Governor-elect Terry Branstad says one of his priorities is to update the state’s image on the web.
“We’re going to revamp our on-line efforts at marketing and promoting Iowa,” Branstad says.
The home page of the Iowa Department of Economic Development’s current website features a variety of options for new or existing businesses that intend to expand in Iowa, with a point-and-click menu to find information about things like state tax incentives or site location services. The site is “too complex, too slow and not web-friendly,” according to Branstad.
“We have viewed economic development websites from other states like Mississippi, Michigan and Indiana,” Branstad says. “They all excel well beyond what we currently have in place in Iowa.”
The Iowa Department of Economic Development’s website employs a marketing slogan for its domain name — iowalifechanging.com. Branstad will change that, too.
“The internet is a vital tool in Iowa’s economic development tool box,” Branstad says. “…We are committed to making those changes to make sure we are interactive and have an effective presence on the web.”
Branstad ran a campaign commercial this fall which claimed he had “an app” for some of the problems the state was facing. Apple coined the catch phrase “there’s an app for that” in ads for its popular iPhone, and the company filed an application for a trademark on the phrase in October.