charles county ed marketing strategy and plan
TRANSCRIPT
Charles County ED
Marketing Strategy and
Plan
May 20, 2014
Presenters
Kwasi Holman, Director
Debra Jones, Business Development
Manager for Attraction and Recruitment
Project Goal
Develop a marketing plan to effectively market
Charles County as an ideal place for business
location or relocation.
Overall objectives:
• Increase number of high-paying jobs
• Attract commercial investment (tax base)
Media & Rankings Audit
• No coverage of Charles County in past year
• Several national rankings in recent years favorably mentioned the County
National Media
• Most coverage related to local announcements
• Largely neutral or positive in tone
Regional Media
• More than half of stories had a negative tone
• Several articles focused on in-County conflicts among different interest groups
Local Media
Site Selectors’ Perceptions
47% of corporate executives anticipate
outsourcing site selection
responsibilities in their next
search
Key Objective:
Raising Charles County’s profile
among site selection
consultants community
Limited knowledge of
Charles County affords a “blank
canvas” to shape perceptions
Website Review
A location’s website is the
2nd most important
marketing tool that
business decision
markers use.
47% of site selection
consultants indicated they
will likely visit an ED
organization’s website.
Charles County Today
• Attractive place for talented professionals to live
• One of the fastest growing counties in Maryland
• Waldorf ranked #20 on CNN Money’s 2012“Best
Places to Live”
• More than 60% working residents commute to work
• General lack of awareness among corporate
executives and site selectors
Key Messages/Core Competitive
Promise
Strategic location is an asset: Given Charles County’s proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and its strong position in the Southern Maryland region, the County offers numerous advantages for businesses and talent.
Well positioned for investment, growth and development:Charles County offers numerous flexible commercial options for companies and businesses that are ready to make a move, including hundreds of acres of shovel-ready and built-to-suite sites, high-visibility retail space, and acreage in several employment and business center parks.
More than just a great place to live: The reasons why people have been moving to Charles County- lower cost of living, high quality of life (outdoor activities such as Indian Head Trail, beautiful scenery, waterfront)- are the same reasons why companies should invest in the County as these factors help attract a strong talent pool.
Recommended Approach
Charles County Economic Development Marketing Plan:
WebsitePublic
Relations
Site Selectors Outreach
Reaching the Local Audience
Leveraging Trade
Shows
Lead Generation
Website
• In Progress
• Standalone ED website
• Target site selectors
• Critical information within few clicks
• More maps
• SEO
• Staff to edit and maintain fresh content
• Launch initiative
Social Media
76% of site selectors use LinkedIn for business purposes
EDD on right track with LinkedIn company page
Post updates 1-2 times/week
Join ED-related LinkedIn groups and engage
Each EDD staff member maintain personal LinkedIn page, update, and engage regularly
Short term: Provide relevant content for existing County Twitter and Facebook pages (average 1-2 times/week)
Long term: Establish separate EDD Twitter and Facebook pages. In the meantime, “claim” potential handles (i.e. MeetCharlesCounty, InvestCharlesCounty) for future use
Public Relations
Potential Story Ideas:
• “Businesses Finding DC’s Best Kept Secret:
Charles County”
• “Women Entrepreneurs Find Success in Charles
County”
• “Charles County is Move-in Ready; Numerous
Commercial Sites Immediately Available”
• Leveraging Business Location Announcements
and Expansions
PR: Exceptional Media Coverage
Tactics
• Develop more in-depth storylines and regularly communicate them to specific reporters
• Leverage national and regional coverage as positive fodder for local stories
Proactive Pitching
• No substitute for journalists seeing Charles County firsthand
• Great way to garner first-rate publicity and foster long term “media friends”
Press Trips
• Take Charles County story on the road visiting major media markets and arranging for one-on-one meetings with reporters
• Attended by Charles County representative plus 1-2 spokespeople
Media Tours
• Key marketing partners, Key decision makers, Business community leaders, Target corporate executives, Site selectors, Citizens and residents, Local media
Playback of Results
Site Selectors Outreach
• Direct outreach approach; build long-term relationships with site selectors
• Visits to markets that have high concentrations of site selection consultants such as New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta
• Arrange meetings with a broad range of site selection consultants, real estate brokers, and other influencers
• Raise Charles County’s profile and establish the EDD as a resource for site selection projects
In-market Missions
• Develop a series of short news items with relevant updates to be sent to a database of site selection consultants
• Email sent only when there is real news to tell
This Just In: E-News
• Familiarization tour of Charles County for 5-7 site selectors
• 1-2 day itinerary that showcases Charles County offerings from a site selection standpoint and highlights that the County is very much open for business
• Employ this tactic after a series of in-market missions and one-on-one meetings
• Consider holding end-of-tour luncheon panel for the participants to provide direct feedback
Site Selection FAM Tour
Reaching the Local Audience
Tactics to Continue:
• Update “Charles County Economic Development
News” E-Newsletter design
• Annual State of the Economy Summit
Other Tactics to Consider:
• Infographics
• “Meet Charles County: Latest Economic
Development” Blog
• Quarterly Breakfast Roundtable
Leveraging Industry Trade Shows
EDD currently member of key economic development organizations; should explore shows or events for a more narrowly defined audience
Optimize travel budget by selecting trade shows in markets that also have strong site selectors’ presence and potential business prospects, as well as media presence
Lead Generation: Direct Business
Outreach
Research
Identifying Qualified Prospects
Vetting Leads
Intelligent Persistence
Removing Obstacles
Skilled Selling
Project
Announcements
Metrics: Measuring Results
• # of 1-on-1 media interviews
• # of site selection consultant meetings
• # of qualified leads; # of meetings and projects secured
• # of web traffic for new EDD website
Perceptions of Charles County’s Business
Climate
Measure perceptions of U.S. executives with site
selection responsibilities/key influencers at program
start. Follow-up survey at the two-year mark to see if
perceptions have changed.
