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Monday, November 26, 2007

Ohio's Latest Marketing Slogan: A Perfect Pitch To Halt The Econonic Stumble?

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Ohioans now live in "The State of Perfect Balance." That's the new business development marketing slogan dreamed up to help awaken Ohio's economy from what seems to be a lengthy state of suspended animation over the past several years.

The new tag line does have a nice ring, a nice tone. It may not be a Perfect 10. Still, it does play off the state's assets, the balance between the shorelines of Lake Erie in the north and the Ohio River in the south. The agricultural plains of the corn belt and the Appalachian hills of the coal fields. The world class symphony orchestra known for the classics in Cleveland, and the rock hall built for guitar music popularized by working class musicians.

Then there is that whole balancing act between upstate and downstate -- the red counties and the blue counties, with the reddest band of geography in the Southwest corner and the bluest band in the Northeast. But the real intent of the slogan is probably to say that in Ohio you can balance life between work and play.

The State of Perfect Balance slogan does seem to work better than "Build Your Business. Love Your Life," which was rolled out last year when the branding drive was started. Both taglines are brainchilds of the Ohio Business Development Coalition, a state-funded economic development operation that was started by former Gov. Bob Taft. He hoped to put some chrome sparkle on the state's dull Rust Belt image. Former Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson told Entrepreneur.com last year that the state hoped to get out from under the stigma of being stale and slow to adapt to innovation.

And, here's a list of state slogans that never made the cut. Ohio's new effort is an attempt to show it is an improved product.

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