Case Study
Economic Development Marketing: Charleston, SC as the “Economic Engine Of The South”
Economic Development
Background
Charleston sought to be known for more than its tourist attractions and southern charm.
In the mid-nineties, Charleston’s navy base closed—22,000 jobs were lost overnight and unemployment spiked from 2.6% to 7.1%. The Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) was formed to diversify the region’s economy and execute a concerted marketing effort to tell the world why Charleston is a globally competitive destination for top companies and talent. Today, Charleston is among the nation’s fastest-growing economies and home to major operations for industry leaders like Boeing, Google, Daimler and most recently, Volvo.
Strategy
DCI worked with the CRDA for more than a decade to place positive stories spotlighting the region’s economic growth, diverse industries and assets for major companies and entrepreneurs in top outlets that reach decision-making executives.
In addition to reaching executives, DCI developed a digital strategy to support the region’s talent attraction initiative, Charleston Open Source, and launched a Digital Ambassadors program to promote the estimated 25,000+ new tech jobs coming to the area.
Results
During the past decade, DCI has secured hundreds of placements on Charleston’s business climate, including feature stories in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fast Company and USA Today.
In addition, DCI has supported the Charleston Open Source tech talent attraction initiative, with a “Digital Ambassadors” program designed to share the positive news from Charleston’s tech scene with local advocates on social media and digital strategies to target, interact with and recruit technology professionals.