In the early 2000s, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) set out to change the perception of Michigan as a single industry state. Michigan, home of the Motor City, was known for its automotive industry. And while the state will always take pride in manufacturing the Big Three, Michigan’s strong reputation for the auto industry overshadowed its investment and successes in life sciences, information technology and advances manufacturing. To put it in perspective, Michigan started 92 new life sciences companies, which created over 450 new jobs and contributed to more than $34 million in private investments in the state – all in just 4 years.
MEDC asked Brogan to help brand the state as a place that nurtures business growth in life sciences. So as experts in the creative industry, we manufactured a multimedia campaign that aimed at businessmen who were looking to start or expand their businesses. Our ads featured successful CEOs of different life sciences companies who chose to locate their business in Michigan for multiple reasons – the professional pool of talent, the business friendly environment, the quality of life, etc.
The campaign ran for more than 3 years, which resulted in a 92% increase in awareness from life sciences companies and 88% increase awareness among advanced manufacturing businesses. In 2003, Michigan ranked as one of the top 10 best states for entrepreneurs… and not just those in the auto industry.
Why do you love to work in Michigan? To see the rest of the 30 Best of Brogan, visit our original post in this series: Celebrating 30 years of creative advertising.
