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Capital idea
Place Northwest | 18th January 2011

Liverpool is to open the doors to its new embassy in London on Friday as the city council looks to build on the success of the marketing and promotion work it did at the Shanghai Expo in 2010.

Ironically, selling Liverpool's wares in the international market has always been relatively simple. Abroad, the city is best known as the home to the biggest band the world has ever seen, and two famous football teams (one, sadly, a little higher profile than the other)!

However, here in the UK, Liverpool is still associated with depression, dereliction and decay.

The renaissance the city has enjoyed during the past decade has largely gone unnoticed south of the Watford gap, and the overriding impression that most in the South East have of the city is that of a basket case that is still struggling to come to terms with the 20th never mind the 21st Century.

It is an unfair impression but that does not mean Liverpool can ignore it. Therefore, the establishment of an embassy facility in the capital is a worthwhile initiative - though an extremely challenging one too.

Initially, Cllr Joe Anderson, the city council leader, has signed up to a three-month stint at premises just off Liverpool Street (cute). He hopes that during the next 12 weeks, the project will prove a cost effective addition to Liverpool's marketing bag, with the clear objective of identifying London investors to check out Liverpool's offering first hand when the Boat Show comes to the Mersey in April.

Should that target be achieved, and the embassy proves a useful sales asset to the city, and a focus for Liverpool businesses who are working in London, then we may well see the Liverpool Embassy as a permanent fixture.

It is certainly an idea that deserves to succeed; and nobody can accuse Joe Anderson of having anything other than a 'can do' attitude, demonstrated not only in relation to this issue, but many others in his short tenure as leader.

Downtown Liverpool in Business has been selected as the lead private sector partner on this scheme, and thus far the reaction from the business community has been extremely positive. Let's hope that the city's positivity and ambition can strike a chord with the London market and secure Liverpool a transformation in its image among some of the most important movers and shakers on the planet.