Moving the Media Needle
Advertising Value Equivalency / Total
Impressions
/ Number of Articles Generated
Economic development organizations frequently use
advertising equivalency as a straightforward measure,
coupled with total media impressions and number of
articles secured in a select timeframe.
Specific Marketing Activity Targets Prior to launch of the Economic Development Marketing
Plan, set specific targets such as:
Public Relations
• # of press releases or pitches to media
Site Selection
• # of project leads to Charles County
Lead Generation
Other
DescriptionRecommended Metric
Year 1: Months 1-6Marketing Tools • Create key messages that can be used throughout
all marketing collateral pieces
• Begin updates on existing Charles County
marketing collateral
• Begin development of additional collateral pieces
for target industries
• Begin development of content for new
MeetCharlesCounty.com website
Site Selection
Consultants
Relationships
• Develop targeted list of site selection consultants
• Begin outreach to New York/New Jersey site
selectors
• Begin development of branding and design of
Charles County’s “This Just In” E-News
Media Relations • Finalize “Most Wanted” media target list (top-tier,
regional, and trade)
• Develop a couple of story pitches for proactive
media efforts
• Begin and continue proactive pitching to target
media
*Timeline is ideal and may be extended.
Year 1: Months 7-12
Marketing Tools • Launch new MeetCharlesCounty.com website
Site Selection
Consultants
Relationships
• Continue sending relevant content to Charles
County’s “This Just In” E-News
• Begin planning to host 1st inbound site selection
consultants FAM tour to Charles County for 2015
Media Relations • Ongoing proactive pitching for Charles County’s
storylines
• Begin planning for 1st inbound group press trip,
slated for 2015
*Timeline is ideal and may be extended.
Year 2Site Selection
Consultants
Relationships
• Continue sending relevant content to Charles
County’s “This Just In” E-News
• Begin planning for, and attend, 2nd in-market
mission slated for 2015
Media Relations • Continue proactive pitching of Charles County
storylines
• Begin planning for New York Media Tour, slated
for 2015
• In conjunction with media tour, plan for site
selection consultant luncheon
Lead Generation • Through a lead generation program, build a list
of prospective companies for the Charles County
EDD to pursue and qualify
*Timeline is ideal and may be extended.
One-Line
Summary/Elevator Speech
One-line summary
“Charles County is a dynamic region in the Washington, D.C. Metro
Area that offers businesses and investors a strategic location, a
talented workforce, and high value for costs.”
Elevator Speech
“Charles County is a growing business hub that is well positioned for
investment, growth, and development. Strategically located in the
Washington, D.C. Metro Area, the County is a prime location for
businesses that are looking to locate or relocate, offering companies
access to a large pool of talented workforce; affordable, flexible, and
attractive real estate options; strategic access via a multi-modal
transportation network; and excellent education options.”
Presented by:
Charles County Government
Economic DevelopmentKwasi Holman, Director
10665 Stanhaven Place, Suite 206
White Plains, MD 20695
301-885-1340
www.MeetCharlesCounty.com
Mission Statement
The mission of Charles County Government is to
provide our citizens the highest quality service
possible in a timely, efficient, and courteous
manner. To achieve this goal, our government must
be operated in an open and accessible atmosphere,
be based on comprehensive long- and short-term
planning, and have an appropriate managerial
organization tempered by fiscal responsibility.
We support and encourage efforts to grow a
diverse workplace.
Vision Statement
Charles County is a place where all people thrive
and businesses grow and prosper; where the
preservation of our heritage and environment is
paramount, where government services to its
citizens are provided at the highest level of
excellence; and where the quality of life is
the best in the nation.