Choose New Jersey

This international marketing program was an essential component of the state’s economic development effort that secured 65,626 new/retained jobs and $9.9 billion in public/private investment in its first few years of operation. This set the newly-formed economic development organization on a path to success and strategically positioned the state for a more prosperous future.

Choose New Jersey

The Challenge

In 2010, newly-elected New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie created nonprofit Choose New Jersey to aggressively promote the state as an excellent place to invest and do business. The new economic development marketing organization was charged with putting “New Jersey’s economy back on track by spurring investment, attracting and expanding businesses, and creating meaningful jobs for our state’s families,” according to Gov. Christie. This meant creating an entirely new integrated marketing program to strategically position the state for business attraction, expansion, retention, and investment.

Marketing Communications Strategy + Implementation

Melissa Hensley served as the organization’s Chief Marketing Officer, leading the creation and implementation of New Jersey’s international economic development brand. We started with market research both inside and outside the state to gain insight into relevant business location decision-makers, their motivations to invest in New Jersey (or not), and better understand the overall “buyer’s journey.” This original research shaped how we would take the state “to market.”

We then worked with a New Jersey-based creative team to develop the state’s economic development brand and implement it across paid, earned, social, and owned media. The new tagline—Highly educated. Perfectly located.—perfectly captured the state’s unique value proposition. The campaign actively promoted the state’s core strengths to businesses in and outside New Jersey.

Results

The international marketing program was integral to the state’s overall economic development effort, which secured 65,626 new/retained jobs and $9.9 billion in public/private investment in the first few years of operation. This set the newly-formed economic development organization on a path to success and strategically positioned the state for a more prosperous future.

Superstorm Sandy Created A New Challenge

In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy devastated the East Coast, threatening business success and investment in the state. It was critical to let the world know that New Jersey may be down, but they weren’t out.

Marketing Communications Strategy + Implementation

Our team immediately pivoted, creating an aggressive image campaign centered around a new theme: “New Jersey. A State of Resilience.” Mobilizing partners and the business community, we implemented an award-winning $2.5+ million ad campaign for an investment of less than $100,000.

If you were in major metros around the country, you might have seen the campaign wrapping city buses, on taxi rooftops, in airports and transit stations, or on billboards.

Results

The campaign inspired pride from New Jersey’s residents, encouraged those outside the state to travel to and patronize New Jersey-based businesses, and showed business decision-makers that New Jersey was still an ideal location.