The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) has started work on a grassroots, statewide project, Promote AZ, to promote Arizona development and tourism, nurture civic pride and engage public participation.

“This project is an investment in Arizona’s future,” Susan Marie, manager of marketing and communications at the ACA, recently told Arizona Business Daily. “We will define an identity that speaks to what is genuine, meaningful and different about Arizona, and use that to shape both internal and external perceptions.”

Marie said the ACA project is more than a marketing tool. “By acting as a single selling point to attract business, talent and tourism, Arizona’s brand will serve as guidance to ensure the prosperity of its future,” Marie said.

Specifically, the project entails examining perceptions of the state from a variety of leaders across the state, as well as conducting workshops and creating other forums to gather information.

“We are in the process of gathering input from business, education, community and minority-group leaders, both from within and outside of Arizona,” Marie said.

“Each of these leaders provides a unique perspective on what makes Arizona genuine, meaningful and different,” Marie said. “The interviews are helping us uncover a variety of perceptions about Arizona, which will help us provide a balanced voice.”

The ACA team plans to travel throughout the state to gather a diverse array of viewpoints, Marie said.

Every ACA staff member “is involved in the Promote AZ project in some way, whether it is participating in teams going to community events or attending focus-group sessions," Marie said.

In fact, several focus-group sessions will be held with leaders in both the private and public sectors throughout the state, Marie said.

“Collecting feedback from the broadest range of people possible is a critical part of the process,” Marie said. “Once we announced the project, we immediately began hearing from Arizonans via email … and on social media, which we continue to do.”

Additionally, an initiative has been launched to send Promote AZ team members out into the community “to engage with citizens and visitors all around the state to find out what they think and feel about Arizona, why they love it here and why they choose to live or vacation here,” Marie said.

The team members will be visiting different events and locations throughout Arizona over the next two months, speaking to people about what makes Arizona meaningful to them, Marie said.

“This feedback will be used, along with the research and focus-group findings, to help craft the state’s brand identity,” Marie said.

To submit comments, go online to: promoteaz@azcommerce.com or via Twitter at: #PromoteAZ.