Some cities will try anything for a chance at winning HQ2
A few of them got downright wacky in their bid for Amazon’s big prize
American cities have delivered prime pitches to Amazon as the retail tech giant weighs its options for a second headquarters in North America, dubbed HQ2.
While traditional factors such as talent, real estate, costs, taxes, transit and quality of life are likely to win the day, a little creativity can’t hurt.
Some cities got downright wacky with their efforts to get Amazon’s attention in a crowded field, lured by the company’s tantalizing promise to invest $5 billion and add up to 50,000 jobs.
This contest is like trying to get a prospective employer’s attention in a job search with hundreds of qualified applicants. You need something to set you apart, otherwise you’ll get lost in the shuffle.
Here’s how several areas are trying to stick out:
TUCSON TRIED TO SEND A CACTUS TO AMAZON
Talk about prickly.
Tucson economic development group Sun Corridor sent a 21-foot saguaro cactus to Amazon’s Seattle base to communicate that there is room for Amazon to grow there.
Amazon, which said it couldn’t accept gifts, donated it to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Sun Corridor spokeswoman Laura Shaw said the group achieved its goal: “to be bold and creative in sending a message.”
The area’s more substantive pitch emphasizes its workforce, universities and “booming downtown,” she told the Arizona Republic in an email.
STONECREST, GA., OFFERED TO RENAME ITSELF ‘AMAZON’
This would represent the very essence of a company town — though even Dearborn, Mich., home to Henry Ford, never changed its named to Ford.
Stonecrest’s City Council voted to de-annex 345 acres of land and asked the Georgia General Assembly to officially rename the property in the tech giant’s honor.
It was a nice gesture, if a bit dramatic. But if Amazon lands in this area, proximity to Atlanta would probably be the reason.
FOOTBALL RIVALS MICHIGAN AND MICHIGAN STATE
SET ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES
To promote Detroit’s bid, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio and Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh both wore headsets with the logo #AmazonDetroit.
It was perhaps the only time in which the rival teams will agree on something. The coordinated promotion got significant airtime on national television.
But if Amazon lands in Detroit, it will probably be because of the city’s ample downtown property, low cost of living and connections to nearby talent in Canada.
Another element of Detroit’s bid: “They can contribute to its common good and still be extraordinarily successful as a company,” MSU President Lou Anna Simon told the Detroit Free Press.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., PUT GIGANTIC AMAZON BOXES THROUGHOUT THE AREA
Birmingham and Jefferson Coun- ty coordinated a campaign to put makeshift Amazon boxes throughout the area.
The boxes were paired with a slick website and social media campaign — search Twitter for #bringatob.
“We’re very sincere about this effort,” Birmingham Mayor William Bell said.
While the boxes might draw attention, the campaign’s best shot at landing Amazon may rest on the appeal of contributing to “the redefinition of a community that is already in the midst of an accelerated transition,” Jefferson County commissioner David Carrington said.
DOZENS OF REGIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE SUBMITTING MORE CONVENTIONAL BIDS
Those regions include:
Westchester County, N.Y., is emphasizing its three commuter rail lines in proximity to New York City.
Cincinnati is emphasizing regional cooperation and tax incentives in its appeal to Amazon. The city is coordinating a bid with Dayton, Ohio, and northern Kentucky.
Louisville hopes that its status as a major logistical hub gets Amazon’s attention.
Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., hope that the region’s efforts to reinvent itself in the post-industrial age appeals to Amazon’s entrepreneurial grit.
Gary, Ind. took out a fullpage ad in The New York Times with its pitch. But the more economically vibrant Indianapolis probably has the Hoosier state’s best shot.