Further thoughts from our contributors
IPAs need to be digitally ready with staff capable of organising and participating in online events, which to be effective will require media skills.
David Parker | Former Chief Investment Officer at Bahrain EDB
To deal with the personal side of things, we are going back to the basics. Rather than trying to engage with a lot of people in a few days at a trade show, we are going back to reading and studying and learning and following the companies that may have potential to deploy in our region and then contacting them with specifics and a real opportunity for them.
Elena Gallego Cañabate | Investment Promotion Deputy Director at Agencia de Innovación y Desarrollo de Andalucía IDEA
Nowadays, we must invest in technology programs that will enable us to revisit and change our current business model and develop new strategies to fully integrate the multi-channel marketing experience of customers to build long-term relationships.
Adalberto Netto | Head of Marketing and Business Development at Apex Brasil
It’s very difficult to build that type of rapport virtually, unless the investor has committed to the move and the investment - without this we’re just a talking head on a screen. Unless both sides agree it’s a 20 min advertisement.
Christopher Chen | Head of investment Promotion Canada at Invest HK
If 2020 brought anything, it is the ability to constantly look at other possibilities and opportunities that may be implemented. The last year has shown how technology can support and also at times accelerate processes with potential investors.
James Milne | Former Head of Investment Promotion at WESGRO
Digitalisation provides opportunities for thought leaders to collaborate and participate in programs to support businesses and convey powerful stories and experiences. These heighten engagement and build sustainable relationships for the future.
Karl Gudmundsson | Director of Trade and Invest at Invest Iceland
We need to remember that in a digital world, we still adopt a human-centred approach. What does this company need? What are their fears about investing and their dreams? If you take that approach, I think you’ll come up with more creative solutions, not just promoting a location, but meeting the investor’s needs.
Sirpa Tsimal | FDI Director at Switzerland Global Enterprise
The key to increasing engagement is to understand not only what your target audience is interested in but also learning about cultural alignment to ensure you are delivering the appropriate content based on their needs and tailor programs that will support the customer experience.
Juan Sebastian Perez Villareal | Corporate Affairs, Strategy, Relations and Business Development at Invest in Bogota
With the rise of technology and digital transformation, we as leaders should embrace the changes and learn to adapt to tools that will help our business build better strategies in increasing our customer engagement and revenue growth.
Lionel Grotto | CEO at Choose Paris Region
Having to substitute physical meeting during roadshows and events; we had to find alternatives, and we were surprised that with online meetings becoming a “new normal”, we were able to approach more companies than we initially thought when the pandemic first started.
Mikheil Khidureli | CEO at Enterprise Georgia
Don’t focus on what your competition is doing. Rather focus on how your location is better than this other location, focus on how you’re boosting wellbeing, the quality of life in your area. This is a time when wellbeing is front of mind for many investors.
Trini Bofarull Masip | FDI Director at Catalonia Trade&Investment
With the use of technology, we get to focus on the relevant challenges faced in digital transformation for every business sector and explore opportunities in creating programs that will help automate their operational continuity process.
Salvatore Di Giovanni Vergara | Head of the Investment Promotion Team at InvestChile
If you haven’t done anything yet, there’s no time to wait. Digital technology is here to stay, and you need to go for it.
George Campanellas | CEO at Invest Cyprus
Go back to basics and get absolute clarity about what you’re trying to achieve. Then scour both internal and external processes to see how they could be digitised, while keeping your visibility high, globally.
Stephen Phillips | Director General at Invest Hong Kong
Listen to your customers and understand how they want to communicate their needs in this new era; don’t neglect after-care to understand the challenges and opportunities as they see them; you don’t need to reinvent the wheel - look around you see how other B2B business organisations are using the digital technology and copy and adapt that to meet your needs going forward.
Simon Galpin | Former Senior Advisor at Bahrain EDB
Utilising technology during the new era of digital engagement has created a fresh way of networking with our potential clients. It helped us learn to build rapport digitally by investing in tools that will personalise their needs to captivate their interest and heighten engagement.
Vincent Gollain | Chief Economic Development Officer at Paris Region Institute
You need to differentiate yourself even more than before. In the past, you could win investment by being average and having broad messages. But now you need to be focused and highlight the unique opportunity for the investor. There’s no one solution for everyone and we need to be proactive and use the best tools in front of us at the same time.
Fahad Al Gergawi | CEO at Dubai FDI
The application of digital technology has created an immense impact on collaborating, not only with the potential market, but also to appeal to a wider scope of the business community. It has helped us better understand the needs of our target audience so we may be able to offer customised solutions that will enhance and strengthen their business.
Yofi Grant | CEO at Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
Digitalisation is a never-ending process, and it won’t end after Covid. There’s never a time when you’re 100% done, so embrace the change because it’s here to stay.
Ahmad Numan | Group Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications at RAKEZ
If, in the past era you could win projects by being very broad with your messages and with your Unique Value Proposition, today you need to be super unique and stick out superbly.
Raido Lember | Business Development Manager at Enterprise Estonia