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Entries for HSMAI’s 2020 Adrian Awards are now being accepted — with a special focus on best practices, innovation, and community related to hospitality advertising, marketing, and public relations work created in response to the coronavirus crisis. Take inspiration from last year’s Platinum winners, including Visit NC and Discover SC, whose “#CAREolinas” was recognized in the Public Relations-PR Campaign-Crisis Communication/Recovery Communication category.
BACKGROUND: When Hurricane Florence was projected to hit the North and South Carolina coast in September 2018, Visit NC and Discover SC partnered to create the #CAREolinas campaign to build resilience and unity in the face of the storm. The target audience included residents of both states as well as visitors living in close proximity or having an emotional connection to the Carolinas.
CAMPAIGN: The campaign used a drawing of NC and SC hugging to community the message “We share more than a state line.” That grew into a website where visitors could donate to relief efforts and partnerships with local businesses and celebrities, a Facebook group that coordinated disaster relief, and an official t-shirt and wine created to raise money for disaster relief.
RESULTS: T-shirt and wine sales alone raised nearly $137,000. The website saw more than 34,000 visitors, and there were more than 94,000 engagements with the #CAREolinas hashtag around the world. Additionally, the positive images of unity and support disseminated by the campaign pushed back against stories of damage and destruction featured in other news coverage.
Help HSMAI honor the best in hospitality advertising, marketing, and PR by entering the 2020 Adrian Awards competition today.