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We Don’t Coast is a Nebraska-based cultural movement and popular slogan adopted by Omaha and surrounding communities to celebrate unity, elevate hard work and embrace the region’s Midwestern, noncoastal status.

We Don’t Coast is also the title of an annual Omaha-area publication featuring artists, entrepreneurs, entertainers and more who echo the area’s collective “can-do” spirit.

Additional lifestyle slogans illustrating a geographic area include Keep Portland Weird, Keep Austin Weird, Pure Michigan and Keep Indy Indie, among others.

History
Home to the College World Series, Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and USA Swim Trials, Greater Omaha is Time magazine’s 2017 No. 3 “Most Up-and-Coming City in America,” and America’s No. 2 best small city, attributes that have helped solidify the region as a sports destination, travel hub and financially progressive locale, and, have contributed to Greater Omaha’s current “we-don’t-coast” moniker.

Additional characteristics, such as the culture of Omaha, Nebraska, coupled with Nebraska’s high-growth median household income rate, prompted civic leaders to form a host of cooperative task forces that began exploring the region’s identity as early as 2014.

The task forces, brought together by the Greater Omaha Chamber, encompassed more than 30 communities, six counties, 160 organizations and a coalition of grassroots volunteers, all of whom united to define the movement that would best describe Greater Omaha. “We Don’t Coast,” a statement the Omaha World-Herald described as “a feisty punch line expected to turbocharge Omaha’s image,” was born as a unified expression of attitudes The Daily Nonpareil reported could be “potentially big” in terms of economic development.

In 2015, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) recognized We Don’t Coast with its annual “Award of Excellence,” noting “the success of We Don’t Coast lives through grass roots momentum” – an approach ACCE executives suggested would help Omaha “seize the opportunities to be a place known for innovative businesses, quality of life options and world-class talent.” The We Don’t Coast movement gained additional national attention in 2017, when Site Selection magazine called the regional identity a “clever, double-edged slogan adopted by Omaha, Nebraska” in an effort to expand “creative and digital footprints distinct from coastal tech meccas such as San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.” In 2018, the Columbus Telegram reported Columbus, Nebraska’s process for identifying their regional slogan, “Something Great,” was inspired by Omaha’s 2014 efforts to launch a city identity, pointing out Omaha proved “the best model to shadow,” when developing an inclusive, community-wide message.

Usage
As a movement that “highlights the diversity of the area, its people and its strategic location,” We Don’t Coast is celebrated by businesses and individuals who have embraced the slogan, often following it with a counter statement, such as “We Don’t Coast. We Make an Impact.” (for an annual, 24-hour, Greater Omaha volunteer effort featuring more than 100 participating organizations) or “We Don’t Coast. We grow.”

Enthusiasm for We Don’t Coast prompted the music nonprofit Hear Nebraska to create a compilation album, “We Don’t Coast. We Hear Nebraska” featuring Nebraska-based artists, such as Icky Blossoms, Satchel Grande, InDreama and more, while Nebraska’s We Don’t Coast license plates were unveiled in 2016.

In order to promote the Omaha region’s 2016 Smart City Challenge submission to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the City of Omaha adopted the moniker “We Don’t Coast, We Build a Smart City,” where Omaha officials also suggested, “In Omaha, we don’t coast. We work hard and lead by example.”

T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and window clings also popularly carry the “We Don’t Coast” slogan.