What's in a name? One organization hopes jobs

Manatee Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Sharon Hillstrom hopes a tweak to her organization's moniker will give it more influence to accomplish one of its biggest quests of 2013: To boost the area's employment rate.

Gone from the name will be Manatee. In its place will be Bradenton Area. The changes, including a new website for the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp., will take place in the first quarter of next year. Atlas Advertising, a Denver-based branding and advertising firm with a specialty in economic development, worked with the EDC on the project. The goal, says Hillstrom, is increased awareness.

“We didn't go into this thinking we were going to change our name,” Hillstrom tells Coffee Talk. “We went into this thinking of what will provide us the greatest visibility in the community.”