Highly effective brand development and positioning for this family vacation destination resulted in double digit tax revenue increases and an 11-to-1 return on PR investment.
Challenge
After several years of representing the Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (CFC CVB), LHWH was hired by Carolina Beach’s local marketing committee to develop the town’s brand identity. Elements were to include a community logo, tagline, print campaign, website, and email marketing program.
Goals
- To establish a cohesive, appealing brand identity.
- To establish “nostalgic family beach” brand positioning.
- To increase visitor traffic.
Results
LHWH successfully built a brand where none existed before. Marketing efforts, including use of the tagline “Simple Pleasures. Unexpected Treasures.” and emotionally resonant print ads, yielded outstanding results. Carolina Beach posted an extraordinary series of double digit increases for the first three full years of the new campaign: 11.58% in 2005, 15.99% in 2006 and 12% in 2007.
Consequently, LHWH PR was hired to raise the town’s profile and publicize its “Film & Fireworks Series.” LHWH PR delivered an 11-to-1 return on investment, generating editorial about Carolina Beach in more than 20 major publications including Southern Living, The Boston Herald, and Raleigh News & Observer. The town and its “Film & Fireworks Series” were also featured on high-profile websites like About.com and Yahoo! News.
