Indy Chamber

At Avalanche Consulting, I developed a branding and marketing strategy for Indianapolis and the surrounding nine-county metropolitan area. We delivered research-based messaging that captured the region's dynamism and unique strengths and positioned Indianapolis as a top destination for business and talent.

First, we conducted qualitative and quantitative research to uncover the essence of the Indy region’s brand. I facilitated stakeholder interviews and focus groups, a regional citizen survey and a national site consultant survey. Market research findings revealed the region’s competitive strengths and differentiators, providing rich content for targeted sales messages.

We found that Indianapolis was a vibrant, welcoming, collaborative and innovative place to live and work. Home to Eli Lilly and a burgeoning tech sector, the region boasted the country’s most diverse portfolio of patent production at the time, with stakeholders crediting its success to a vibrant innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture. Another common theme we heard from stakeholders was how the Indy region works together to accomplish audacious goals. From the grassroots effort to host the Super Bowl to initiating the “Indy Welcomes All” campaign, the region mobilized its citizens to take action. We also discovered a gap in perceptions about Indianapolis’s cultural dynamism — there was an opportunity to better showcase the region’s abundant outdoor recreation amenities, lively foodie scene and expansive arts and cultural offerings.

We distilled market research findings into a compelling messaging framework that could be adapted for talent and business audiences and crafted a tactical marketing strategy for the Indy Chamber’s economic development activities, including recommendations related to internal marketing, target industry outreach and talent recruitment.