Being one of America's fastest growing cities, Phoenix, Arizona is careful about the way it presents itself to businesses and other financial entities. In Fortune Magazine's December 2014 issue, the City of Phoenix placed an advertisement that emphasized its strong economy and educated population. "The nation's most populous capital is emerging stronger than ever," read the headline. "[Our city has] a well educated workforce, a special quality of life, and an economy built on innovation." Throughout the 9-page advertisement, growth, quality of life, and education seem to be the focus. While these themes are some of the ones described in Short and Kim's piece on city representation, the City of Phoenix goes deeper by providing the business reader with evidence of the city's progressive nature.
The advertisement's initial paragraph begins with a brief history of Arizona's "gold years". This is done to immediately set a low standard and to allow the reader to "compare" the old Phoenix to the new one that is about to be presented. This brief also serves as a platform of amenities and services offered in Phoenix, obviously geared toward businesses. But most importantly, this paragraph also introduces the fact that Phoenix's new mayor is all about growth and progress. It is portrayed as a very competitive city, and according to Short and Kim's review on city marketing, this is quite common in cities "selling themselves". The picture right above the text shows a very high-tech computer lab, also known as The Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation. This is done to show that Phoenix's growth has kept up with technology, and as a result, it is capable of maintaining facilities of such grade. This triggers businesses to associate the city with enough resources and amenities to sustain and flourish whatever the company's needs are as a money maker.
