At .id, we emphasise the importance of storytelling and narratives: What are the demographic and economic stories for your local community? We are often approached by our clients for a specific figure or data. However, a number is only as significant as its context. Narratives not only provide the context and reasons behind the figures but also help us to understand how different datasets are interrelated, how they have impacted the past and how they will affect the future.
.id recently worked with the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) to build an economic story that is accessible to prospective investors, setting the foundation for future economic strategies, council policy, community development and land-use strategies. Here is their story.
Business challenge
We were approached by TRC with a series of question: What is the economic story of Toowoomba? What are its traditional strengths? What are its bold ambitions? How do we promote our economy? How do we plan for growth?
The .id solution
.id took a different approach to previous economic profiles by developing an economic story for Toowoomba. This approach is designed to promote the region to investors by telling the economic story rather than repeating factual statements and presenting data. Instead, we tailored the story to the audience and effectively used charts, tables and maps to complement a narrative that identifies the unique characteristics of the local area.
Outcomes
Over its rich history, the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) area has transformed its agricultural base into a diverse and strong economy, offering a range of business, investment and employment opportunities. There are a number of local, national and global drivers, set to transform Toowoomba as a major economic city with national and international links.
The key drivers for growth include:
Strong population growth and skilled labour
Recent and future investment into economic and transport enablers
• Links to a growing Asian market
• National freight task
• City conveniences at a country pace of life
• Growing importance of regional cities (affordability and liveability drivers)
• Ageing of the population
Read the full report here
