‘Here’s $250 Billion’ ad sends signal that Detroit’s heartbeat is strong
Daniel J. Loepp
| 2 min read
Daniel J. Loepp is President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
A full-page advertisement launching today in The New York Times, The Washington Post and in the Detroit Free Press/News combined Sunday print edition sends a strong response to those who believe that bankruptcy means it’s game over for Detroit. Signed by me and leaders from 27 other prominent companies and organizations, the ad serves as a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to this great city. We’re telling the world that despite its municipal financial issues, Detroit is very much open for business. The idea for the ad started from a conversation I had with Gerry Anderson, the chairman, president and CEO of DTE Energy. We had grown weary of the onslaught of negative reports that painted Detroit as a dying city, with too little attention paid to the thriving downtown, Midtown and other areas filled with promise that we in the business community are invested in and remain committed to. So we asked our peers to join us in a statement of support. Hopefully this ad encourages people to look beyond the city's current financial situation and see the promise that we know is ahead. The ad will run in 11 local and national print publications from Sept. 22-30: The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and Roll Call (Sept. 24); Michigan Chronicle and Politico (Sept. 25); USA Today (Sept. 27); and Crain’s Detroit Business (Sept. 30). You can view a larger version of the ad by clicking on it, above right. Daniel J. Loepp is president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and chairman of the Executive Committee of the Downtown Detroit Partnership.
