Posts Tagged ‘Iowa’

Advertising is the price “we” pay for being un-original

June 3rd, 2010

After cleaning out a desk drawer this morning, I discovered a small piece of paper lying on the floor.  I assumed it must have escaped the horde of papers that had accumulated in the drawer since I last cleaned it three-or-so years ago.  Over time, I’d placed most of the papers in the drawer thinking they were too valuable for the dumpster.  Apparently not.  They all ended up in the garbage — except this escaped piece of paper with just one phrase written on it:

“Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original.” 

I couldn’t remember when or why I wrote these words down.  But they certainly spoke to me today.   They came after Becki fielded a phone call from a gentleman from Arizona.  He has an interest in rural community development, had discovered the ReImagine Rural blog, and wanted to stop in next week to see our community and chat.  Upon hearing this, I said to Randy; “Isn’t blogging more effective than any advertising the Rural Learning Center has done in the past?”

The phrase also made me think about my recent post on community branding.  Although I still maintain that a community brand is a worthwhile investment, this phrase highlights that communities who engage in innovative and interesting activities don’t need to invest as much in a brand awareness advertising campaign.  If innovative, original things are happening in your community, word of mouth advertising will take over.

And finally, the phrase connected with some advice I’ve recently shared with a colleague who is helping her community create a tourism development strategy.  It’s been my experience that people get too stuck on the idea that advertising is the key to tourism.  Advertising helps, but you have to offer a great experience first. For example, take a look at the Barn Quilts of Sac County.  The quilt designs community members showcase on historic barns creates a unique experience that attracts visitors to the region. And because it’s unique, they’ve received a lot of free publicity.  (Just Google the project if you want to see how much publicity.)      

Where did the phrase come from?

The more I thought of the phrase, the more I kicked myself for not writing down who the phrase should be attributed to.  Thank goodness for Google.  A quick search and I discovered that Yves Behar used it in a TED talk titled “Yves Behar on designing objects that tell stories.”  I’ve embedded the video of his talk below.

 

In his talk, Behar tells us that the phrase inspired him to start his own design company.  I doubt Behar has thought much about how the phrase applies to rural communities.  But based on my recent experiences, I’d have to say it applies to a lot of situations.

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Gen Y Entrepreneurship: Nick Graham Style

April 7th, 2010

Nick Graham has struck again.  Now, 21 years-old, Nick recently purchased the Nodaway Valley Market in Fontanelle, IA; his third grocery store in small town Iowa.

I wrote briefly about Nick in January 2009, almost three years after he had purchased his first grocery store in Truman, MN at age seventeen.  He went on to buy two additional stores before selling them off because another grocer made him a “good offer.” 

According to Kyle Munson in the Des Moines Register, Nick has jumped back into the grocery business with the purchase of three stores in the Iowa communities of Fontanelle, Pomeroy and Rolfe.  His efforts prompted one of his employees to say:

“Holy cow,” Debbie Frank says Wednesday from behind the cash register. Just hearing Nick’s resume “makes me think I’ve done nothing with my life!” (Source: Kyle Munson, Des Moines Register, “Munson: Iowa grocery tycoon, 21, builds small-town business,” April 2, 2010),

In my original article, I suggest Nick was “just another typical Millennial” because many Gen Yers share his entrepreneurial spirit.  Obviously, Nick’s entrepreneurial spirit is on steroids.  But the point I wanted to make was that rural communities everywhere should be thinking about how they can tap into young people by supporting their entrepreneurial spirit. 

Although I’ve never met Nick, the Des Moines Register article helps me see some additional characteristics that Nick possesses.  I think they are worth lifting up for consideration. 

 

5 characteristics of Nick Graham’s entrepreneurial spirit

1. Live conservatively: A lot of young people spend money freely. Some rush into buying a fancy car, whiles others jump into homeownership; both leading them down a pathway to a lifetime of debt. Nick’s a homeowner himself. But rather than spend $150,000 - $250,000 on a starter home in a larger community, Nick purchased a four-bedroom house in Rolfe for $4,000.

2. Work hard: If you are ambitious, you’re going to end up working long hours to gain the success you want. The difference with Nick is that he’s putting in these hours for himself, rather than a boss or shareholders. In other words, he keeps the fruits of his hard work.

