Winning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing 2026

For 30 years, Winning Strategies has helped economic developers understand what matters most to the people making location decisions.

As competition for investment intensifies, economic developers need more than instincts and assumptions. They need direct insight into how corporate executives and site selection consultants gather information, form perceptions and evaluate communities.

Now in its 11th edition, Winning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing: A View from Corporate America delivers exactly that.

Produced by Development Counsellors International (DCI), this landmark research examines the trends, priorities and marketing practices shaping corporate location decisions today. Based on responses from corporate executives and site selection consultants actively involved in location decisions, the report provides a clear view of how decision-makers discover, evaluate and engage with places.

Download the report to learn:

• How executives and consultants form perceptions of communities
• Which marketing tactics have gained the most influence since 2023
• Where AI is beginning to influence site selection research
• What decision-makers expect from economic development websites
• How relationships, digital visibility and credibility work together to drive consideration
• The states, regions and organizations setting the standard for economic development marketing