Why Indianapolis’ Brand Needs to Catch Up with Its Product

Indianapolis struggles with a number of perception issues. When I talk to people who aren’t from the Midwest or aren’t familiar with Indianapolis, they seem to have a very limited outlook on what the city has to offer. They assume that, since Indianapolis is in Indiana, there is nothing to do (but shuck corn). There are no restaurants, entertainment options or fun to be had of any kind. In fact they seem to act like Indianapolis has absolutely zero cultural offerings. They’re wrong. Anyone that is from the city or has visited the city knows this. So what is the issue? Why do people assume that Indianapolis is the Mecca of monotonous, the borough of boring and the land of lackluster?

It’s because Indianapolis’ brand hasn’t caught up with its product.

Indianapolis has an awesome product: a vibrant downtown, connected cultural districts, abundant resources to host major events, a livable urban core and an emerging technology driven business sector that is attractive to young talent. The issue is that these products aren’t registering in the minds of outsiders when they think of Indy.

Here are some of my ideas on how to fix that problem by molding Indianapolis’ brand.

Speak to young professionals. This should be Indianapolis’ target audience. People who are 22 to 40 years old are the ones who have the power, and energy, to change how the city is perceived. The city needs to attract more talented young people who can help the city grow and bring change. Bringing in more young professionals imports fresh ideas, new business opportunities and creates a foundation for economic growth. There is a swell of optimism surrounding this demographic and many of them have realized that if you want to change Indianapolis, there is an opportunity to do so.

Continue to promote the back bone of Indianapolis’ hallmark events, but tell the world about other things that make Indianapolis awesome. The Indianapolis 500, the Final Four and other sports related events have helped get Indianapolis to where they are today, but promoting other cultural initiatives are what will get us to where we want to be in the future. It’s crucial to promote cultural institutions and entertainment options that speak to a broader audience beyond sports. WARM fest is a great example of an event that could become a staple for Indianapolis. Exact Target’s Connections Conference is a model that can be emulated to showcase the wealth of tech-savvy companies and ideas that reside in Indianapolis. 

Pursue live music opportunities. I think music is one of the least recognized opportunities for strengthening a city’s brand and spurring economic development. Other cities that are, or were, similar in size and stature have harnessed this asset and used it to their advantage. Austin and Nashville, like Indianapolis, have no oceans, mountains or eighth wonders of the world, but they are considered by all young people as hip places to live and visit. Both cities also used music as a catalyst for growth and economic development. Why can’t Indianapolis be the same way? People want entertainment options that combine their senses. Indianapolis has a connected downtown and a live music void that would make it easy to set up a music-focused cultural district. 

The canal could be an ideal location for
 a live music cultural district.

I think the central canal could be the perfect spot for a new cultural district that caters to live music. The canal, for the most part, lacks street level business. What if a stretch of the canal became Indianapolis’ live music headquarters? I can envision multiple restaurants and bars with outdoor seating and music sprawled across the canal. 

Keep attracting new and large scale events. Indianapolis’ convention space potential is second to none. Every big conference or event the city lands is a huge “W” for the brand. Events are the best way to showcase what Indianapolis is truly capable of. All of the marketing in the world cannot compete with the impact of new visitors giving the city rave reviews. Let’s hope that Indianapolis continues to pursue large scale events like the Super Bowl. 

Doing these four things will strengthen Indianapolis’ brand and position them as a vibrant and versatile city that has plenty of growth potential. The city is riding a wave of optimism, now we need to share that optimism with the masses.