Charlotte Center City Partners meeting at Bank of America Stadium yesterday. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
"Since the pandemic, there has been story after story. We need to control this narrative, and where marketing becomes a powerful science is when there's a gap between what something is and the way it's perceived, and that's right where we sit because our center city is an extraordinary place."
— Charlotte Center City Partners CEO Michael Smith
Context: CCCP is trying to combat the narrative that Uptown is unsafe and struggling.
CCCP has created two groups — one for public safety and one for marketing — working on initiatives, like a "homelessness court," and strategies to push positive messages to visitors about Uptown.
Companies like Bank of America and Ally are lending their experts to the groups.
The bottom line: "Since 2019 we get the question a lot of, how is Charlotte? How is center city?" Smith says. "And the answer that I find myself providing often is: Where would you rather be?"
