Rethink the Rules of Place Marketing: A 2026 Playbook for Economic Developers

The year ahead demands a fundamental rethink of how regions position themselves, tell their story and compete. 

AI is rewriting who will work.
Infrastructure strains are testing how we move.
Policy changes are redefining what is incentivized.
Utility expenses are restricting how much we plug in. 

Against this backdrop, the playbook for economic development feels outdated, like it was written for a world that no longer exists. 

The start of 2026 is a good time to write a new one. Here are some of the shifts we as regional leaders need to embrace. 

Stop pretending you are perfect
Start owning your flaws. 

The most successful regions do not gloss over their rough edges. They turn them into character. Think of Pittsburgh owning its steel grit or Detroit reframing its scars as a strength. People believe what’s real. Authenticity is the most powerful credibility a place can have. 

Stop selling to companies.
Start designing for people. 

For decades, companies picked places and people followed jobs. Now, people pick places and companies follow talent. Yet most economic development groups still market to CEOs instead of human beings. The forward-looking region recognizes this inversion and makes place-branding indistinguishable from lifestyle branding. If talent chooses you, companies have no choice but to follow. 

Stop focusing on what you don’t have.
Start reframing scarcity. 

Scarcity is not a weakness if it is positioned as opportunity, agility, intimacy or freedom. An underutilized downtown is not “empty space.” It is room for growth, innovation and entrepreneurs to leave their mark. 

No gridlock? That is speed.
No mega-corporations dominating the job market? That is space for startups.
No endless sprawl? That is community cohesion. 

Scarcity reframed can be a magnet for people who crave what bigger markets cannot give them. 

Stop treating tourism as separate from economic development.
Start turning visitors into residents. 

Tourism is more than leisure. Think of it as a trial residency. Every visitor is a potential neighbor, employee or founder. The most forward-thinking regions design experiences that make it easy for someone to imagine a life there. Think “Try before you move” passes with coworking credits, transit and school tours. Curate 48-hour themed tracks: outdoor rec, culinary apprenticeships, creator economy immersion. Track the conversion rates from visitor to remote worker to investor. 

Stop selling quality of life. 
Start building quality of future. 

Lifestyle shots of festivals and farmers’ markets are lovely, but today’s talent and investors want evidence of resilience. Show the levee, the microgrid, the green-roof school alongside the café culture. Pair vibrancy with proof that your community will endure climate, housing and infrastructure pressures. Quality of life wins attention. Quality of future wins trust. 

Stop thinking about jurisdictions. 
Start thinking about regions. 

Talent does not stop at the county line. A worker commuting across three jurisdictions doesn’t care where one boundary ends and another begins. Leaders who tear down those barriers, and in the process align marketing, policy, transportation and workforce efforts, will unlock advantages that no single jurisdiction can deliver. Regions that market together win together. 

The regions that will win the next decade are already rewriting their playbook. 

The world is moving fast. The old playbook was about selling land, incentives and logistics. The new one is about identity, authenticity and belonging. Regions that catch on will redefine the next era of growth and future-proof their region. The rest will be left competing for scraps. 

If your organization is feeling the tension between the story that you’ve always told and the future you’re trying to build, you’re not alone – and you don’t have to figure it out on your own. 

At Hart, we partner with economic development organizations, destination brands and civic leaders to help clarify identity, reframe challenges and turn ambition into action. From place branding and positioning to integrated campaigns that attract talent, visitors and investment, we help regions show up with relevance and credibility in a rapidly changing world. 

If you’re ready to rethink how your region competes and tell a story people actually believe, let’s talk.