Economic development organizations have two promotion challenges: the first is how to overcome perceived negatives so they can tell a comeback story.
For Buffalo, that is snowy winters. For Newark, New Jersey, it was how people viewed the city as a cautionary tale of urban decay. For Pittsburgh, it was the shift from Steeltown glory to a Rust Belt plight.
But a region’s biggest marketing problem may be how much it sounds like everywhere else. Familiar promises about affordability and quality of life can bury the unique strengths that attract businesses and talent.
According to the founder of an award-winning public relations agency, the course is simple: “Differentiate or die on the vine.”
That’s the main message in April Mason’s new book, The Power of Place: How Great Communities Stand Out in a Global Economy (2026, Indie Books International).
“Too often, economic development strategies are built on imitation rather than introspection,” writes Mason, CEO and founder of Violet PR, a public relations agency specializing in economic development and place marketing. Her clients have included Baltimore, Buffalo, Kansas City, MO, Newark, NJ, Pittsburgh, and even the nation of Switzerland.
In the book, Mason introduces the Place Promotion Process, a six-step approach developed through her work with cities, regions and international organizations. It gives economic development leaders a way to identify overlooked strengths and turn them into a message that reaches investors, companies and prospective residents.
Uncover Your Hidden Assets: Understand how your community is perceived and identify the strengths that set it apart.
Study The Clues Of Success: Look for patterns in company relocations, emerging industries and demographic changes.
Craft The Message: Translate those findings into a clear, specific narrative.
Identify Your Ambassadors: Engage residents, business owners and experts who can speak from experience.
Put Publicity To Work: Use earned media to amplify the story and build credibility.
Measure Success And Pivot: Track results and refine the approach as conditions change.
The book showcases multiple examples of Mason’s process in action. One case study examines how, in 2025, Baltimore became the greatest comeback story in the country. Coverage in USA TODAY, CNN, Bloomberg News, and Nasdaq Trade Talks highlighted the city’s redevelopment efforts and broader momentum.
“If you want national attention, go where national stories are shaped,” wrote Mason. “As Baltimore leaders found in New York City, face-to-face engagement with reporters is one of the most effective ways to build relationships and generate meaningful coverage”
The Power of Place punctuates each case study with practical principles that leaders can apply to their own communities, from finding credible spokespeople to recognizing opportunities in the news cycle.
Mason writes, “Every community has a story. The most successful ones know which parts of that story matter and how to tell them to the world.”
Violet PR is an award-winning public relations firm, recognized nationally as a top agency specializing in economic development, commercial real estate and place branding. The agency partners with cities, states, regions, developers, destinations and mission-driven organizations to build visibility through earned media, thought leadership, social media and strategic storytelling. The agency has offices in New York City and Montclair, NJ.
Founded in 2010, Violet PR helps clients attract investment, business growth, visitors and talent through earned media campaigns. For more information, visit www.violetpr.com.
Henry DeVries is a former Forbes online columnist who is the chief book strategist at Indie Books International. He has ghostwritten, co-authored, or edited more than 200 business books, including his international bestseller, How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett.
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