Perception of Charlotte Nationwide

[AirNostrumMAD]

7 hours ago, kayman said:

There's a couple places named  Atlanta and Miami, so that's not a strong enough reason. New Orleans is the only one of its name for a place.  Those other places are not even really close and it's border-line lazy on the AP's part to allow Charlotte to be confused with Charleston or Charlottesville.  They should drop the "N.C." or "North Carolina" from describing Charlotte. 

Well, Charlotte is no Atlanta, Miami or New Orleans. I love Charlotte, obviously, but it has came across to me as a place people have very little familiarity of. 

I feel like North Carolina has more awareness than Charlotte and Charlotte isn’t that well known. I know several other posters here live in DC, but anytime I mention Im from Charlotte, people later always mix it up with Charlottesville and Charleston. They are Educated, fairly high income, extremely well-traveled people.

When I say I’m from Charlotte, NC, people either have family from there or they say something like they love the tar heels and quite a few people have mentioned “oh, I know Charlotte. They have the Triangle Park”. I have heard New Yorkers in the finance world say “the epicenter of banking in the US is NYC. Oh, and then you have the weird guys who go to Charlotte, but otherwise, NY is .....” and New Yorkers are the only folk I’ve know to be familiar with Charlotte. In Commercial Real Estate, Charlotte has lots of companies in commercial lending and supporting businesses that service commercial mortgage backed securities. 
 

I’m always surprised at how much name recognition the Triangle Research Park has. I never heard of it growing up (born in 92)

Edited October 14, 2021 by AirNostrumMAD

[#1Son]

14 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I’m always surprised at how much name recognition the Triangle Research Park has. I never heard of it growing up (born in 92)

Is this blue font???  Because I have never heard of Triangle Research Park either, but I once worked for IBM at their Research Triangle Park (RTP) location  

[LKN704]

17 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

Well, Charlotte is no Atlanta, Miami or New Orleans. I love Charlotte, obviously, but it has came across to me as a place people have very little familiarity of. 

I feel like North Carolina has more awareness than Charlotte and Charlotte isn’t that well known. I know several other posters here live in DC, but anytime I mention Im from Charlotte, people later always mix it up with Charlottesville and Charleston. They are Educated, fairly high income, extremely well-traveled people.

When I say I’m from Charlotte, NC, people either have family from there or they say something like they love the tar heels and quite a few people have mentioned “oh, I know Charlotte. They have the Triangle Park”. I have heard New Yorkers in the finance world say “the epicenter of banking in the US is NYC. Oh, and then you have the weird guys who go to Charlotte, but otherwise, NY is .....” and New Yorkers are the only folk I’ve know to be familiar with Charlotte. In Commercial Real Estate, Charlotte has lots of companies in commercial lending and supporting businesses that service commercial mortgage backed securities. 
 

I’m always surprised at how much name recognition the Triangle Research Park has. I never heard of it growing up (born in 92)

This. I meet people everyday who think that Raleigh is Charlotte. 

Atlanta and Miami are the 9th and 10th largest CSAs in the country, respectively, and are both home to nearly 7 million people...almost 2.5x larger than the Charlotte CSA. No one is thinking of Atlanta, TX when someone mentions Atlanta in passing, and no one automatically thinks of Miami, OH when one mentions Miami in passing. 

A big issue is that there is no identifying feature to Charlotte. Miami resonates with beaches, Art Deco buildings, and Latin culture. Atlanta resonates with Coca-Cola, the Olympics, etc. 

Look at this Swissair ad from I am guessing the late 1980s or early 1990s. Translated it says "What to say about our new destination Atlanta?"  The point I am trying to make with the ad is that 1) Swissair's marketing team recognized Atlanta as the home of Coca-Cola and created an ad touching on that; 2) Swissair assumed that their targeted audience would know that Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. 

I struggle to wonder what image/symbol they would have used if they were creating an ad featuring Charlotte. 

Edited October 14, 2021 by LKN704

[Windsurfer]

2 hours ago, LKN704 said:

This. I meet people everyday who think that Raleigh is Charlotte. 

