With a total distance of 42.195 kilometers, the marathon is a race that is essentially "played out on foot."

Throughout the race, participants must employ strategies such as devising tactics, building endurance, and increasing speed to ensure they can complete the entire course and achieve victory.

Many believe that attracting investment is a protracted marathon—a long-distance race that combines intellect, endurance, and speed.

Getting off to a good start isn’t the key—so how does one win this race?

Intelligence: Formulating Tactics

The tactics used in a marathon are applicable to a city’s overall investment promotion strategy and planning. Marathon tactics can be divided into three main categories: pacing, drafting, and running solo.

The front-runners typically belong to the leading pack in the race; they seek to break through and aim for top rankings.

Clearly, the cities leading the first tier of economic development are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and various provincial capitals.

These cities possess competitive advantages in policy support, business environment, industrial strength, and innovation capacity that many other cities struggle to match.

In terms of investment promotion, they are like professional athletes: after long-term, systematic training, they not only maintain their own pace but also possess formidable endurance and resilience. Throughout their economic and industrial development, they are able to adjust their strategies based on objectives to ensure strong results.

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, in particular, are undisputed leaders in the top tier—whether in terms of urban GDP, high-quality urban development in China, or rankings of the business environment.

Policy support, precise industrial positioning, and their own exploration and innovation have attracted the attention of both domestic and foreign enterprises. Their unique development rhythm and strong industrial resilience have established the first-tier cities’ leading position in attracting investment.

The "pacing strategy" is more suitable for most ordinary runners.

By keeping pace with a competitor whose ability is not far from your own, the entire process becomes easier than running alone.

This is akin to the provinces surrounding Shanghai—such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui—or the regions near Beijing, including Tianjin and Hebei; or cities in Guangdong like Dongguan and Zhuhai…

They all share a common characteristic: they have a “target city” right next door.

Perhaps at the outset, these “follower cities” may face challenges such as a lack of experience, funding, or leading enterprises. However, by closely following the pace of the leading city nearby, learning from its experience, and leveraging opportunities presented by industrial clusters and industrial relocation, their efforts in attracting investment will be far more efficient than if they were to go it alone.

As industrial clusters take shape and economic development gains momentum, these regions can find their own rhythm and direction, allowing their “pace” to slow down. Subsequently, efforts to build distinctive industrial clusters, attract leading enterprises, and cultivate “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” companies will gradually yield positive results across the board.

In addition to the two approaches mentioned above, there is also a third option: going it alone.

This approach is suitable for cities located far from central urban centers that possess unique resources, industries, and policy advantages.

Examples include Yulin and Yichun, which are rich in energy and mineral resources; Huludao (swimwear industry) and Cao County (Hanfu and funeral services), which have distinctive industries; and places like Khorgos and Hainan, which possess significant policy advantages.

For these cities, the most critical factor is to have a very clear understanding of their own capabilities. Guided by national policies and trends, they should not be easily swayed by other cities, but instead maintain a spirit of innovation and maximize their own strengths. This alone is sufficient to achieve progress in economic development.

Endurance: A Steady, Steady Pace

While tactical planning applies to cities, the steady, steady pace of endurance is more applicable to investment promotion professionals.

A marathon spans over 40 kilometers; persevering through it requires extraordinary endurance—much like attracting investment.

Typically, the implementation of a project spans periods measured in months or years. If investment promotion professionals can adopt the endurance and methods of a marathon runner, it may help alleviate some of the pressure.

Before the start of a marathon, participants must prepare thoroughly—tying their shoelaces, putting on their GPS watches, checking the weather, and stretching—to ensure the race proceeds safely and smoothly.

The same applies to investment promotion: before engaging with companies, it is essential to study investment promotion strategies, industry knowledge, and gain a firm grasp of local policies and the current state of the industry.

After the race starts, people tend to get overexcited and rush forward frantically. While this might give them an early lead, it also makes them prone to tripping and falling.

It is crucial to maintain a steady pace and proceed according to the planned strategy.

When investment promotion professionals encounter a new project—especially a major one—they may become very excited and want to attract the company through various preferential policies to secure the deal as quickly as possible.

Amidst this excitement, investment promotion staff must remain level-headed. In the early stages, it is essential to understand the project’s investment motivations, current operational status, and industry development prospects; conducting thorough research on the company’s actual situation is indispensable.

Sometimes, when local resources are limited or the process moves slowly, the government can leverage third-party institutions and platforms to thoroughly investigate and understand the project.

While the initial process may be time-consuming and labor-intensive, it can minimize financial and land-related losses in later stages caused by project inaccuracies.

By the time a project reaches the mid-stage, investment promotion staff and the enterprise have already gone through a period of protracted negotiations, and the investment promotion side may well face issues of waning patience and energy.

It may be more appropriate to stay focused, maintain a steady pace, and advance investment promotion efforts according to key milestones.

To conserve energy, marathon runners adjust their pace according to different stages—for example, by planning their time per 5 or 10 kilometers—slowing down when they’re going too fast and speeding up when they’re too slow.

Investment promotion staff handle multiple projects simultaneously; if they worry about every detail, they are bound to become exhausted. In such cases, they can adopt a marathon-style approach by setting specific follow-up milestones for each project and conducting weekly or monthly reviews, which will help ensure a more orderly progression of work.

At the same time, investment promotion professionals must maintain a determination to succeed. If, during communication with a company, they sense that the dialogue is going well—or even that the frequency of contact has increased—it indicates a high likelihood of success, and a positive outcome may well follow.

The final 9 kilometers of a marathon are the essence of the entire race.

Seizing a favorable opportunity to accelerate and outpace others is crucial for both runners and investment promotion professionals.

During the investment promotion process, it is inevitable to encounter situations where face-to-face negotiations stall. At such times, investment promoters should stay abreast of industry developments related to the local area and the target enterprise—such as the establishment and commencement of operations by leading companies or upstream/downstream enterprises; local policy adjustments regarding the industry; and the timely availability of production factors required by the enterprise, such as capital and raw materials.

It is often the details that make or break a project’s success. Accelerating at the right moment can also lead to new opportunities.

As the finish line draws near, investment promotion professionals often feel a surge of excitement. This is the moment to seize the momentum, launch into a final sprint, and cross the finish line.

Everything is ready; all that’s missing is the final push. Assisting companies in expediting the processing of permits and documentation, advancing project implementation and commencement of construction, and helping them begin production as soon as possible—these steps allow companies to truly experience the quality of the local business environment and strengthen their confidence in production.

Conclusion

In reality, in the marathon of investment promotion, the most critical factor is not how fast you run, but how steadily and how far you go.

Throughout this process, whether at the local government or individual level, it is crucial not to rush. By maintaining your own pace, following your strategy, jogging at a steady pace, and accelerating at the right moments, you will surely see the finish line beckoning to you.