Haskell CEO - "Jax needs genuine view of future.."

[spuwho]

Per the JBJ:

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/03/05/halverson-great-cities-require.html

Haskell CEO Steve Halverson speaks at JaxUSA.



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)

[tufsu1]

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.

[thelakelander]

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.

[Keith-N-Jax]

^^^ +++ 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!!!

[Starbuck]

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?

[thelakelander]

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.

[edjax]

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. 

[edjax]

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.

[finehoe]

We have got to clean the stables out and get a competent group of people into the politics.

I know dat's right.

[SunKing]

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.

[thelakelander]

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.

[edjax]

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.

[thelakelander]

^I was quoted for the "influential community" comment.

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.

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.

[edjax]

^^ok!! I will let you take the blame for the snarky comment. Thanks!!

[Captain Zissou]

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.