3. Find your muse & get started early: Nick’s first venture into business wasn’t the Truman grocery store. From the Des Moines Register article, we learn that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer inspired Nick to set up a lawn mowing business. My guess is that some of that money came in handy when buying his first grocery store.

4. Skip college: Ok, I don’t actually believe this is a good move for most young people, but it has worked for Nick. I suspect it’s because he’s found ways to teach himself the skills he needs for his business.

5. Don’t give up: Having never met Nick, I’m not sure what disappointments and failures he’s had to overcome, but one quote from the Des Moines Register article suggests he’s not a quitter: “Good things fall apart for better things to fall together.”

I’m inspired by Nick, and I hope you are too.  But more importantly, this is the type of story that I hope inspires young people.

Too often, the only stories young people in rural communities hear are about people who move away to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrating their success.  But it’s a travesty when we ignore those doing it in small, rural communities. 

 

Photo Credit:  Aplysa_06 - Flickr

 

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What do your local businesses think?

December 18th, 2009

You probably know from previous posts, that I believe it’s important to support both “buy local” efforts and local entrepreneurship. The Miner County Cash Flow Study has been the most successful effort to support local buying in Miner County, SD to date.  The study involved high school students surveying county residents about their spending habits and then sharing the results with the public in an effort to help community members understand their impact on the local economy.  While reading this article in the Ames Tribune, I began to wonder if the tables couldn’t have been turned, with students surveying local entrepreneurs concerning how the community could support their businesses.

Titled “Chamber, AEDC, Young Professionals gear up for retail business survey,” the article describes a joint effort by the Ames Chamber of Commerce, Ames Economic Development Commission, and the Young Professionals of Ames to survey local entrepreneurs and business owners.

I like two aspects of the survey.  First, it appears that the community organizations really care about what small businesses think about their community.  Second, they are engaging the Young Professional Group in the effort. 

Whether it’s surveying local residents concerning spending habits or surveying local entrepreneurs for their thoughts on community issues, I’d advocate that small, rural communities should engage their high school students rather than hiring outside firms to do everything for them. In the long run, it will be more meaningful to everyone involved.

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It’s not easy to ReImagine Rural

October 14th, 2009

Hollowing out the Middle has been gaining attention on the regional and national scale.  The book’s major premise - that rural communities must be more thoughtful in addressing the issue of youth outmigration - is not always well received, but it has been thought provoking. 

I recently listened to a 45 minute interview of Maria J. Kefalas (one of the book’s authors along with Patrick J. Carr) on the “On Point with Tom Ashbrook” show on National Public Radio.   Kefalas was joined on the show by Creighton University Professor Ernie Goss, and Douglas Burns, a columnist for the Daily Times Herald in Carroll, IA.

There’s a lot of good stuff worth listening to on the show, but I thought the best comment was delivered by Kefalas when she stated: 

There’s a growing realization that in order to continue to exist….the old way of life has to cease to exist.  When you are faced with oblivion - or reimagining - and abandoning this cherished way of life, that’s a huge challenge.”

Kefalas used the words “reimaging” numerous times throughout the interview to describe what rural communities should be focused on.  Obviously, those are cherished words at the Rural Learning Center, where “ReImage Rural” is our trademarked tag line. 

In using this language, I think Kefalas recognizes the importance of transformation rather than revitalization as a community development strategy.

Some readers may think I make too big a deal of the difference between the two, but I would disagree.  Revitalization beacons to the past, while transformation speaks to fundamental change.  In other words, transformational strategies will mean “the old way of life has to cease to exist.”

It’s always easier to imagine a future that is based on the known past–rather than reimagining based on an unknown future.  It is time, however, that we stop taking the easy path. 

Past Posts about Hollowing out the Middle

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Are polar bears more important than rural communities?

September 18th, 2009

Let me begin by saying that I love polar bears and believe Americans need to alter their daily lives to help combat the global warming that is destroying the polar bear’s environment.

But it also seems to me that most Americans care little about the future of rural communities.  And apparently, I’m not alone. 

 

Hollowing out the Middle agrees

I’m still working my way through the recently released Hollowing out the Middle:  The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America, but I’m far enough along to offer a few thoughts.  (I also wrote about it back in April, before it was released.)

