JaxUSA, and Bill Prescott from KYN (and formerly w/ the Jags). Each talked about what they do to pitch/sell Jacksonville. Many themes were repeated during the discussion and the ideas will be summarized in the next few weeks.
Marketing gimmicks will only get you so far. Part of developing an authentic brand is having the ability to step back and let your city evolve on it's own. This means not continuing to create legislation to restrict the very things and trends that grow to create and enhance a local cultural identity. The challenge for Jax's influential community will not be creating and selling identity, it will be stepping aside and allowing it to form naturally, even if it turns out to not be exactly what you personally want or can use to make money off of.
^^^ +++ plus infinity How many meetings do we need to have to only keep spinning in circles?
The challenge for Jax's influential community will not be creating and selling identity, it will be stepping aside and allowing it to form naturally, even if it turns out to be not exactly what you personally want or can use to make money off of.
^^^ This is spot on!!!
I don't understand. If the well connected in crowd can't make a personal profit from it, then whatever possible use could it be?
It's not that someone "can't" make a personal profit from a city's identity. It's more like, a community's identity should not be driven or led in a certain direction primarily for personal gain.
I am afraid until all of these people who talk the talk actually makes the commitment to run for office then nothing will really ever happen. They can say these great things but few of them ever actually run for office and put them in a place they can make things happen. Yes they can play a supportive role without being in office which is also needed but far from actually making it happen by getting the ball rolling.
But then again Mr. Halverson is the CEO of the company that designed that beautiful retail less parking garage being built in the heart of our downtown. So perhaps he should get his own company on board with improvements to our urban core and walk away from jobs that don't really improve our urban core in lieu of profits for said company. Walk the walk.
Quote from: stephendare on March 06, 2014, 09:50:47 AM
We have got to clean the stables out and get a competent group of people into the politics.
I know dat's right.
Quote from: thelakelander on March 06, 2014, 08:12:07 AM
Marketing gimmicks will only get you so far. Part of developing an authentic brand is having the ability to step back and let your city evolve on it's own. This means not continuing to create legislation to restrict the very things and trends that grow to create and enhance a local cultural identity. The challenge for Jax's influential community will not be creating and selling identity, it will be stepping aside and allowing it to form naturally, even if it turns out to not be exactly what you personally want or can use to make money off of.
I think you are wrong there. It takes a combination of leadership, marketing(which requires an identity) and community involvement to make a great city. Just for fun lets compare the Portland Development Commission Mission Statement with the JEDC:
Portland's is:
PDC's mission is to create one of the world's most desirable and equitable cities by investing in job creation, innovation and economic opportunity throughout Portland.
And here comes the compelling JEDC (oh wait its now the OED, talk about identity problem) Vision:
OED will be the leading economic development entity in the State of Florida.
OED will be a results-focused, catalytic and collaborative organization that is responsive, transparent, predictable and ethical.
OED doesn't have a Mission Statement, it is instead a nebulous wish list like "Attract private capital" as well as "Sports and Entertainment".
Any effort to help Jacksonville create and market its identity should start there.
Great cities were built by great leaders as well and Steve Halverson is one of them. I can tell you that he lives in Jacksonville and wants to see it grow and prosper. He does not make money from these efforts nor is a substantial amount of Haskell's business in Jacksonville, btw which is unfortunate. We have great non-elected leaders in this city and we need more like Steve. We simply cant accept all leadership to come from our elected officials. Bashing him or the "influential community" with a snarky comment for their efforts is a big part of the problem.
Yes there is also community involvement that is equally important as the other two. This is the "natural" part of the equation that you mention. Pride plays a big part in that. It involves everyone from the artist that relocates here from NY, to the local entrepreneur that keeps his/her business in town, to the average joe that helps someone with a flat tire, to the old lady that picks up trash on weekends, to the homeless guy that cheers on the Jaguars.
Greatness will require a rising diversity that promotes a common goal rather than a bunch of pouters pointing fingers.
To be clear, I never said anything negative about Halverson or pointed fingers at anyone.
My basic point is that a community's identity forms in an organic fashion. All the marketing out of city hall won't matter one bit (this isn't pointing fingers!) if Jax isn't allowed to organically grow.
I am sure Sunkings snarky comment is directed at me. But hey he can have his opinion and I can have mine. I also noted that we do need non elected officials in the city from a supportive role,but at some point some of these people have to step to the plate and become an elected official to affect change in my humble opinion. How well has it worked for Jax with few of these great non elected officials not actually running for office? i would say the proof is in our abysmal urban core.
^I was quoted for the "influential community" comment.
Quote from: SunKing on March 06, 2014, 10:22:27 AM
Bashing him or the "influential community" with a snarky comment for their efforts is a big part of the problem.
However, that's not a bash, it's reality that Jax has to face and overcome.
Quote from: thelakelander on March 06, 2014, 08:12:07 AM
Part of developing an authentic brand is having the ability to step back and let your city evolve on it's own. This means not continuing to create legislation to restrict the very things and trends that grow to create and enhance a local cultural identity. The challenge for Jax's influential community will not be creating and selling identity, it will be stepping aside and allowing it to form naturally, even if it turns out to not be exactly what you personally want or can use to make money off of.
Just in one week, we have three examples of this in the form of the mobility fee modification being considered, the food truck legislation promoted by some to restrict market rate competition & growth, along with the craft brewery bill being considered by the state. All are examples of using influence to tilt the marketplace in a certain direction as opposed to letting it evolve on its own.