Atlanta and Miami are the 9th and 10th largest CSAs in the country, respectively, and are both home to nearly 7 million people...almost 2.5x larger than the Charlotte CSA. No one is thinking of Atlanta, TX when someone mentions Atlanta in passing, and no one automatically thinks of Miami, OH when one mentions Miami in passing. 

A big issue is that there is no identifying feature to Charlotte. Miami resonates with beaches, Art Deco buildings, and Latin culture. Atlanta resonates with Coca-Cola, the Olympics, etc. 

Look at this Swissair ad from I am guessing the late 1980s or early 1990s. Translated it says "What to say about our new destination Atlanta?"  The point I am trying to make with the ad is that 1) Swissair's marketing team recognized Atlanta as the home of Coca-Cola and created an ad touching on that; 2) Swissair assumed that their targeted audience would know that Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. 

I struggle to wonder what image/symbol they would have used if they were creating an ad featuring Charlotte. 

NASCAR

[KJHburg]

25 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

NASCAR

funny you said this but true.  I was in Fiji about 20 years ago and met an Aussie and I said I was from Charlotte and he said NASCAR!  

I have met people in Europe cant remember where now who knew of the Charlotte Hornets 

 

 

[Phillydog]

3 hours ago, LKN704 said:

This. I meet people everyday who think that Raleigh is Charlotte. 

Atlanta and Miami are the 9th and 10th largest CSAs in the country, respectively, and are both home to nearly 7 million people...almost 2.5x larger than the Charlotte CSA. No one is thinking of Atlanta, TX when someone mentions Atlanta in passing, and no one automatically thinks of Miami, OH when one mentions Miami in passing. 

A big issue is that there is no identifying feature to Charlotte. Miami resonates with beaches, Art Deco buildings, and Latin culture. Atlanta resonates with Coca-Cola, the Olympics, etc. 

Look at this Swissair ad from I am guessing the late 1980s or early 1990s. Translated it says "What to say about our new destination Atlanta?"  The point I am trying to make with the ad is that 1) Swissair's marketing team recognized Atlanta as the home of Coca-Cola and created an ad touching on that; 2) Swissair assumed that their targeted audience would know that Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. 

I struggle to wonder what image/symbol they would have used if they were creating an ad featuring Charlotte. 

This is the problem with North Carolina in general and it's historic.  "NC, a valley of humility of between 2 mountains of conceit" --   Frankly, NC SUCKS at promoting itself.  Texas, Georgia, Florida...master bloviators.  I grew up in Connecticut, which was was overshadowed and over-bloviated - by New York and Massachusetts.  The difference?  North Carolina is significantly better than Georgia:  our mountains, our beaches, our colleges, are all superior.  Charlotte, and North Carolina, need to step up their bloviating games and learn how to get themselves in front of the audience.  Coca Cola?  Seriously?  I guess Milwaukee was able to promote itself on beer.  Which is why, whenever I see someone (in NC) shopping at Home Depot or eating at Chick-fil-A I say, "support the local team" -- buy from Lowe's, eat chicken from Bojangles. 

[LKN704]

36 minutes ago, Phillydog said:

This is the problem with North Carolina in general and it's historic.  "NC, a valley of humility of between 2 mountains of conceit" --   Frankly, NC SUCKS at promoting itself.  Texas, Georgia, Florida...master bloviators.  I grew up in Connecticut, which was was overshadowed and over-bloviated - by New York and Massachusetts.  The difference?  North Carolina is significantly better than Georgia:  our mountains, our beaches, our colleges, are all superior.  Charlotte, and North Carolina, need to step up their bloviating games and learn how to get themselves in front of the audience.  Coca Cola?  Seriously?  I guess Milwaukee was able to promote itself on beer.  Which is why, whenever I see someone (in NC) shopping at Home Depot or eating at Chick-fil-A I say, "support the local team" -- buy from Lowe's, eat chicken from Bojangles. 

