When it comes to sustaining and growing the economy in Northern Colorado, economic developers, cities and other entities consider the region’s infrastructure — its access to electrical power, water, and transportation networks — to be a strength.
But that’s not how the region is perceived by some who make decisions about locating their companies here.
Perception, accurate or not, is a significant driver of economic activity such as tourism receipts and talent attraction, said Amy Guttmann, a creative strategist working with the communities of the region to create an accurate brand for Northern Colorado. She is the principal of AGC+S and consulting lead for the branding project.
Aligning how regional residents perceive the area with how the wider world sees Northern Colorado is the task undertaken by a coalition of economic developers, cities, educational institutions and private entities. Led by the Northern Colorado Regional Economic Development Initiative, or NoCo REDI, the regional economic development entity that includes organizations and local governments in Larimer and Weld counties, the Northern Colorado Place Craft Initiative has begun to take shape.
The strategy used to research how the region is perceived drew attention in November when NoCo REDI presented its methodology at the City Nation Place Global 2025 conference in London.
The strategy, called a “dual-lens research model or a mirror method,” compares how Northern Colorado appears online through artificial intelligence with how it is experienced on the ground by the people who live, work and invest here. “By merging those perspectives, the initiative is developing a strategy for intentional growth that helps the region attract companies and talent aligned with its values, culture and economic ecosystem,” NoCo REDI said in a press statement late last year.
Once the perceptions of the region are understood, communities can work to correct misperceptions or use accurate perceptions to leverage economic development, Guttmann said.
“Creating jobs and attracting talent requires more than the technical side of economic development,” Rich Werner, president and CEO of Upstate Colorado, said in a written statement. “In today’s marketplace, perception matters — and the version of your place that shows up in Google Overviews or ChatGPT is often the first impression companies and talent have.”
Partners in the effort include Xcel Energy; Weld and Larimer counties; the cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Windsor; Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado; the NoCo Foundation and the Weld Trust.
Xcel Energy joined as the title sponsor for the effort. “We know Northern Colorado is among the fastest growing regions of our state, and we’re committed to helping our communities and customers grow in a thoughtful and intentional way,” Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy – Colorado, said in a press statement.
So far, Guttmann said the effort has combined artificial intelligence analysis of thousands of data points with a two-week field study involving more than 100 interviews with residents, business owners, nonprofits, local leaders and youths, along with a regional perception survey. The result of that work was fed into a gap analysis to discover where Northern Colorado’s online identity diverges from what residents experience.
“The gap between online perception and on-the-ground reality is where the strategy lives,” Guttmann said. “And that approach — people-powered and AI-informed — is why the world is taking notice. Not just of what we’re building, but how we’re building it.”
“We have a responsibility to protect the long-term prosperity of the people who live and work here,” said Werner. “Our reputation influences who chooses Northern Colorado for investment, who builds a career here, and whether companies see this as a place they can grow. Understanding and strengthening that perception isn’t optional — it’s part of our job.”
The initiative also represents a fundamental shift in how Northern Colorado is thinking about growth, NoCo REDI said in its press statement. “Instead of competing for any available opportunity, the region is defining what makes it distinctive — and using that clarity to proactively attract the right partners for sustainable, long-term success.”
Kyle Henley, vice president of marketing and communications at Colorado State University, said that the region’s success depends upon thinking regionally. “Northern Colorado’s success depends on thinking of ourselves as an interconnected regional ecosystem rather than individual communities competing for the same opportunities. This coordinated, collaborative approach to marketing our region will ensure we’re attracting partners and investments that strengthen the entire Northern Colorado economy.”
Guttmann said that the research is now largely complete and members of the development team are working on developing an accurate brand. “We’re building out the story visually,” she said, with an eye toward a marketing launch this fall.
“AI has changed everything about perception,” she said. To project an accurate image or perception of a place like Northern Colorado requires understanding “of how these large language models are generating perceptions,” she said.
The campaign to be launched will attempt to change how AI generates its perception of the region through posting of new branded content online. Reports, videos, newspaper content, Reddit conversations and more will be used to more accurately position the region, she said.
More information can be found at choosenortherncolorado.com/brand, and a video teaser is available at vimeo.com/1144978317.
This article was first published by BizWest, an indepe vimeo.com/1144978317ndent news organization, and is published under a license agreement. © 2026 BizWest Media LLC.
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