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Indiana using a few billboards to try and prime the pump

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* This Indiana press release reveals that the state’s new billboard advertising campaign “Stillinnoyed” was produced in-house. I saw one of those billboards on the Dan Ryan heading south last night from the ballgame. It wasn’t much to write home about. Maybe outsourcing to a top notch Chicago ad agency might work, but, then again, that would defeat the purpose.

Hoosiers don’t like us. Never have. This looks to be more about internal state politics than it is about a massive new effort to steal our jobs…

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) encourages Chicago businesses who are stillinnoyed to move to Indiana with the launch of the state’s most recent marketing campaign designed to highlight the benefits companies gain from operating in Indiana’s business climate.

The campaign, Stillinnoyed, contrasts the Illinois business environment—marked by tax hikes and budget deficits—with the Hoosier business climate, which is supported by a stable environment and lower taxes. Debuting earlier this week and running for eight weeks throughout Chicagoland, both billboards and digital advertisements state “STILLINNOYED? No wonder.” along with an address to AStateThatWorks.com, a website that highlights the numerous reasons why Indiana is a state that works for business.

“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, companies are seeking to maximize their competitive advantage,” said Victor Smith, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “Indiana offers companies the ultimate upper hand, with lower taxes and more affordable business costs just minutes away from downtown Chicago. When comparing Indiana to high-tax Illinois, the difference is clear.”

Earlier this week, Governor Mike Pence signed into law tax reform that encourages new job growth, including placing the corporate income tax on a reduction schedule ultimately falling to 4.9 percent, which will give Indiana the second lowest corporate tax rate in the nation. Meanwhile, Illinois’ corporate income tax rate is 9.5 percent.

* From the NW Indiana Times…

Still, Illinois has far outpaced Indiana in economic development, pulling in more than three times as many significant business investments last year, according to Site Selection Magazine data.

Last year, Illinois ranked third nationally by attracting 383 projects that involved more than $1 million in investment, at least 50 jobs, or 20,000 square feet, according to the trade publication. Indiana had 103 such projects, which was at least 60 fewer than all of its neighboring states and second-to-last per capita in the Midwest. […]

Indiana launched the original Illinois campaign in 2011, after Illinois raised its corporate income tax by 30 percent and its individual income tax rate by 67 percent trying to plug the state’s then-$13 billion budget deficit. Around 40 Illinois companies, many from Chicago’s southeast suburbs, have moved factories, warehouses and other facilities across the state border.

They pretty much got some low-hanging fruit. The huge exodus of business across the state line never occurred.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:06 pm

Comments

Seriously? What a lame campaign. Whatever you may think about Scott Walker, I doubt his administration would promote Wisconsin to Illinois businesses with a campaign of “come to Wisconsin and deFIBrillate your business”

Comment by Lycurgus Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:16 pm
To bad for Governor Quinn that the Tribune editorial board hasn’t read site selection magazine.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:32 pm
Catchier tagline proposal…
Pour whatever the heck you’d like into Lake Michigan from our magnificent shoreline
-Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Comment by Jimmy CrackCorn Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:32 pm
Yeah, I’m sure the folks in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago and Elkhart think the Indy business climate is just gangbusters.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:32 pm
“It ain’t the way Indiana sees it! Our state can handle things! We’re smart! Not like everybody says… like dumb… Indiana is smart and Indiana wants respect!”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:45 pm
Gov. Pence, “Now I’ve been reading about this ‘Tom Cross’ over there in Illinois, and I got an ‘eye-deerer’…”

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:49 pm
Come enjoy low-tax Gary.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:52 pm
Directions to Indiana from Chicago: go south until you smell it, then east until you step in it.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:54 pm
Just finished reading One Summer, America 1927….in between a lot of stuff about Lindberg and Ruth there was the reminder IN booasted the largest Klan membership in America at the …yet another special distinction.

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:58 pm
Indiana also run ads in Site Selection magazine, and i see their ads/banners on Crain’s website and other sites too.

guess they have tons of money to drop on short-sighted and antagonistic approaches to job creation. one day someone will realize that’s a horrible marketing strategy. so weak.

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:06 pm
“I’ll puke if that jukebox plays John Cougar one more time…stuck in Indianapolis feelin’ all alone.”

Comment by Jerome Horwitz Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:10 pm
I say the Indiana people behind the Illinois hate campaigns can collectively bite us. We legalized SSM, they’re trying to pass a constitutional ban. We legalized MMJ, but who knows where they are? We are helping thousands of people obtain health insurance, they are blocking Medicaid expansion. They are stripping unions, we protect union rights.

I don’t care what tax breaks they have, I’d never want to live there–and that goes for Texas too (except possibly Austin).

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:21 pm
I see that hate for Indiana is alive and well in Illinois. Perhaps if Illinois did not have such disdain for Indiana Hoosiers would not have such disdain for Illinois. I grew up in Indiana and lived there for 28 years until I married and I have lived in Illinois for almost 18. Both states have their faults andboth states have their virtues. In the words of an infamous Californian “Can’t we all just get along?”.

Comment by Hoosiergirl Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:59 pm
Indiana! We’re number 1 in the Nation!!

…in meth.

Comment by Bill F. Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 2:44 pm
This really is a shortsighted plan. Let’s be realistic- those businesses want to take advantage of certain opportunities for a seemingly more hospitable business climate but still ride on Illinois/Chicago coattails in terms of transportation, infrastructure and educated/trained workforce( who are willing to drive just across the border to the border towns but not too far in-this winter would seal that fate for anyone considering that given Indiana’s historic lack of plowing and salting roads including major highways). If those weren’t essentially important to your business, why wouldn’t you make the move to Michigan City, Warsaw, Monticello, Rensselaer etc. ?

Comment by carbaby Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:05 pm
How many of the businesses moving to Indiana are white south suburban business owners jumping the border to Valpo, etc., to flee the increased African American presence?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:14 pm
They should stick with focusing on basketball as they usually know something about that. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t do much in that respect this year either.

Comment by Tough Guy Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:41 pm
I travel across Indiana several times a year, and after the first ad campaign ams out I made it a point to fill my tank around Danville or Mount Vernon so I wouldn’t spend any money in Indiana and contribute to their tax revenues. I quit doing that after a while because there are a couple of restaurants I like in Indiana, but now I guess I’ll have to go back to my little boycott.

Comment by olddog Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:49 pm
Interestingly, I worked for an Indiana company that was playing games with car titles so they could license them in Illinois…it was far cheaper that way.

Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:55 pm
skeptic- I can understand why. The car registration fees for new cars and especially depending on the cost of the car can be really expensive. Same thing for all of the rental car agencies. I have never seen those cars with Indiana plates- for the same reason.

Comment by carbaby Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 4:00 pm
To the car registration: Low tax states are high fee, high sales tax states. And with the graduated tax rates they have, their taxes aren’t even that low. Running a state, even as poorly as IN costs money. It has to come from somewhere.

Comment by Jimbo Wednesday, Apr 2, 14 @ 7:54 am