Life Works Here: How Northwest Arkansas is Telling its Own Story
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Nelson Peacock, CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, presented how the region is attracting talent through a rebranding campaign called "Life Works Here." The initiative combines targeted advertising, incentive programs, and storytelling to change national perceptions of Northwest Arkansas from a rural backwater to a vibrant, economically dynamic region offering work-life balance, outdoor recreation, and cultural amenities.
Key takeaways
- Northwest Arkansas is using a $10,000 relocation incentive campaign combined with national billboard and digital advertising in key cities like Austin, Denver, and Seattle to increase awareness from 31% to 59% aided awareness in just two years.
- The region has built distinctive brand messaging around mountain biking culture, the Crystal Bridges Art Museum, and authentic small-town character while offering Fortune 500 companies, STEM job opportunities, and lower housing costs than major tech hubs.
- The Northwest Arkansas Council is learning from California's university-research-business ecosystem model and implementing workforce housing programs to maintain community character as rapid growth continues at 30 residents per day.
- Creative storytelling through short humorous videos (e.g., "How to Tell Your Spouse You're Moving to Northwest Arkansas") and cheeky billboards has generated 2.9 billion impressions and 860+ media placements in major publications.
- Leadership and demonstration of quality-of-life investments matter more than singular flagship institutions; communities can replicate cultural development through local artist investments and live music venues without billion-dollar budgets.
About Nelson PeacockNelson Peacock is President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, a regional nonprofit focused on economic development and quality of life. He has previously worked with the University of California President's Office and the Obama administration on community development initiatives.
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Meeting for the Week of January 2, 2023
This Meeting at a Glance:
Program: Life Works Here: How Northwest Arkansas is Telling its Own Story
Speaker: Nelson Peacock
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Rotary International District 5170
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The Science of Snowflakes
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powered by TypeformProgram: Life Works Here: How Northwest Arkansas is Telling its Own Story
Speaker: Nelson Peacock
Every week we bring to you a new program on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education, and how those contribute to service to others.
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley seeks to explore perspectives on service from across the world. The views of the speakers in our programs are their own, and unless stated otherwise, are not necessarily reflective of the views of our eClub nor Rotary International.
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Northwest Arkansas is home to three Fortune 500 companies (Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt), the University of Arkansas, numerous successful businesses and a growing startup culture. The region boasts a vibrant arts scene and an incredible outdoor recreation economy that includes 500+ miles of world-class bike trails.
The nonprofit Northwest Arkansas Council works to identify challenges and champion solutions to enhance the prosperity of the Northwest Arkansas region. Key initiatives include work to advance quality of life, attract talent, improve the region’s workforce, create job opportunities, upgrade infrastructure and keep up with the region’s impressive growth. The Council's "Life Works Here" campaign aims to better tell the story of Northwest Arkansas to tech talent around the country. This week's speaker, Nelson Peacock, will discuss how the campaign came about and what it seeks to accomplish.
Peacock joined the Northwest Arkansas Council as president and CEO after working as a senior vice president of government affairs for the University of California Office of the President. Prior to that, Nelson was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the Office of Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where was responsible for all aspects of the department’s interactions with Congress on issues related to counter terrorism, immigration, cyber security and natural disasters. Nelson oversaw the congressional teams of seven operational agencies of Homeland Security, including the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Nelson also served as senior counsel to Senator Joe Biden on the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate where he advised the future President on homeland security, crime and intellectual property issues.
Nelson has a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas and Masters of Law from the George Washington University School of Law.
Members and guests please welcome Nelson Peacock!
To learn more, go to:
Northwest Arkansas Council - https://nwacouncil.org
FindingNWA - https://findingnwa.com
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