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Upstate Regional Marketing Campaign Receives 5 Total Awards

Submitted by: Richard Blackwell on Oct 21, 2008 at 7:46 pm Tagged with: Demographics, Economic Development, Information Resource, Marketing, Research, Upstate SC Source: Upstate SC Alliance

The “I Was Blown Away” regional marketing campaign launched in May 2008 by the Upstate SC Alliance received 5 awards today as part of the Southern Economic Development Council’s (SEDC) 2008 Literature & Promotions Competition.

The competition, held annually, is judged by economic development consultants and practitioners from across the southern US that work with clients in developing strategies for growth in their communities. Entries were evaluated based on graphic appeal, clarity of message, quality of information and positioning/differentiation.

The “I Was Blown Away” campaign, the first regional promotion campaign for the Upstate, was designed to help create a true identity for the Upstate while dispelling some of the commonly held stereotypes about the region. It delivers a single, cohesive message and is designed to impact tourism, workforce recruitment and business recruitment. Elements of the campaign include 9 commercials shot around the Upstate, a micro-website, 19 resident testimonials, 3 print advertisements, battery-operated fans, and out-of-home billboards.

The overall campaign itself received a Superior rating in the competition and went on to win both Best in Class and Best in Show. Other elements in the campaign including the 9 commercials and the website - www.iwasblownaway.com - won Superior ratings as well.

“It is truly a magnificent honor that we as a staff take great pride in and one that the entire Upstate South Carolina community should be proud of,” commented Upstate SC Alliance President/CEO Hal Johnson. “To win the Best of Show award for this campaign in a competition among 17 states is tremendous. I am truly blown away. Of course none of this would have been possible without our great partners in this initiative at Erwin Penland and the SC Charities. I also want to thank the leadership of two of our Upstate community advocates Bobby Hitt from BMW Manufacturing LLC and Irv Welling from Elliott Davis.”

Founded in 1946, SEDC is the oldest and largest regional economic development association in North America representing 17 states in the American South including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.