I don't disagree with you that North Carolina in general has so much more to offer than Georgia, and definitely should brand itself better...starting with the website which looked like a 10th grader designed it in a web design class (NC must be bad at websites in general...look at how nice the NY SUNY and University of California websites are compared to the bare-bones UNC website). 

I'll probably get criticism for saying this and that's fine, but I really don't want Nascar or Bojangles to be the sole ways Charlotte (or North Carolina) to be known both domestically and internationally. Sadly, I also know a lot of people (especially on the West Coast) who instantly think of HB2 when North Carolina is brought up. I am very worried regarding the comments the Lt. Governor has made within the past several months. Remarks like his, combined with the recent reports of how the state is the "worst place to work in the US" and how Charlotte is frequently ranked last of all large US cities in terms of economic mobility really leave a bad taste in ones mouth. Granted, a lot of these issues aren't really a Charlotte problem, rather than a state problem, though I do believe it's possible for Charlotte to market it's cosmopolitanism + inclusiveness as a way to distance itself somewhat from NC issues. Austin does a fairly good job at that IMO. 

[Windsurfer]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

funny you said this but true.  I was in Fiji about 20 years ago and met an Aussie and I said I was from Charlotte and he said NASCAR!  

I have met people in Europe cant remember where now who knew of the Charlotte Hornets 

 

 

I travelled all over South America in the 70s and 80s.  Everyone knew about NASCAR and Charlotte.  It's something easily taken for granted.  

[KJHburg]

this was on Jeopardy recently and the contestant missed the answer.      NC the Vale of Humility between 2 mountains of conceit.    Lets face it Charlotte and Raleigh people are geographically dumb!  

""There were crickets after “Jeopardy!” players were asked to identify Raleigh as the home of N.C. State University.""

[AirNostrumMAD]

2 hours ago, Windsurfer said:

I travelled all over South America in the 70s and 80s.  Everyone knew about NASCAR and Charlotte.  It's something easily taken for granted.  

I associate NASCAR more with Daytona, personally. 
 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by AirNostrumMAD

[TGIBridays]

11 hours ago, KJHburg said:

funny you said this but true.  I was in Fiji about 20 years ago and met an Aussie and I said I was from Charlotte and he said NASCAR!  

I have met people in Europe cant remember where now who knew of the Charlotte Hornets 

 

 

I was in Denver visiting a friend about 7 years ago and after his dad learned I was from Charlotte, he started talking about NASCAR and how he really wants to visit to go to the hall of fame and some of the team shops/garages. This kind of blew me away, since I grew up here and never really gave NASCAR a second thought.  I've been to a few races at the speedway, but I had always thought the hall of fame was a bit of a joke. To NASCAR fans, I guess it isn't. 

On the Hornets side: I listen to a number of Australian comedy podcasts and they've all brought up, at one time or another, having the Charlotte Hornets jackets/hats as kids and they know that MJ played for "North Carolina" (as they typically call it). The Hornets defined the 90's even across the world in Australia it seems.

15 hours ago, LKN704 said:

I struggle to wonder what image/symbol they would have used if they were creating an ad featuring Charlotte. 

So, yeah, I'd agree it would probably be NASCAR and/or the Hornets. And for some outlier/smaller communities it'd be the USNWC.

 

[tozmervo]

Not Charlotte-specific, but still more well done than most economic campaign videos. 

All In North Carolina - Economic Development Partnership of NC - YouTube

Edited October 15, 2021 by tozmervo

[Popsickle]

Not a good look, but no N.C. after Charlotte, so that’s a good thing. 
 

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/vikings-panthers-fans-battle-nfl-fight

[#1Son]

8 minutes ago, Popsickle said:

Not a good look, but no N.C. after Charlotte, so that’s a good thing. 
 

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/vikings-panthers-fans-battle-nfl-fight

@Popsickle, I was geeked over this post until I opened the link every photo in this article is credited as "Charlotte, NC or North Carolina"   

[Popsickle]

1 hour ago, #1Son said:

@Popsickle, I was geeked over this post until I opened the link every photo in this article is credited as "Charlotte, NC or North Carolina"   

The article itself just references Charlotte, didn’t read the photo credits. 

