Nate Feltman: Let’s lean into Indy’s heritage with ‘Speed City’ moniker

The month of May has arrived, and in Indy that’s special. For the 109th time, the Indy 500 will run at the most iconic racetrack in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. May is extra special when the Pacers are in the playoffs. Add in that the Indiana Fever’s season begins this month with the most electrifying athlete on the planet in Caitlin Clark, and you have a city that is alive with excitement.

What if we could bottle the community pride and enthusiasm year-round that comes with hosting the largest sporting event in the world, Pacers playoff basketball and a 36-foot Clark 3-pointer? That is the effort the Indy Chamber is undertaking as it works to encourage the adoption of a moniker Indy is already known for: “Speed City.”

The nod to our city’s racing heritage, of course, is obvious. As a result, some argue that the brand is too race-centric. But doubling down on a brand that we are already known for makes sense. And Speed City can and should transcend motorsports.

For over two decades, I have participated in discussions with Indy-area civic leaders about how we can better market the region to attract more entrepreneurs, skilled workers and businesses. Until now, we haven’t figured out a branding and messaging campaign the community could coalesce behind.

Those of us who call the Indy region home instinctively know we have a secret sauce not found everywhere, but we’ve had a hard time bottling that sauce and marketing it to the world. How do you create a brand that captures our sense of community, easy access to decision-makers, volunteerism, support of entrepreneurs, favorable business environment, affordable housing options, and many big-city amenities without big-city headaches?

Cities that are growing faster than ours initially ran from what they were known for but in the end decided they couldn’t run from their reality and adopted their true identity as their brand, then marketed the heck out of it—to great advantage. The best example is Nashville. City leaders for years refused to adopt the “Music City” moniker, insisting that country music did not portray a city on the move.

Others outside Indy already reference speed when talking about the city. When Indy native Cole Hocker won gold in the 1,500-meter race at the Paris Olympics last year, NBC sports announcer Mike Tirico referred to Indianapolis as the “City of Speed.” And during the opening Pacers playoff series against the Bucks last year, ESPN opened its coverage as follows: “Welcome everyone to Indianapolis, the Speed Capital of the World, where speed is the essence of these Pacers … for the NBA’s highest-scoring team.”

As technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, continue at breakneck speed, being known as “Speed City” feels pretty good for its adaptability to add taglines like: “Accelerate Your Life in Indy” (launch a career faster, buy a home faster); “Accelerate Your Business” (faster permitting, less regulatory burden, low taxes); “Fuel Your Passion” (abundance of volunteer opportunities, growing arts scene); and “Get Back to Life Faster” (shorter daily commute times, getting you back to things you care about faster).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has adopted Speed City in all its advertising for this year’s running of the Indy 500. Radio and TV ads tout Speed City, and placards at The Fashion Mall at Keystone advertising the Indy 500 read, “Welcome to Speed City.” As a region, let’s join the movement and promote Speed City to the world.•

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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. He’s also an Indy Chamber board member. Send comments to [email protected].