The authors open by asking the question that often troubles me:  “Why should we care about the future of small towns in the Heartland?”(p. ix)  They then offer a statement that inspired the above headline:

Though the small town claims an iconic place in the American psyche, we are considerably less alarmed by the emptying out of the prairie and plains towns than by the endangered status of the polar bear, an altogether more universally vulnerable symbol and one that our kids can easily comprehend and mourn the loss of.  (p. ix)

Unlike most books that begin with “whoa onto us” statements like the above, the authors quickly redirect the direct the energy of the book from blaming others to that of self-reflection. 

They close their preface by stating, “It is people’s actions that ultimately determine whether a place hollows out.” (p. xiv)

Yes! I agree.

 

We are responsible

Rural residents have as much responsibility for the future of their communities as free market economics or government policies.  We choose where we buy our groceries.  We choose how trashy or vibrant our communities look.  And we choose how our young people feel about their communities by what we tell them and how we invest in them. 

Unfortunately, little attention is ever directed at this last statement.  And that’s why this book is so important.

 

Just Do it!

So why do Americans today care so much for the polar bear and so little about rural communities?  I suspect it’s because some passionate individuals took notice of the polar bear’s plight and have attempted to do something about it.

I know that’s an oversimplification, but I’m confident our actions will speak loader than our words alone. 

Where should you begin?  I’d recommend purchasing Hollowing out the Middle and learning more about why young people are leaving the American Heartland.  And then, if you think it’s worthy, recommend it to a friend, and spark a conversation on the subject. (I’ve already purchased a copy for a friend at the Souuth Dakota Department of Education.)

It seems to me that as we take action (like Iroquois, SD is doing) and build a conversation, we will be successful at raising the awareness of the importance of Rural America.  Not only will our communities be stronger, but others will finally “get it” and understand our passion for rural. 

And who knows, maybe someday we’ll be as important as the polar bear.

 

Photo credit (top):  Oxfam International - Flickr.  (Let me be clear that I am in no way attempting to belittle those who seek to save the polar bear.  On the contrary, we can learn much from their passion.)

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Care

September 9th, 2009

Have you asked a young person lately what they think of their community or what they’d like to change to make it a more attractive place for young people to live? 

If you haven’t, you are not alone.  According to a study of young people in rural northeast Nebraska, only 29% of the 1,833 students in the study responded that they had been asked questions of this nature.

That begs the question: if we don’t ask, does it mean we don’t care?

I don’t think so.  It’s my observation that rural residents care deeply about the future of their communities and recognize how important young people are to that future.  The problem is that we don’t know any better.

 

But not knowing is not an excuse!

That’s why I’ve been waiting impatiently to read Hollowing out the Middle, ever since I learned about it back in April.  The authors studied the “brain drain” issue in a rural town in Northeast Iowa, and concluded that rural residents play a significant role in driving young people away.   

The book, which was recently released, should arrive on my doorstep by Friday.  (Thank you Amazon.) Even though I’m sure it will offer insights into how we can better retain our young people, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that one of the first steps is to show young people that we care about them.  We may think that young people already know this, but when we don’t ask questions like “what do you want this place to be like?” they tend to forget. 

It may be a few weeks before I’m able to finish Hollowing out the Middle, and I’ll share my insights with you here.  What I haven’t shared with you yet, however, is that there’s more to the story about Nebraska’s youth. 

 

The Rest of the Story

What’s remarkable about the Nebraska youth study is that despite not being asked about the future of their rural communities, most still want to return.  According to the Nebraska Community Foundation (who helped fund the study along with The Connie Fund), 51% of those surveyed could see themselves living in the area in the future if career opportunities are available.  And only 12% felt that their rural community was too small.  (See page 6-7 of the Summer 2009 issue of the Nebraska Community Foundation’s newsletter). 

That news leaves me wondering what the results would be if we started asking young people what they want their communities to be like, and then made  them a part of the effort to achieve it. 

 

See also:  Omaha World Herald article titled “Neb. kids like hometowns.” 

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Brain Drain — It’s not just about millennials

June 2nd, 2009

When I think about the brain drain dilemma facing many rural regions in the Upper Midwest, I usually focus on millennials moving to urban areas.  In this scenario, millennials go off to college or tech school and never come back.  But an article in the Des Moines Register reminds us that the timing of the economic turn-around may play a critical role for unemployed people of all ages who are searching for greener grass.