[TGIBridays]

I was watching an RMTransit video (he's a Canadian transit YouTuber) about Streetcars and he mentioned Charlotte  in a positive way (reference how the light rail and streetcars are compatible and connected) and without adding the NC. It caught me off guard for a second.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7IRjmcO7GTo&t=14m51s&feature=youtu.be

[Skyybutter]

It's that so many people on here are jumping off buildings over two letters, NC.  

  Relax, breathe. Charlotte, NC is good y'all.  

  How could people NOT know about Charlotte? Some of you are too young to remember how huge the Hornets were. And I'm talking internationally as well. The NBA coming to town in 1988 is when we became a household name. And just 5 or 6yrs after that NFL. 

Lord knows probably 60-70% of Americans have at the very least had a connection through Charlotte-Douglas.  We have Fantasia, Dababy, Mandy Patinkin,  Michael Jordan, just to name a few celebrities. The Jonas bros have grandparents here. They are in/out of town at least a few times a year... We had the PTL scandal, I almost sat beside the late Tammy Faye at Central Church of God one Sunday actually. Almost ran over John Legend and his wife at the airport rushing to a gate when I was still a Flight Attendant.  We have Ric Flair, Mullet styled hair, and the Cabarrus County Fair!! 

I think it may just be habit with putting NC after Charlotte tbh. 

(This has been a source of pain for us die hard Charlottd lovers my entire adult life. 30+ yrs.) 

 

[KJHburg]

I don't worry about the NC either anymore.  We are one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country so somehow people are finding us.  Maybe through our airport.  Maybe through sports or NASCAR but people find us and then they move here.  They stay.   People know North Carolina and then they explore the cities in the state and many move here.  

[davidclt]

Putting this here for what Twitter polls are worth: Nolan Gray on Twitter: "Battle of the boomtowns! Charlotte (6) versus Phoenix (3):" I suspect this is sort of a joke given that it's being sponsored by the Abolish Zoning Foundation.

The winner of this round goes up against the winner of this Nolan Gray on Twitter: "Alright Pennsylvanians, let's settle this once and for all. What's your best city? Pittsburgh (7) versus Philadelphia (2):" seed.

[kermit]

We are World Class!

[KJHburg]

^^^ Publicly shared on twitter?  come on that chart is junk LOL.  I  guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  No complaints there! 

Yes Charlotte has had some well publicized incidents including a murder at uptown apartment complex that a tenant was running an Airbnb out of.  Plus major complaint at a house in Indian Trail that had wild parties and one up in the Coulwood area.   

 

[LKN704]

Love it when a website (focusing on travel, mind you) has an article titled Deal roundup: Europe round-trip from $450, Costa Rica sale, charming Charlotte and more, only for the article to be about charming...............................Charleston. 

https://thepointsguy.com/deals/best-deals-week-5aebed/

[turbocraig]

10 hours ago, LKN704 said:

Love it when a website (focusing on travel, mind you) has an article titled Deal roundup: Europe round-trip from $450, Costa Rica sale, charming Charlotte and more, only for the article to be about charming...............................Charleston. 

https://thepointsguy.com/deals/best-deals-week-5aebed/

Hey, look at the bright side… at least they didn’t use the “NC”.

Edited November 8, 2021 by turbocraig

[sclark]

9 hours ago, LKN704 said:

Love it when a website (focusing on travel, mind you) has an article titled Deal roundup: Europe round-trip from $450, Costa Rica sale, charming Charlotte and more, only for the article to be about charming...............................Charleston. 

https://thepointsguy.com/deals/best-deals-week-5aebed/

Come on Red Ventures! You know better... 

[KJHburg]

Well y'all should come down to Charlotte (see the post above) great international airport and all this history.  Here are my photos from "Charlotte" today as noted in that article referenced above.   So much history in this city though I did not see the tall highrises I saw when flying in nonstop from Europe.  I guess they are further from the historic district.   Here is Charming Charlotte or at least what they called it in the first edition of that article above. 

Charlotte aka Charlestown.