Five Lower Mississippi ports unveil collaborative marketing strategy; LED to host plan

The Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission on May 14 heard a Polaris presentation on a collaborative marketing strategy for the five Lower Mississippi River ports that aims to unify messaging, improve grant competitiveness and attract foreign direct investment.

Joe Toomey, chair of the commission’s special committee on the five-port study, told commissioners the committee included port directors, board chairmen and representatives from Louisiana Economic Development and industry partners. He said a cargo analysis underwritten by the five ports provided a data foundation for the new marketing strategy.

Ken Erickson of Polaris described a methodical process of in-person interviews, data compilation into a geographic information system and competitive benchmarking. Erickson said the team produced “a roadmap for success” that includes seven recommendations and emphasized four marketing goals: increase international trade, drive economic growth, attract new business and support long-term economic development.

"We believe in a strategy that is very strong and very collaborative with the message that is promoting the highest volume waterway in The United States," Erickson said, describing the plan as aiming for “unity and not uniformity.” He said the marketing approach is meant to position Louisiana’s competitiveness and to align messaging, priorities and investment signals for federal and state funding.

Paige Carter of Louisiana Economic Development (LED) told the commission LED will accept administrative responsibility for the plan and will host the plan in its systems. "We will have a cooperative endeavor agreement, a CEA that puts that in action here in the very near future," Carter said, adding that LED had already begun using the ports’ coordinated representation at events such as SelectUSA.

Toomey and other commissioners noted the marketing work was funded by the five ports themselves. Commissioners said the plan will provide collateral—one-pagers and unified port profiles—so LED and state partners can present a coordinated case to site selectors and federal grantors. The commission discussed using this five-port effort as a template for a statewide approach and asked Polaris and staff to consult with other ports on eventual expansion.

The commission did not adopt funding beyond the ports’ investment in the study; next steps include finalizing governance and resourcing and publishing the plan on LED systems for stakeholder access.