Economic Development Marketing | Bee Collaborative
Strategic marketing for communities that are building more than just campaigns.
Economic development isn’t about clicks or impressions.
It’s about outcomes that shape communities, attract jobs, and build long-term opportunity.
We understand the stakes. Whether you're promoting your region to global investors, recruiting skilled talent, or highlighting the strengths of your local industries — your message needs to land. And it needs to do more than sound good. It needs to move people.
Our Economic Development Marketing service is built for organizations like yours — where the work is high-stakes, the landscape is complex, and the marketing function needs more than a creative agency. It needs strategic leadership with real-world experience.
The Challenges You Face
You already know them — but it helps to name them:
Broad audiences, unclear focus. You’re speaking to business leaders, elected officials, citizens, and global talent — all at once.
Big goals, small teams. You’re asked to drive growth, attract investment, and build brand equity with limited internal resources.
Multiple stakeholders. Everyone needs something different — and aligning priorities can feel like a full-time job on its own.
Long decision cycles. ROI doesn’t show up overnight. Your impact is measured in years, not clicks.
Disconnected messaging. Partners launch things. Departments shift directions. And the story your region is telling gets lost in the noise.
We help bring order to all of it.
What We Do
Bee Collaborative partners with economic development organizations to lead and manage their marketing efforts — not just run campaigns, but create clarity, consistency, and traction around the work that matters.
Here’s how we help:
Define a clear, compelling narrative for your region that speaks to investment, talent, and industry
Build integrated marketing plans that connect digital, earned media, stakeholder engagement, and public messaging
Align internal teams and external partners under one voice and shared goals
Lead campaign execution across channels with reporting that tracks what’s working and what’s not
Coach your internal staff or external vendors to elevate the quality and impact of the work
You won’t just get messaging. You’ll get leadership that sees the whole picture — and knows how to move it forward.
Who This Is For
We work with:
Economic development organizations representing cities, regions, and states
Public-private partnerships working to market shared assets and opportunities
Chambers of commerce, regional alliances, or workforce coalitions
Marketing leaders inside these organizations who need strategic backup and execution power
If you’re trying to promote a place, an opportunity, or a story that spans sectors and audiences — and you need a clear marketing engine behind it — this is built for you.
What You Get
Every engagement looks a little different. But most clients receive:
A clarified strategic marketing plan grounded in real-world constraints
Project ownership and leadership from someone who’s done this before
Streamlined communication across stakeholders, vendors, and internal teams
Campaigns that are thoughtful, aligned, and measurable
A partner who understands how to balance urgency, optics, and long-term planning
We respect the nuance. We know the pressure. And we show up with sleeves rolled.
Why Bee Collaborative?
Because this isn’t new to us.
We’ve led marketing efforts for statewide economic development organizations, managed high-stakes brand rollouts, and navigated the mix of public, private, and political forces that come with this work.
We know what it means to launch something big — and to protect something fragile.
We know how to shape a brand that’s bigger than one message — and how to get results without over-promising.
Most of all, we believe in this work. And we bring the clarity and leadership to help you do it better.
Let’s Help Your Message Do What It’s Meant To
If your community has a story worth sharing — and goals worth chasing — we’re here to help you lead the marketing side with confidence and clarity.
FAQs
1. How is marketing for economic development different from traditional marketing?
Traditional marketing usually focuses on products or services. Economic development marketing promotes a place — and that means juggling multiple audiences, long-term outcomes, and often, limited resources. It’s less about selling fast, and more about building trust, visibility, and momentum over time.
2. We already have a team. Can you still help?
Absolutely. We don’t replace your internal team — we support them. Whether they need structure, leadership, campaign planning, or help with execution, we fill the gaps that are holding back your results. You keep your team. We help them perform better.
3. Our board and partners all have different priorities. How do you help us get aligned?
That’s one of the biggest values we bring. We work with your leadership and stakeholders to uncover shared goals, then build a plan that respects each voice while moving the mission forward. Alignment isn’t easy — but it’s critical. And we help you get there.
4. What kind of results can we realistically expect?
Results in economic development are rarely overnight. But with the right message and plan, you’ll see stronger engagement, clearer traction in outreach, and better alignment across all your communications. We focus on progress you can track — and impact you can stand behind.
5. Can you help us attract both businesses and talent?
Yes. Many of our clients need to do both — and we understand how to speak to each audience in a way that feels credible and connected. Whether it’s site selectors or skilled professionals, we help you craft messaging that resonates and drives action.
6. We don’t have a huge budget. Can this still work?
Yes — and that’s often when we’re most useful. With limited funds, you need clarity, not noise. We help you prioritize what’s worth doing now, what can wait, and how to make the most of what you already have. Every dollar should serve a purpose — and we’ll help define that purpose.
7. We work with outside agencies. Will you manage them?
We can. Many of our clients already have PR, design, or digital partners in place. We’ll help lead those relationships, set expectations, ensure alignment, and act as your senior marketing lead — so you’re not in the middle of a dozen disconnected conversations.
8. What’s the first step if we’re interested in working together?
It starts with a conversation. We’ll talk through where your marketing stands today, what your goals are, and what kind of leadership or support would make the biggest difference. No pressure — just clarity on what’s possible and how we can help.