Cabinet for Economic Development Receives Marketing Awards
The Cabinet for Economic Development’s marketing efforts received special recognition at the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) Literature & Promotions Awards Breakfast. A total of five marketing piece submissions were on display during SEDC’s Annual Conference, which was held October 28-31, 2006, in Orlando, Florida.
Criteria for judging the award entries included graphic appeal; clarity and appropriateness of message; positioning and differentiation; and content – quality and completeness of information. Judges for the Literature & Promotion Awards competition included economic development consultants and practitioners from across the southern U.S. who work with clients in developing strategies for growth in their communities.
“As part of our ongoing marketing and communication strategy, we continually reach out to those in the business community who make site selection decisions for new and expanding industry,” said Secretary Gene Strong. “We’re honored those efforts have been recognized by the very individuals we target and were showcased during SEDC’s Annual Conference.”
The core of the Cabinet’s marketing and communications strategy has been focused on highlighting Kentucky’s success stories. This is accomplished through numerous communication channels including Web site, e-newsletters, print ads, brochures, magazine articles and more.
This strategy culminates in the Cabinet’s brand-new primary brochure, a 16-page, full-color, glossy piece that the Cabinet will use as a first point of contact with business prospects. Copies of the brochure arrived from the printer in early October and will be distributed to business executives, site consultants, economic development officials, and others over the coming months. An electronic version of the brochure can be viewed on the Cabinet’s Web site at www.thinkkentucky.com/KYEDC/pdfs/ThinkKentuckyBrochure.pdf.
The following Cabinet entries were honored and displayed at the SEDC conference:
- Kentucky Ryder Cup Booth Display – Excellent Award. A 10x10 foot freestanding display was designed to promote Kentucky as a destination for new and expanding business during the 2006 Ryder Cup matches in Ireland. The exhibit, which displays a prominent map of Kentucky’s location within the United States, highlights the approximately 150 companies from 15 European nations that currently do business in Kentucky.
- Biotech in the Bluegrass brochure – Superior Award. The brochure features a fold-out stylized map designed to spotlight Kentucky’s biotech industry and was distributed at the BIO 2006 Conference held in Chicago this past April.
- Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Forbes Ad – Excellent Award. A print ad, designed for the Cabinet to attract new and expanding industry, was featured in the special “Kentucky: Unbridled Spirit” Forbes supplement released in May 2006. The ad also continues to be featured in various economic development publications across the country.
- Kentucky Testimonials Ad Campaign – Merit Award. The Cabinet’s testimonial ad campaign features some of Kentucky’s most successful business leaders promoting how Kentucky was vital to their company’s success in the bluegrass.
- Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Summer 2006 e-newsletter – Excellent Award. The Cabinet’s bi-monthly e-newsletter is distributed to existing Kentucky businesses as well as site consultants across the country.
Founded in 1946, SEDC is the oldest and largest regional economic development association in North America with members from 17 states in the American South. More information about the organization can be found by visiting www.sedc.org. |
