Chinese websites mourn
Chinese corporations and multinationals doing business in China toned down the colors on their websites after the devastating Sichuan earthquake. Most opted for black.
Although white more commonly signifies death and mourning in China, black is a more effective way of expressing grief on the white background of a Web page.
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Local government yet to discover Paypal.
One of Terry Heaton’s criticisms of municipalities is that a lack of competition has kept them from adopting all those convenient little innovations that make internet commerce a relative breeze. It’s very difficult to find an online vendor asking you to use anything but your internet connection and a credit card to complete a transaction. Local governments, on the other hand, often request that you fax, mail, call or drive something to an office somewhere.
This same inability to innovate holds true for communicating with their citizens. Almost daily, old firms embrace new tools allowing them to better communicate with increasingly sophisticated consumers. Why not local government?
photo credit: Danielle Scott
High quality service provision is an economic development tool
“The most important economic development tool in a municipal government’s toolbox is to do what you’re supposed to do: provide public services and do it well.” - Dr. John Matthews, in class tonight.
Forget tax incentives and selling your city’s soul for a Mercedes plant; firms are increasingly attracted by good roads, good police, good schools, good sewerage, and good anything else that makes for a well-run city.
A map of Wal-Mart’s spread in the United States
A map of Wal-Mart’s spread in the United States, from 1962-2004.