Atlas CEO Ben Wright presents High Performance Economic Development at the Georgia EDA

1. Georgia EDA:
Measuring High
Performing EDOs
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2. Ben Wright, Atlas
Frequent speaker on marketing and
attraction at IEDC and various
State ED organizations
CEO of Atlas Advertising
19-year economic development
veteran
Built his first ED website in 1995 for
the Metro Denver EDC
Graduate of Stanford University
benw@atlas-advertising.com
@atlasad
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3. Questions We Will Answer
1. What does Ben Wright look like? I wish I could put a face to a
voice…
2. How can the profession define high performance?
3. What metrics matter for my organization?
4. What results are good, average, and not so good?
5. How do communities in Georgia compare?
6. What are the next steps?
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4. Join the community, continue the
dialogue, get the slides
• Join the Conversation:
– Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AtlasAd
– Tweet questions using hashtag #AskAtlas
• Join the community of innovative economic
development marketers
– Join our Next Gen Economic Development Marketers
LinkedIn Group
• Get the slides:
www.atlas-advertising.com/community-
marketing-presentations.aspx
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5. Why Measure High Performing
EDO’s?
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6. As a profession, is it clear to all that we
make a difference? If not, let’s change that.
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7. If we are going to measure
ourselves, how do we decide
what to measure?
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8. Economic development
organizational objectives
Deal focused Promotion Retention/ Infrastructure/
focused Entrepreneur Policy focused
ship focused
Mission Jobs and wealth from Awareness, Inquiry Jobs and wealth from Improve the business
outside inside environment
Key audience Site selectors, prospective Site selectors, Local companies and Local elected
companies prospective entrepreneurs officials, government
companies
Metrics Inquiries, deals closed, Awareness, inquiries Meetings/inquiries, Projects built, capital
deals in pipeline, capital issues solved, policy, investment,
investment legislation passed
Staffing ½ business developers, ½ 2/3 marketers and ½ business ½ lobbyists, ½
marketers information developers, ½ , policy/infrastructure
producers service providers
Core Skills Service, person to person Content creation, Service, consulting Lobbying, public
communication, sales. digital affairs
communications
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9. How did we decide on what to
measure?
Job growth
Unemployment
Tax Economic
Revenue
GSP Personal Income
Web visits Inquiries
Inquiries and
Jobs and wages
from Outcomes
relocations Jobs from 9
expansions
Capital Investment

10. How did we decide on what to
measure?
Economic metrics Inquiries and Outcomes Metrics
Pro •Widely available data •Private sector thinking: High
•Easily comparable across performing private sector firms use
communities •Focus on things the EDO actually
•Broadly understandable does and impacts
•Metrics that cover the broadest mix
of organizational goals
Con •Problems with causality: Good •Not all organizations track this data
EDOs can be in bad economies today
and vice versa •Self reporting of data can skew
•Problems with reach: EDOs only results
influence a fraction of economy
•Problems with timing: Deals do
not impact economy for years 10

11. Our decision – focus on inquiries and
outcomes, as we influence those directly
Generating
Generating Generating Jobs and
Awareness Inquiry Investment
Knowledge of the Visits to website Number of jobs
Organization Phone/email inquiries Capital investment
Prospect meetings
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12. So what are the results?
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13. A sample of
participating EDOs
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14. Data collection details
1. Three separate emails were sent to the Atlas list, as well as by
GEDA
2. Hundreds of organizations clicked on the survey, 70 thus far
have completed it
3. Organizations from 25+ states have now participated
4. Our goal:
a. 350+ communities from all 50 states by September.
b. Every EDO in Georgia by GEDA’s Annual Conference this fall.
5. To take the survey, click this link:
http://Atlas2012BenchmarkingSurvey.questionpro.com
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15. Statistics about
participating EDOs
78% represent communities that are 250,000 in population or less
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16. Statistics about
participating EDOs
76% have annual operating budgets of under $1,000,000
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17. Statistics about
participating EDOs
68% have a staff size of three or smaller
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18. Results from the Overall Sample
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19. The average economic development
website receives 18,449 unique visits
per year, or 1,537 per month.
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20. The average economic development
organization receives 96 inquiries per
year, or 8 per month.
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21. The average economic development
organization has announced 1497 jobs
in the past year.
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22. The average economic development
organization has announced
$179,166,852 in capital investment in
the past year.
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23. Results Segmented by
Market Size
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24. Average results by population
size, last 12 Months
CAPITAL
WEB VISITS INQUIRIES JOBS WON
INVESTMENT
POPULATION
20 $ 28,333,333
Less than 25,000 8,418 98
46 $ 63,750,000
25,001 to 100,000 8,324 576
65 $ 149,376,418
100,001 to 250,000 22,412 1,198
208 $ 365,923,077
250,001 to 1,000,000 28,374 2,422
228 $ 447,794,260
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 45,543 2,646
170 $ 399,630,000
Over 2,500,000 23,445 5,359
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Average for all Sizes 18,449 96 1,497 $ 179,166,852

