One of the local issues being addressed in the news a lot lately (and stirring up some buzz on local blogs) is the “Brain Drain Initiative”. City leaders want to our young and talented demographic from moving away after graduating college, and they’ve hired a consulting company to figure this problem out. Recently polls and interviews have been done, and now it seems like a lot of people are waiting to hear the results and what’s going to be done about the issue.Below are some links and excepts from several local blogs with some ideas and opinions on this issues. Feel free to post your two cents on the topic as well.
From Notes from Clintonville Blog:
There has been a lot of discussion in Columbus recently about a sense of place, who we are and where we are heading. Task forces have been formed to stop the Columbus brain drain and retain our young professionals.
Part of the argument of why people are leaving is because Columbus lacks a sense of place. It’s been there said there is no easily recognizable symbol or perception of Columbus. You know what you’re getting into when you fly to Boston, visit New York, drive to Chicago and vacation in Miami. Not so much with Columbus. In my line of work, what I hear repeated over and over again is people telling me they never knew Columbus would be so hip, so fun, so diverse or even so clean.
Columbus may be where I grew up, but it is also where I now choose to live. My sense of place is a Columbus that was with me for my partying early 20s, has a good business climate as I’m now furthering my career and will grow with me as we start a family in the next several years. Columbus is diverse enough that it doesn’t need to be the same thing to all people all the time.
From Branding & Marketing Blog:
Ohio’s been trying to hang onto people, bring new people in and bring people back after they left. Part of Ohio’s problem in providing a solid campaign is the state is fragmented by three major cities: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, each with their own unique positioning.
1) Ohio has a great work ethic
2) Ohio is very affordable
3) Ohio’s midwest values makes it a much more wholesome place to raise a family than many other places.But do we market Ohio that way? A quick look at all the slogans for the states in Wikipedia shows the problem of insecurity that Ohio has:
Ohio So Much to Discover; Birthplace of Aviation (on its license plate); Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers (on its 50 state quarter);[4] (formerly) The Heart of It All
Ohio best claim to fame is the Wright Brothers?! Because they were born in Ohio?! That’s sad. (Kitty Hawk sticks out in everyone’s mind as where the first plane flew.) To me this slogan just reinforces the idea that all the people with the good ideas leave Ohio.
From ColumbusING Blog:
How’s our Brain Drain study going? We can’t wait to hear the exciting results of the study as we are confident that iPod giveaways and partnerships with the
Chasebiggest bank in town is a superlameclever way to get and keep young creative professionals in Columbus. Jon and I just know Columbus will be next Silicon Valley as soon as we (the city) get our hands on that report!Oh, except that it’s not. Anyways… anyone part of the study? If so, let us know your thoughts.
From FreshBlog:
So the other day I was CC’d on an email regarding the Mayor’s Initiative on the Columbus Brain Drain Study. The goal of the email was to solicit “young professionals’ to participate in a study created by a 3rd party organization.
The incentive? A chance to win a 30GB iPod.
I decided to click on the survey link in the email, and found the typical survey questions. My first concern was that I found the typical survey questions (Name, Age, Race, Sex, Income, etc.), which to me seems pretty easy to game if I wanted to really be a part of the in-depth surveys, which are to follow. Also, you could just sense that this was a survey (purchased by SurveyMonkey.com) that has been repurposed over-and-over again in every 2nd tier city in the country.
Thoughts?