Napier mayor Bill Dalton did not appreciate the gift. He said Great Things was developed in secret and was being used to push local government amalgamation ahead of a referendum on the matter.
Hastings District Council went on to use Great Things but other councils did not.
Sitting at the launch was ad man Sam Jackman. The then president of the Havelock North Business Association said Great Things had "huge legs, but it just needed tweaking".
"I saw it as something a lot bigger than what was," he said.
He wrote a strategy paper for Hastings District Council "and was harping on that here was a fantastic opportunity in the region. People could start seeing that in actual fact this has quite a lot of legs and could be developed further."
He was hired as a marketing adviser and worked with Ahuriri design house/ad agency Band to make a wider and more compelling story, with a website-linking QR code providing global marketing leads.
Previously there was no reference to the website and no reference to Hawke's Bay on the logo.
He said it wasn't difficult changing the mind of Mr Dalton.
"I took him to the mountain top and showed him the view."
Great Things' website launch at Black Barn Bistro in Havelock North last week was attended by the region's four mayors, who spoke of its potential to benefit their areas and the region.
"It's something inspirational for the region, which we can all get behind and be proud of," MC Mr Yule said.
Mr Jackman told Hawke's Bay Today the central theme was a celebration of Hawke's Bay business success.
"We have all these amazing businesses here. The whole point of this is to tell these amazing stories on how good we are nationally, internationally and at a local level."
Website content will be changed weekly through contributions from companies, councils and EIT.
"The strategic framework is to attract great businesses, and support great businesses here with their endeavours, attract great people to the Bay and great community engagement.
"This is a great opportunity. The businesses and organisations in Hawke's Bay have been looking for something like this for quite some time and I think we have been able to deliver what they have been looking for. That's certainly the reaction I have had from the marketplace."
By becoming registered "brand champions" the Great Things website unlocks resources for Hawke's Bay business development.
Mr Dalton said Napier would proudly use Great Things.
"It is a platform that is unifying the region and I think that is fantastic. It will certainly be used in our business-attraction programme."
He said in 2014 it was being "forced" on the region while not representative of it.
"They produced a seven minute video and the only time Napier was mentioned was because they had to mention there was a port in the district. So it certainly was Hastings-centric - it was not all Hawke's Bay platform.
"The fact that it died a natural death in 2014 proves how inadequate it was at the time for the region."
Hastings District Council had widened Great Things' focus "and we are very happy to be part of it". While everyone is welcome to us Great Things, Hastings District Council is funding it.
Mr Dalton said the regional economic development review was due to be released and Great Things should reside with the entity that would co-ordinate the strategy.
Mr Yule said his council would use the material widely Hastings District said while future Great Things governance/funding was unclear it would be a resource for the region.
Mr Jackman said he had no interest in politics but having all Hawke's Bay councils on board was key. "We are starting to tell one single story which encapsulates what we do really well - we grow things here and that's right across the board.
"We have great schools, creating great opportunities for kids and international students. We have a great health system, we have great growers, we have great infrastructure and we have innovative thinkers. Those are all compelling stories that we have to keep telling.
"The other part that as important to me is community engagement - telling our story locally, so people start understanding how good we are. That creates a sense of pride, which is very important."
