In a grassroots effort to engage business and community leaders along with citizens, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced a statewide promotion Thursday from Phoenix aimed at enhancing Arizona economic development, tourism and civic pride.

The public effort was conceived as a conduit for communicating the “unmatched Arizona experience,” according to the ACA’s President & CEO Sandra Watson.

“Arizona has an incredible amount to offer in terms of business opportunity, quality of life, and more,” Watson said.

Project managers will facilitate interviews, statewide research, hands-on workshops and opinion gathering by enthusiastic team members. Aiming to explore public perception, the program will include interviews and discovery sessions with business, community and education stakeholder groups throughout the state to amass as wide a spectrum of viewpoints as possible.

“There is so much to love about our state, and I’m excited about engaging Arizonans in the process of bringing their ideas together,” Gov. Doug Ducey said. “We are thinking big in Arizona, and this is much more than a marketing tool. I am committed to making Arizona the best place to live, work and start a business, and this project will help us communicate all we have to offer in those continued efforts.”

Through a competitive bid process, the ACA selected Scottsdale-based branding firm Heasely & Partners to conduct the brand strategy groundwork. Arizonans can offer feedback by emailing promoteaz@azcommerce.com.