Could rebranding Minnesota as the 'North' actually work?

The notion of Minnesota unilaterally evicting itself from the Midwest and inventing a new region — the North — for itself has been kicked around for several months by the sort of people who think deeply about regional branding. But there just aren't a lot of those people, and the idea seemed like it could vanish unnoticed.

But that's less likely now, as The Wall Street Journal has picked up the concept and is running with it. The story pegs the state's desire to embrace its own identity with the economic success of companies like Red Wing Shoe Co. and Duluth Pack, whose rugged corporate images fit in nicely with what "North" proponents are trying to achieve. In a nutshell, the concept takes the perceived weaknesses of the region, its remoteness and cold climate, and embraces them. (The subtext is that if Minnesotans can put up with these things, we must be rugged and cool ourselves. New York's been doing a riff on this for decades, positioning itself as a tough place to live whose residents must, therefore, be tough.)
Among the supporters are Eric and Andrew Dayton (sons of Gov. Mark Dayton), who ordered 150 hats last winter bearing the word "North" at their North Loop Minneapolis boutique, Askov Finlayson, and haven't been able to keep them in stock since. The WSJ also talks with Andrew Blauvelt, the Walker Arts Center's curator of design, research and publishing, who hosted a packed program on regional identity last fall.

The Star Tribune has also covered that push, touching on the difficulties regions have it standing out from their neighbors. That can be especially true in the Midwest, a sort of catch-all region whose boundaries, according to the FiveThirtyEight blog, can be incredibly fluid.
The idea's gotten some push back, too, most prominently by the unabashedly Midwestern Chicago Tribune, which points out that " geographic terms, like most nicknames, aren't easy to popularize"— they're given by outsiders, not chosen by insiders. And Chicago should know, since it chafed for years under its "Second City" moniker, thought up by a New Yorker writer. (Chicago stopped complaining about it around the time when other cities eclipsed it, and "Second City" actually was sort of a promotion.) Which is partly why the Journal piece qualifies as a win for the North folks — getting outsiders to at least consider the idea without making jokes. In the comments section, it takes about a half-dozen posts before the Minnesota insults start in earnest.

 Yes its a slow day around here. Why did I post this ?? (shrugs shoulders) Some folks need to find time to resolve other issues. Mark Dayton is our Democrap Gov. Yes Mn has a budget surplus but its because he and the State Govt puppets raised the taxes. Who cares if we call MN a Midwest State or North State.

Stay Safe and Warm, We may get Snow this weekend, but then who knows.

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