The Power of Brand Detroit

**Novine** · September-09-10, 09:31 AM

Short post on why Detroit and southeast Michigan should embrace "Detroit" and what it might take to revive Detroit.

http://www.urbanophile.com/2010/09/0...brand-detroit/

**Crumbled_pavement** · September-09-10, 10:25 AM

**gnome** · September-09-10, 11:13 AM

Renn’s insights are rooted in a 15 year career in management and IT consulting, where he was a partner at Accenture. His clients included companies such as Walgreens, United Parcel Service, and Allstate. In addition to being the lead manager for several multi-million dollar IT implementations, he was also a senior technology architect and served in several strategy roles, including Director of IT Strategy for both Accenture and Focal Communications. Today he works as an independent consultant.

Wow, 15 years of experience in what? oh, yeah, management and IT consluting. Isn't consluting one of things where you don't do anything, you just tell people what they are doing wrong?

from the article:

Did Jesus try to attract followers with gourmet meals, gallery openings, and rebranding Himself to be more approachable as “the J”? No, He did not. But with nothing but the promise of a Kingdom of Heaven that we’ll never see here on this earth, He kicked off a religious movement that echoes to this day.

Jesus? did he say Jesus? Jesus Christ what kind of dumb ass crap is that? Jesusfckingchistalmighty!!! That is exactly what Detroit needs a new branding image. Then all or problems will evaporate.

That was easy.

'cuse me, I have to go and pick up some shell casings.

**gnome** · September-09-10, 11:14 AM

15 years! I have shoes that old.

**iheartthed** · September-09-10, 11:24 AM

He's right, it's an extremely powerful brand. And yes the leaders aren't utilizing it their benefit. And yes they are stupid for doing so.

Walk around any major city with Detroit printed on your shirt and if you haven't spoken to at least one person about the shirt then you must be butt-fucking ugly.

DetroitPole · September-09-10, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

Short post on why Detroit and southeast Michigan should embrace "Detroit" and what it might take to revive Detroit.

http://www.urbanophile.com/2010/09/0...brand-detroit/

The Jesus analogy was absolutely off-the-wall, batshit insane.

I think he's a hack, but a busted clock is right twice a day.

Detroit is undeniably a brand. While Detroit as a city still has a negative conotation, in very recent years, younger people especially, think of Detroit as interesting, mysterious, and hear things about it being a creative place. In addition to the grittiness and edginess that make it kind of cool.

Think about it, what has more marketing power, Des Moines or Detroit?

**Ray1936** · September-09-10, 12:12 PM

Dont'cha hate it when they interject the "J" word?

Bearinabox · September-09-10, 12:55 PM

I think we should embrace Brand Clarkston instead. After all, they have low taxes, good schools, and lots of white people, so they must be doing something right. Why should Detroit get any special treatment? It's just another part of the International Family of Communities Surrounding the Straits of Southern Metropolitan Clarkston.

Hell, even the center of population is closer to Clarkston now than it was 100 years ago. This means that Clarkston has gravitational pull! Where's your gravity, Detroiters?

**Bigb23** · September-09-10, 01:13 PM

"Gnome" says -

Wow, 15 years of experience in what? oh, yeah, management and IT consluting. Isn't consluting one of things where you don't do anything, you just tell people what they are doing wrong?

Like the "experts" on employment who put just a miniscule spin on the common sense that has been used for a hundred years, and sends out a PR release for publication.
Those end up on the front page of the Free Press want ads every Sunday. Thanks.

**Detroitnerd** · September-09-10, 01:18 PM

God made the fool for practice. Then he made the marketing communications director.

**gnome** · September-09-10, 02:18 PM

just a hint at what a clueless person this gentleman is:

Yes, Detroit is a brand with power. Yet too often its own residents feel the need to downplay it, euphemistically referring to the region as “Southeast Michigan” or to the city as “the D”, as if the brand has to be changed in order to attract people or investment.

Now, this is news to me, never before have I even heard the lovely ladies of Birmingdale Pointe attempt to emulsify the oily residue of the larger city with their coiffured arborovitie and gentile manors by throwing down The D in an attempt to shield themselves of the reality down the road.

These words have never been spoken, "Excuse me Millicent, will you be travelling to The D for a night of opera and revelry?"

Never before have I heard politicos of any stripe hide Detroit's reality behind The D appellation.

Never before have I heard that Southeast Michigan and The D mean the same thing.

This pencil-necked pindick deserves a long weekend stay at the St. Aubin Hotel.

**Novine** · September-09-10, 02:47 PM

"Never before have I heard that Southeast Michigan and The D mean the same thing."

A bit over the top don't you think? His perspective is of the person living outside of Detroit and how the city is promoted outside of SE Michigan. What we see or hear inside the city is irrelevant to his point. It's the image that the image makers are trying to project to the outside world. From what he's seen and heard and what you see here:

http://www.visitdetroit.com/index.php/summer

or here:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/section/lid

"The D" is thrown around as an alternative to "Detroit". That's his perspective. Unless you spend the majority of your time outside of the city and area, I'm not sure how you think you can speak better about an outsider's perspective than they can.

**gnome** · September-09-10, 02:51 PM

you're kidding right?

**canuck** · September-09-10, 03:08 PM

Gnome-
Thank you for your no-frills, non-glossy advocacy of Detroit as is; coney-islaned, afroed, coboed, cassified, Ford audited, and with Tigers in its tank. May Detroit soar again like the Phoenix, its Red Wings spread, wearing a D-sized bra under a "D" embroidered shirt...

About Renn though, he does bring up a few points about presenting the city as something more than the shoddy image delivered in the media. If Detroit is to beat the odds, it will need to campaign the way even successful, prosperous cities do to attract investment and tourism. Chicago has done a lot to improve itself in the past 20 years, Toronto has managed to wring itself from a dreary presbyterian cavernlike chapel into what it likes to call a world-class city by working to that end. What is left of Detroit, its people and places are well worth the support that other countries are granted by the federal government.