Business Birmingham launches

5th Nov 2010

Marketing Birmingham unveils its game plan to attract more jobs to the city with Business Birmingham, the brand for an ambitious new global investment sales and marketing strategy. Business Birmingham will form the backbone of activity for the new investment function which transferred to the public/private partnership from Birmingham City Council in mid September. A new Investment Director has been appointed to lead the strategy, which is focussed on bringing new investment into the city.

The immediate targets for the strategy include the creation of 6,700 new jobs by 2015, with an over-arching, long-term vision for Birmingham to become the most attractive city in Europe to do business. It will form the investment element of the 20-year Big City Plan, ensuring Birmingham’s future business growth will be closely aligned to its development – the first time that the city has officially linked both strategies.

The investment sales and marketing strategy has been developed with advice from global location specialists IBM-PLI. Target sectors include: transport technologies; shared services and business process outsourcing, financial services; public sector functions and emerging opportunities such as digital media, low carbon R&D and medical technologies.

The inward investment function at Marketing Birmingham will be led by a new specialist investment team that will be charged with ensuring Birmingham punches its weight as an investment location.

A new Investment Director, that will lead the team, has been recruited following a high-profile selection process. Wouter Schuitemaker, currently Head of Asia Pacific at Think London – the capital’s inward investment agency – has attracted significant new investment into the UK including projects with Canon, Nomura and Samsung Electronics.
Originally from Solihull, Wouter also has extensive international commercial experience including business development roles at WPP and INTAGE Inc Japan.

Birmingham’s profile as a business destination will be highlighted through a strategic marketing campaign that will target corporate audiences nationally and internationally. The campaign, which commences in November, will showcase: the strength of the city’s talent pool, its strong education base; its attractive geographic location and its scale, which enables it to absorb large business functions. The campaign will also highlight the city’s enterprise culture and strong business networks that have a track record of welcoming newcomers to the city. A new website, www.businessbirmingham.com goes live today, and will be supported by advertising and editorial in national business and trade media and major transport hubs.

The sales strategy will focus on partnerships with existing international networks and an extension of the ‘Team Birmingham’ approach that has enjoyed success in other sectors such as events and conferencing most recently demonstrated at this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. It also aims to build stronger operational links with UKTI the national body charged with attracting foreign direct investment to the UK.

Birmingham and the West Midland attracted 5% of total foreign direct investment into the United Kingdom in 2009.

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, believes Birmingham is now in a strong position to increase its share of this market:
“I’m delighted to see the progress we have made in bringing this new investment strategy forward. We have set the new Inward Investment Team a challenging target to deliver at least 6,700 new jobs to the city and elevate Birmingham’s position as a leading business destination. To do this at a time when public resources are under real pressure will require strategic and targeted activity, and strong collaboration with the city’s business community.”

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of Marketing Birmingham, said:
“Business Birmingham is not just a campaign led by Marketing Birmingham, it is a long-term sales and marketing strategy that must draw together organisations and institutions from across Birmingham to grow the private sector over the next 20 years. We have proven through our success in the visitor economy that our approach can generate real dividends. We now aim to use that experience in tackling this wider challenge.”

Jerry Blackett, Chief Executive of Birmingham Chamber Group, said:
“The business community is committed to addressing the real and serious need to promote private sector growth in Birmingham – this is where the Team Birmingham ethos comes into play. Birmingham Chamber Group will be a close partner with Neil and the new investment team. We have an international network in place alongside experience in FDI work which will be a valuable asset to the new strategy.”