By: Chelsea Schmitz 

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In May, I had the opportunity to attend the Ohio Tech Summit. The theme was about building the Silicon Heartland, and throughout the day, I was able to listen to inspiring tech leaders from across the state. These experts shared their insights on the opportunities and challenges we face as a state in being prepared for our next evolution - becoming a true, established tech hub in the U.S. 

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Let’s just say it’s an exciting time to live and work in Ohio (and I’m clearly not biased as an Ohio native 😉). But, all this excitement had me thinking… What does this evolution mean for our role as communications professionals working for or with Ohio-based companies? 

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1. The race for talent is heating up. 🔥

ICYMI: Intel is opening a new manufacturing facility in Central Ohio, which is estimated to provide 3,000 new jobs in the area. Plus, over 100 suppliers are already estimated to enter the Ohio market as a result of the Intel news. 

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But, it’s not just the Intel news. Several other companies are anticipating creating new jobs in the coming years (i.e., Honda EV battery plant). 

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As a communicator, this tells me that we need to put in the work for the brands we support now. Companies will be competing against large national brands for talent, and it will no longer work to fly under the radar. 

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Your company may not be hiring now, but when the time comes, you’ll want to make sure people in this region know who you are and what makes your company a great place to work. 

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2. It’s more important than ever for us to use our voice when we have a seat at the table. 📣

As communicators, we often have the unique opportunity to work alongside executives as business decisions are made. Our community is at a serious inflection point of immense scale. We have to make sure we do this right.

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Now, more than ever, we need to advocate for making investments back into our community. Does your company have a CSR program? How is your company continuing to advocate for equity? What is your company doing to support the underserved and underrepresented? 

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We have the chance to build the future of Ohio, so let’s push our organizations to be a positive force. 

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3. Everybody is looking at Ohio, but is your company ready? 👀

Ohio is becoming a world-known leader in the tech industry, which means people across the globe are paying attention to the state in a new way. The important question we need to answer as communicators is: is our company ready? 

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Now is a good time to: 

• Audit your communication channels and identify any opportunities for improvement 
• Refine, test and build your brand messaging with a focus on identifying the white space for your brand  
• Position your executives as thought leaders on industry-relevant topics and get them media-prepared (seriously, the competition for attention is only going to get stronger, don’t miss the opportunity you have now) 
• Set up strategic listening to allow your organization to proactively flag opportunities and concerns that could impact your business 
• Dust off (or start - it’s okay wherever you are) your crisis and issues management plan

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Let’s not miss out on the opportunity in front of us. The work starts today as we build the future of Ohio.