FDI Marketing in 2025: Insights from the SelectUSA Investment Summit
May 21, 2025
The 2025 SelectUSA Investment Summit panels and presentations delivered valuable insights from economic development leaders, U.S. Governors, and federal agency officials on attracting foreign direct investment and supporting international businesses entering the U.S. market.
Workforce, utilities, and site readiness remained central themes throughout the event, while marketing—and its power to shape perception and close deals—was a consistent undercurrent during the sessions. Despite economic uncertainty, international companies are clearly continuing to evaluate their FDI options. For economic developers, this underscores the importance of proactive marketing campaigns to a global audience.
Below are three key takeaways for EDOs:
Market your infrastructure
As one speaker put it, “Site selection is a process of elimination, not inclusion.” Site selectors are evaluating infrastructure, so a lack thereof can make or break a deal. Roads, utilities, and shovel-ready sites need strong marketing because these assets are more critical now than ever. Asset-mapping existing infrastructure, followed by proactive marketing, can make a rural U.S. community stand out as a big fish in a small pond to international executives.
Use AI as a support tool
Economic developers are in a discovery phase, exploring which AI tools bring true value and how to integrate them effectively into their workflows. AI can accelerate data analysis to help you make marketing decisions, but it doesn’t have human senses – for example, it can’t negotiate a deal or smell the air that surrounds a site. One economic developer is using AI to predict which companies might expand soon. Hints may include companies that have a new CEO or companies that have ramped up hiring efforts. AI may be changing the game, but it can’t replace the value of local expertise, strong marketing, and a warm welcome.
Engage your U.S. PR & marketing team
Several companies at SelectUSA said that having a U.S.-based team of marketers (and lawyers) helped “smooth the landing” when expanding to America. I’m a publicist – if you’re in the advanced stages of closing a deal with an international company, remember to give your PR and marketing lead a heads-up so they can supplement publicity efforts. Public relations and marketing teams need advanced notice to identify the right media contacts and to prep the visuals and copy that will accompany social media posts.
The underlying consensus from SelectUSA 2025 is that economic developers should think beyond databases and tell compelling stories. Promote your infrastructure and use AI to work smarter. It will help you stand out in the long run.
Looking to enhance your EDO’s storytelling and media relations strategy to reach an international audience? Contact Brittany Borsanyi at brittany.borsanyi@aboutdci.com.
