MEDIA
HADCO Deploys Digital Marketing Initiative to Attract New Business Development
In 2020, HADCO engaged marketing consulting firm Brand Acceleration to launch a nation-wide digital marketing campaign designed to promote the region’s marketable assets and investment opportunities to a targeted but extensive group of development professionals, including professional site location consultants, corporate real estate specialists, business executives and economic developers. This campaign focused on four strategic messages: connectivity, shovel-ready sites, skilled workforce, and quality of life. This marketing campaign gave the HADCO team a critical tool to tell the community’s story during the most economically critical time in recent American history.
Brand Acceleration is one of the leading economic development marketing firms in the country that specializes in economic development marketing. Company founder Jim Walton is one of the nation’s leading experts on economic development branding, regularly competing for top industry branding awards and recognition through organizations like the International Economic Development Council and Southern Economic Development Council. Our branding message was distributed to Brand Acceleration’s proprietary list of more than 14,000 industry professionals cultivated over years of engagement.
Four key messages of strategic strength for the region
Connectivity
The area offers multi-modal connectivity, including road, rail, and river access. Located within a single day’s truck drive of more than 162 million consumers, Huntington, West Virginia’s connectivity makes it easy to stay connected with your customers and supply chains.
Quality Sites
The area boasts the state’s only designated “Shovel-Ready” sites, including the HADCO Business Park, a 65-acre site located entirely in a TIF zone. The site has all utilities in place, a 100,750 SQ FT move-in ready building ideal for light manufacturing and warehousing, a 20-acre pad, and a 10-acre pad ready for construction.
Quality Workforce
Within an hour’s drive, the region has more than 360,000 people accustomed to hard work, believe in a job well done, and bring a wide variety of skills. The area is home to outstanding schools, including Marshall University, the Robert C. Byrd Institute, Mountwest Community & Technical College, Cabell County Career Technology Center, and Bridge Valley Community & Technical College (known for its Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program).
Quality of Life
The Huntington area is a great place to do business … and it’s an outstanding place to call home. In fact, our city was recently named “America’s Best Community.” Residents are proud of the friendly lifestyle, scenic surroundings, and top-quality educational and healthcare resources our area has to offer. From recreation, to the arts, to lively shopping, dining, and entertainment, Huntington offers a little bit of something for everyone.
Being able to deploy this digital campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic was advantageous for the community and could position the area well for new investment. While most communities' marketing efforts were abruptly halted in 2020, our digital marketing project launched just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, allowing us to be one of the few communities to deploy this messaging strategy throughout the pandemic. Consistent large bumps in website traffic and new traffic from areas in the upper Midwest and Northeast have shown us that this message was received far and wide.
For more information about how our office can help your business locate in the greater Huntington, West Virginia area, please contact David Lieving by phone at 304-525-1161 or via email at dlieving@hadco.org.