^^ok!! I will let you take the blame for the snarky comment. Thanks!! :)
On the local, regional, and maybe even national leve; which neighborhood has a more positive image, downtown or riverside?? Which of the 2 has had millions of public dollars pumped into it, multitudes of PR slogans, half hearted ad campaigns, and publicly funded marketing groups supporting it? Which one grew organically despite many anti-business government officials and a neighborhood group that is trying to shut down the commercial areas within??
Downtown and Jax need more small business owners who care, people who will support and encourage their efforts, and more freedom. We don't need another slogan, another image makeover, or another $1M spent on a study. Riverside has succeeded despite staggering opposition because some smart, passionate, and persistant small business owners wanted to create something worthwhile and provide something for their city. If we had that city-wide, we'd already be an iconic city.
Quote from: edjax on March 06, 2014, 10:44:41 AM
I am sure Sunkings snarky comment is directed at me. But hey he can have his opinion and I can have mine. I also noted that we do need non elected officials in the city from a supportive role,but at some point some of these people have to step to the plate and become an elected official to affect change in my humble opinion. How well has it worked for Jax with few of these great non elected officials not actually running for office? i would say the proof is in our abysmal urban core.
Suggesting that Halverson's leadership and a garage that his company built for a developer (in this case the City) are somehow connected just doesn't make sense to me. It is not the company's mission to only do projects that you like.
It certainly has very little impact to the company's bottom line. Nor does the Southbank Riverwalk for that matter. Oh btw Peter Rummell is on Steve's board and a pretty big developer as well. go ahead and bash him while you're at it. Maybe he will take his influence to another city and One Spark along with it.
My point is that while its common practice to bash our publically elected officials. That's what they sign up for. Its better to embrace the private leaders that truly can and want to make a difference. If you really want change that's who you need to be looking to.
Well if as you note it was really not a big impact on the bottomline of the company then to me all the more reason not to be involved in it. Stand on principle and simply state as a private leader of downtown development that this really is not a projeject we feel is worthy of promoting a healthy downtown so we would rather not be part of it. And I never said anything negative about the Riverwalk. I just feel it was a bad decision on their part to be associated with the garage.
Quote from: edjax on March 06, 2014, 11:46:20 AM
Well if as you note it was really not a big impact on the bottomline of the company then to me all the more reason not to be involved in it. Stand on principle and simply state as a private leader of downtown development that this really is not a projeject we feel is worthy of promoting a healthy downtown so we would rather not be part of it. And I never said anything negative about the Riverwalk. I just feel it was a bad decision on their part to be associated with the garage.
Halverson/Haskell should have done their best to convince the client to do the garage the right way. That would be walking the walk. But if not successful, it is the responsibility of the CITY to require the standards be maintained.
As far as the 'city officials' vs. the 'business leaders' battle, if the 'business leaders' make urban redevelopment a key requirement for their monetary support, I think you would be surprised how fast the 'city officials' come around.
That is why I have long advocated a 'political arm' for Metro Jacksonville.
Yeah, nevermind. you're probably right. It's easier to blame a successful, influential, business person with money for not being convincing enough than a politician whose job it is to maintain the standard.
And as for this site being a 'political arm,' politicians will literally run from you as long as you continue to bash the "influence."
Quote from: edjax on March 06, 2014, 11:46:20 AM
Well if as you note it was really not a big impact on the bottomline of the company then to me all the more reason not to be involved in it. Stand on principle and simply state as a private leader of downtown development that this really is not a projeject we feel is worthy of promoting a healthy downtown so we would rather not be part of it. And I never said anything negative about the Riverwalk. I just feel it was a bad decision on their part to be associated with the garage.
As much as it pains me to side with you since you gratuitously give me such a hard time, I think you're right here. The economy is not deep enough or strong enough for much picking and choosing for Jax companies, however, Haskell is likely one of the contenders in the city that is in a position where it can go down a different direction when it so chooses.
It never struck a positive chord with me to have Haskell as the design-build contractor for the garage. Tilt-wall garages are sort of their bread and butter, so the project makes sense for their business, however, the leadership of that company is hypocritical when it's proud of winning that contract for downtown on that particular site.
I've experienced firsthand too many examples of companies walking their talk or turning down projects that they felt weren't right for the community or tackling projects for half political reasons (FL-based Crescent Heights is very very pro-union, for example, and they try to do union financed and union built projects such as they are doing here in SF right now...that being driven by their executives of course).
Companies are allowed to have political views and ulterior motives driven by feelings of corporate responsibility, etc. If Haskell's executives repeatedly talk that talk, but never walk that walk, that's basically bullshit. So yea, no respect for that.
Quote from: SunKing on March 06, 2014, 01:36:06 PM
Yeah, nevermind. you're probably right. It's easier to blame a successful, influential, business person with money for not being convincing enough than a politician whose job it is to maintain the standard.
And as for this site being a 'political arm,' politicians will literally run from you as long as you continue to bash the "influence."
Undue influence based on special interests, that trump the common interest, is what is criticized on this site.
The Chamber of Commerce takes public stances on issues and gives endorsements in elections and donates money to the campaigns that support those positions. That's why they have the power that they do. The grassroots citizenry is only doing one of those things, and that is why they so often don't win the day.