New tools for potential investors

Provence Promotion strongly believes that the details of the relocation experience matter to potential investors and their families, so it is developing an unprecedented communication plan. It took €150,000 and 18 months of work to make the Provencal area easier to understand. Multiple communication channels and tools are involved: 16 "Living & Working in Provence" guides and a video series, as well as  a valuable index of financial and tax incentives. Interview with Philippe Stefanini, General Manager of Provence Promotion. 

Who are the "Living & Working in Provence" guides for? 

With the "Living & Working in Provence" guides, Provence Promotion is targeting families who move into our region. Leaving behind familiar comforts is often a source of anxiety for the employee and their family. We wanted to provide insights to future newcomers to help them understand the main characteristics of the region at a glance. We designed 16 guides that break the area down into living communities. They suggest large and small cities with a great quality of life depending on personal taste and preference. They are packed with useful information about public transportation networks, rents and real estate prices. The guides also contain brief descriptions of available services, such as medical care, shopping destinations, favorite sports facilities and education, from nursery school to high school. These practical documents are the result of 18 months of collaboration with the economic departments of the nine intercommunal structures that belong to Provence Promotion (the six Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan regional councils and the three intercommunal structures for Greater Arles).  

Why did you choose to distribute videos? What do they depict? 

We developed a multi-channel approach with a series of "Living & Working in Provence" videos to reach our targets in different ways. Employees with different backgrounds and nationalities who have taken the plunge talk about their new life in the south. These include Anne-Claire and Clément, a couple who left Paris to live in Provence. They tell their story and bubble over when talking about their professional achievements and the personal fulfillment they get from their new hobbies: sailing, aviation, etc.   When will you publish your guides on financial assistance mechanisms and the best business sites?  We are currently ranking the 40 best locations to set up a business in Bouches-du-Rhône. We are choosing them based on their size and the amount of undeveloped and developed land available. Here again, we are advocating a harmonious approach across the region. The materials will be available for download on our site in September 2016. We receive an average of 10 companies per month. We needed tools to make it easy to understand. In spring 2017, we will distribute a directory of financial and tax incentives that are available to all investors. Of the 5,400 European, national and local mechanisms, we will choose the most pertinent (local tax exemptions, research assistance, real estate assistance, training assistance, etc.).

Have you received any feedback about the first communication tools?

Recruiting firms really like the "Living & Working in Provence" guides. They were particularly appealing to engineers at the Paris Air Show. We systematically share them with the companies we are prospecting. Quality of life is just as strategic for a company as expenses. It will attract and retain its key executives if they enjoy the region.

> Download guides "Living & working in Provence"

> Watch the video about the experience of Anne-Claire and Clement who have chosen to live and work in Provence