Overview of a simple idea to help Yorkshire businesses benefit from the appeal of the Yorkshire brand

 

In a world of choice, what do we want the world to do? Choose Yorkshire.

That means anyone looking for a product or service, somewhere to invest, somewhere to live, somewhere to visit or somewhere to study should be encouraged to choose Yorkshire i.e. choose products and services from Yorkshire, places in Yorkshire or one of Yorkshire’s many Universities and Colleges.

Additionally, Yorkshire needs a way to draw attention to itself beyond its borders so that everyone within its borders benefits from the largely unrealised value of the Yorkshire brand.

Turning an idea into reality

To help the Yorkshire economy, we want to encourage consumers, customers and clients (buyers) everywhere to ‘choose Yorkshire’ products and services.

Our starting point is our database, which already contains thousands of Yorkshire businesses including our corporate members; we understand that if we make it searchable then all those potential consumers, customers and clients would have an easy way to find them – a Yorkshire business directory.

And if we then give every Yorkshire business the opportunity to add themselves and their business proposition to the directory for free, we would quickly turn our idea into a reality,  So that’s what we are doing.

Why do we need Choose Yorkshire?

Because the Yorkshire economy needs help.  Yorkshire and Humberside’s GDP is only £32652 per capita – much lower than the national average £39403 and not even half that of London’s at £69077 (most recent figures available to us).

However, despite poor economic performance, the Yorkshire brand is strong but underused due to a lack of official management and no singular regional leadership or brand management.

From research untertaken with University of Hull (contact us for a copy), we know that the people of Yorkshire are fiercely proud with 75% of Yorkshire buyers telling us in a survey that they were more likely to choose a product or service if it were from Yorkshire.  So, a quick way to help Yorkshire businesses identify themselves to Yorkshire buyers would clearly benefit them, the buyers wanting to support Yorkshire businesses and so the Yorkshire economy itself.

Then there is the wider world outside of Yorkshire for whom the benefits of the Yorkshire brand can be equally appealing, specially in the UK where they are already understood, but also around the world where the values associated with Yorkshire, such as trust, loyalty and friendly are key to decision makers.

Choose Yorkshire, provides a means to promote Yorkshire – from an individual business to the region as a whole, on a one to one basis or to the world en-masse.

What is Choose Yorkshire?

Leveraging the positive values of Yorkshire, Choose Yorkshire is:

• a tool that allows Yorkshire businesses to be found by those preferring to buy Yorkshire.
• a vehicle to promote Yorkshire and the many advantages of choosing Yorkshire.
• a source of helpful services for Yorkshire businesses.

Choose Yorkshire helps Yorkshire businesses grow and so helps the Yorkshire economy grow too.

Choose Yorkshire is effectively a shopwindow for Yorkshire businesses wanting to sell, and at the same time a go-to place for those looking to buy Yorkshire.

In reality, it is a portal and searchable directory of verified businesses and the key contact who represents them – providing a trusted source of business information, products and services from Yorkshire.

Any Yorkshire business can register and, subject to being a Yorkshire business, add themselves and what they offer to the Choose Yorkshire directory.

Promotion of Choose Yorkshire and encouragement to support the Yorkshire economy by choosing Yorkshire will drive traffic and stimulate trade between those using the directory.

However, Choose Yorkshire can be more than just a directory and will, in time, organise related events, deliver education and training, and provide tried and trusted business services to its users, as well as be the representative body of the united Yorkshire economy which can coordinate strategic activities and campaigns to promote and support the Yorkshire economy.

The Yorkshire Society has long held the ambition of organising a Yorkshire Expo; a massive showcase of Yorkshire’s economic capabilities to which the world would be invited to come and take a look. The expo would be under the name Choose Yorkshire with that very proposition underlining its purpose.

What does Choose Yorkshire cost?

Back to the here and now. It is FREE to use the Choose Yorkshire directory and you can already register your business HERE

The Yorkshire Society will offer businesses using the Choose Yorkshire directory the option of priority listing and an opportunity to use it for sales promotion, at a nominal cost. A low cost ‘blue tick’ verification feature will also allow users to stand out from the crowd.

Additionally, a ‘Yorkshire Values’ accreditation feature may be introduced for which a fee to cover application and accreditation will be applied.

The Choose Yorkshire directory

In line with one of The Yorkshire Society’s fundamental aims i.e. ‘to bring the people of Yorkshire together’, Choose Yorkshire can and will also connect Yorkshire businesses and their key contacts with each other. Think a Yorkshire LinkedIn!

The Choose Yorkshire directory also allows registered users to access related events of The Yorkshire Society – opportunities to network and connect with new contacts in the real world too.

Any Yorkshire business, from one-man band to multinational, can use it and they will all be encouraged to do so; the bigger the directory gets, the more useful it becomes to its individual users and the more powerful it can be for promoting Yorkshire as a whole.

As size and scale is achieved, more features and functions will be added with user experience driving Choose Yorkshire’s development, so it will adapt to meet requirements.

Don’t wait, register your business HERE.

And finally…the Identity

Our logo is symbolic of what Choose Yorkshire does: connecting businesses and people, buyers and sellers.

Featuring an emblematic Y, it not only provides Choose Yorkshire with an identity, it provides Yorkshire with a distinctive and recognisable icon, an icon that can be used by qualifying Yorkshire businesses to confirm the origin of themselves or their product and service.

 

 

Register your business HERE.

Choose Yorkshire is the idea and property of The Yorkshire Society. All rights reserved.  For information, please write to cy@theyorkshiresociety.org