I was thrilled to be featured on Livability’s podcast, “Inside America’s Best Cities,” a couple of weeks ago! My conversation with Amanda Ellis, Livability’s editor-in-chief, was filled with ideas on how to help communities market their unique place! Talking with Amanda was like a breath of fresh air, and it got curiosity flowing about Livability. I couldn’t help but ask her a few questions for the PPR blog!
Amanda and I talked a lot about Livability’s mission (helping promote and celebrate cities across the U.S.) and how it does it (through fun, data-rich, and engaging content).
As marketers, we know that numbers are our guiding star in assessing strategy and charting a plan forward. Statistics also play a critical role for EDOs when planning any initiative—from business attraction to workforce development. Livability does extensive research on why people choose their communities and what factors influence their decisions. EDOs can use this data to hone their attraction strategy and highlight what matters most to the audiences they are trying to reach.
One area that I was curious about was how people decide where to work. While the top five relocation-triggering events remain (work, family, cost of living, education, and making a fresh start), our changing world has opened more opportunities and reasons to find a new home.
“In our most recent study, we saw some people saying there are more career opportunities now. Many are interested in minimizing costs and maximizing their pay; changing locations is a great way to do that,” says Amanda Ellis.
While opportunities for remote work are playing into people’s decision-making, so is the concept of a flexible schedule. Amanda adds, “A work-life balance is an important show of support for employees and communicates an employer’s focus on employee quality of life.”
Hybrid workplaces are good for communities, too! Employees have greater agency to expand their living options a little farther outside the workplace, reduce their commutes, and experience a greater balance between career and quality of life (without sacrificing the unique connection from face-to-face workplaces).
The greatest thing I took from my conversation with Amanda was that our communities and workplaces are changing every day, and so are we! It is important to keep our eyes on our potential audiences, learn how they are evolving, and then use that information to better serve their needs and wants.
Interested in learning more about Livability and how to market your place? Listen to my podcast episode! Interested in hearing more stories like this one? Subscribe to PPR’s newsletter.