Titled “New Recession, old test:  Keeping jobless in Iowa” the article suggests that even though Iowa’s unemployment rate is low ( 5.1% in April), the state may have a difficult time keeping unemployed Iowans in Iowa if employment takes off in other states faster than in Iowa. 

In other words, states concerned about losing residents may need to pay attention to the perception of opportunity elsewhere. 

Not everyone agrees with this theory, and the article offers good insights into both sides of the debate. 

 

 

 

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Top 10 “coolest” small towns

May 29th, 2009

How cool would it be for your town to be named one of the “top 10 coolest” small towns in America? That’s exactly what 10 lucky communities experienced when voters selected them for the honor at BudgetTravel.com’s online contest. 

It was even “cool” enough news for The Early Show at CBS News to pick up the story: 

 

It’s disappointing (but not unexpected) to see only one community (Grinnell, IA) in our region on the list. Of course, what’s “cool” and what’s “small” both have debatable definitions.  Budget Travel used a definition of “small” as under 10,000.  Wouldn’t it would be fun to see a contest for communities under 3,000? 

Note: Just as interesting to me is how information like this travels.  I first read about it in the Daily Yonder blog, clicked on a link taking me to a story at the Chicago Sun-Times, which in turn took me to the BudgetTravel.com site.  Three sites before I got to the original, but each story was worth the read.  There’s something good to be said about how information is shared in the social media world. 

 

Related Links

“Americas Coolest Small Towns, Circa 2009″ @ CBS News

 “Grinnell third in website poll of “coolest small towns” @ Radio Iowa

 “Americas Coolest Towns:  Budget Travel Magazine (Video) @ The Huffington Post

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Hollowing out the Middle

April 28th, 2009

We’ve talked a lot about what it takes to attract young people to rural communities.  Now a study commissioned by the MacArthur Foundation examines the process of why communities are losing their young people.

Beginning in 2001, sociologists Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas began studying Ellis, Iowa in an effort to better understand the causes of “brain drain” in rural communities.  The following video highlights their book titled Hollowing out the Middle:  The Rural Brain Drain and what it means for America, due out later this year.



 

 One statement in the video jumped out at me.

 Surprisingly, they find that adults in the community play a pivotal role in the towns decline…

…by pushing the best and brightest away, and underinvesting in those who chose to stay.

This points the finger directly where it belongs - back at us.  Everyone knows (but seldom discusses) that we tell our young people that to be successful they have to move to away.  After all, “anywhere is better than here.”

The statement in the trailer, however, points to a deeper issue:  our lack of investment in young people who want to stay. 

Recognizing that we need to assist those who want to stay is the first step, and should be pretty easy.  Understanding how best to assist our young people, however, is a much bigger step.  It will also be much tougher. 

I look forward to reading Hollowing out the Middle to learn more about the strategies we can employ to take that step.

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Iowa’s vision of Green

March 19th, 2009

With all of the media coverage surrounding green jobs lately, I thought you might be interested in the following comments found in the Omaha World-Herald:

In comparing the number of wind energy jobs in Nebraska to the vastly higher number in Iowa, the article states:

Iowa got ahead because its policymakers worked for more than two decades to nurture the fledgling industry with incentives, regulatory changes and other support. That spadework left the state well-positioned when wind took off nationally.

The article goes on:

Iowa’s lead position in wind energy didn’t happen by accident. Over the years, Iowa’s elected officials approved rebates, loans, grants, tax reductions and regulatory changes to encourage the budding industry.

The state’s university system lent its expertise, and an Iowa community college offered the nation’s first associate degree program for turbine technicians.

Most importantly, wind advocates say, Iowa in 1991 became the first state to mandate that its private utilities derive a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources.

In today environment of belt-tightening state governments, a case can be made against the support of any industry with public dollars.  But ask Newton, IA (pop. 16,000) if Iowa’s support of the wind energy industry was worth it.  When the Maytag plant there closed in 2008, laying off 1,800 workers, a wind turbine blade manufacturer stepped into its place with 500 jobs.  I bet a lot of people there are thankful for Iowa’s vision about green job development. 

Kudos to Iowa.  We can all learn a lesson from the way they pursued and achieved their vision.

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