“Boomerang(s)” as the Linchpin to Revitalization
What do Ashton Kutcher, Elijah Wood, Ron Livingston and Terry Farrell have in common?
All four actors hail from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and its immediate vicinity. That’s quite impressive for a city of roughly 138,000 and an MSA of 280,000.
In working on a retail strategy for the city’s sleepy Downtown core, I have proposed that stakeholders approach these celebrities with a pitch to reinvest in their hometown, perhaps even put their name(s) on businesses in its Downtown that could help to attract patrons and visitors. I have argued that they are likely to resonate a whole lot more with Gen X’ers and Millennials who watched Office Space, That 70’s Show, the Lord of the Rings and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine than the city’s longtime favorite son, Grant Wood, who painted American Gothic nearly a century ago. Especially at the current moment, with 1990’s and early 2000’s having returned to prominence in pop culture.
After all, appealing to the sentimental attachments of the “boomerang” seems like a more promising strategy than trying to convince an outside investor from scratch.
Of course, not every community can point to famous actors who were born and raised there. But boomerangs need not have become widely famous. I was recently checking out Lubbock, a West Texas city of 273,000 (and MSA of 369,000) that is best known for two things: Texas Tech, where Patrick Mahomes quarterbacked the Red Raiders in the mid-2010’s, and Buddy Holly, the 1950’s era rock-and-roll pioneer.
While the city boasts some vibrant bits in the Overton and Tech Terrace districts to the east and south of the university’s massive campus, its Downtown has a ways to go. Sleepy would be an understatement. And yet…
- Brain Gain: They return with college degrees, diverse corporate experience, and advanced skills acquired in major metropolitan hubs.
- Instant Capital: They often bring accumulated wealth, high purchasing power, and an eagerness to invest in local real estate.
- Entrepreneurship: Many return specifically to start businesses, filling vacant storefronts with modern cafes, tech startups, or boutique shops.
- Low Friction: Unlike complete newcomers, boomerangs already understand the local culture, have existing family networks, and require less institutional “onboarding.”
- The First Wave: A few boomerangs return to be closer to aging parents or raise children.
- The Micro-Economy: They open unique businesses or buy historic homes, altering the visual and social landscape.
- The Culture Shift: The local culture modernizes, making the town more attractive to outsiders and current youth.
- Retention: The next generation sees a viable future at home, reducing the original “brain drain” that started the problem.