Case Study
Workforce Development Marketing: The Queen City Shines Bright for New Talent
Economic Development
Background
From award-winning restaurants to a vibrant mix of arts and cultures, nine Fortune 500 headquarters to a thriving innovation ecosystem, Cincinnati was a world-class destination for business, lifestyle and entertainment flying under the national radar.
Through perception research, Cincinnati Experience discovered the region had a blank slate among national consumers and corporate executives. While these results confirmed that Cincinnati’s many business advantages and lifestyle assets were largely unknown outside the region, they also revealed an opportunity to bring local stakeholders together and craft a unified story that truly captured the region’s unique character.
Strategy
DCI partnered with Cincinnati Experience to amplify the stories and successes that highlight the region as a vibrant, innovative and thoughtful place to live through proactive media relations, rankings, events and digital tactics.
Through a focus on earned media, DCI helped build awareness and enhance perceptions of the region among national business leaders, talent and tourists. The deployment of strategic digital tactics and event coordination in target markets further enhanced the earned media efforts by increasing the reach and impact of positive story placements among target audiences.
Results
Since 2014, DCI has secured over 230 unique story placements on behalf of Cincinnati, including feature stories in the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Entrepreneur Magazine, NBC Nightly News and New York Times.
An updated perception survey revealed that DCI has helped significantly increase the Cincinnati region’s reputation among business leaders who cited media articles as one of the top sources influencing their perceptions. In addition, DCI has helped secure Cincinnati in national business and lifestyle rankings.