25. Average results per capita
IMPACT PER CAPITA IMPACT PER CAPITA
LOW HIGH
POPULATION
Less than 25,000 $1,315
25,001 to 100,000 $925 $3,701
100,001 to 250,000 $ 837 $2,093
250,001 to 1,000,000 $ 478 $ 1,911
1,000,000 to 2,500,000 $ 187 $ 468
Over 2,500,000 $ 134
Average for all Sizes $646 $2,043
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26. Results Segmented by Staff Size
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27. Average results by staff
size, last 12 Months
CAPITAL
WEB VISITS INQUIRIES JOBS WON
INVESTMENT
STAFF SIZE
1 2,569 34 928 $ 142,071,429
2 to 3 11,801 42 725 $ 169,932,549
4 to 9 29,279 118 1,897 $ 176,177,341
10 to 19 27,973 406 4,757 $ 475,233,333
20 or more 57,565 383 5,182 $ 251,950,000
Average for all Sizes 18,449 96 1,497 $ 179,166,852
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28. Average results per staff person
IMPACT PER STAFF IMPACT PER STAFF
PERSON LOW PERSON HIGH
POPULATION
1 $ 181,839,286
2 to 3 $ 66,636,991 $ 99,955,487
4 to 9 $ 30,112,959 $ 67,754,157
10 to 19 $ 37,530,702 $ 71,308,333
20 or more $ 25,553,000
Average for all Sizes $ 68,334,587 $ 79,672,659
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29. Results Segmented by
Organizational Budget
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30. Average results by operating
budget, last 12 Months
CAPITAL
WEB VISITS INQUIRIES JOBS WON
INVESTMENT
BUDGET
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Under $100,000 853 72 $2,000,000
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$100,000 to $249,000 4,006 719 $148,384,615
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$250,000 to $499,000 15,543 434 $200,784,615
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$500,000 to $999,000 23,029 1,677 $195,720,566
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$1,000,000 to $2,500,000 10,370 1,202 $179,874,382
308
Over $2,500,000 45,184 4,126 $299,620,833
18,449 30 96 1,497 $ 179,166,852
Average for all Sizes

31. Average results per $ spent
IMPACT PER $ LOW IMPACT PER $ HIGH
OPERATING BUDGET
Under $100,000 $ 51
$100,000 to $249,000 $ 729 $ 1,816
$250,000 to $499,000 $ 446 $ 890
$500,000 to $999,000 $ 280 $ 559
$1,000,000 to $2,500,000 $ 96 $ 240
Over $2,500,000 $ 202
Average for all Sizes $ 301 $ 876
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32. What drives and what are the
results of activities per inquiry?
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33. The average economic development
website receives 194 unique visits per
qualified inquiry.
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34. If we assume that the entire economic
development budget is oriented to drive
inquiry, each inquiry costs between
$7,000 and $16,000 to generate.
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35. Each inquiry, whether it leads to an
expansion or relocation, is worth an
average of $7.9 million.
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36. Drivers and results
per inqury
Action/Outcome per Inquiry Driver or Result of Inquiry
WEB VISITS PER INQUIRY
194
JOBS PER INQUIRY
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CAPITAL INVESTMENT PER
INQUIRY 6,657,234
$ PER INQUIRY
7,915,750
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37. What organizations are high
performers?
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38. Highest Performers by
Market Size, 2011
Extra Large Market EDO: Large Market EDO
(Over 2,500,000 pop): (1,000,000 to 2,500,000 pop):
Large Mid- Market EDO: Mid - Market EDO:
(250,000 to 1,000,000 pop): (100,000 to 250,000 pop):
Small - Market EDO: Micro - Market EDO:
(25,000 to 100,000 pop): (Less than 25,000 pop):
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39. How does Georgia compare?
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40. Average results for GA
respondents, compared to nation
CAPITAL
WEB VISITS INQUIRIES JOBS WON
INVESTMENT
BUDGET
Average for GA 14,467 37 366 $ 170,142,857
Average for all Sizes 18,449 96 1,497 $ 179,166,852
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41. What is Next?
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42. Benchmark your
community today
Join the study by clicking this url:
http://Atlas2012BenchmarkingSurvey
.questionpro.com
You will receive a customized report
of your results this fall.
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43. Join our Webinar May 30:
Regionalism for ED – What Top Performing
Regions are Doing to Succeed
• May 30th, 11:00 AM Eastern
• Sign up at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/
197201762
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44. We’ll see you in Savannah!
Topic:
How to Become a Top Performing EDO:
Lessons from the Best
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45. Thank You!
Contact information:
2601 Blake Street, Suite 301
Denver, CO 80205
Contact: Ben Wright
t: 303.292.3300 x 210
benw@Atlas-Advertising.com
www.Atlas-Advertising.com
LinkedIn Profile | LinkedIn Group | Twitter |
Blog | Slidespace
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