Repositioning the Chamber as a champion for economic development and an engine of prosperity for Orangeburg.
A laid-back, moss-draped community nestled alongside I-26, Orangeburg is an affordable, culture-rich county where businesses, workers, and families can flourish.
This is thanks, in no small part, to the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce.
A vital resource for businesses in the area, the Chamber is an engine of growth and a forceful advocate for the county. By connecting a wide range of stakeholders–including policymakers, business leaders, and residents–and ensuring their alignment behind a pro-business agenda, the Chamber keeps the pathways to economic opportunity clear.
The continued vitality of the county rests on the Chamber’s shoulders—its ability to instill confidence and recruit investors.
Lagging membership and dropping engagement showed that the Chamber had become disconnected from its community.
Chambers nation-wide were struggling to remain relevant as the internet and social media supplanted many of their core functions. That challenge, combined with a lack of promotion, had left Orangeburg’s business community disconnected from its Chamber—and questioning its value.
The Chamber approached T+S to re-engage stakeholders and reinforce the importance of their role in the community.
The Chamber had to be reintroduced to Orangeburg as an essential part of the County’s economic success.
We combined a new brand, website, and outreach campaign to remind the community that their Chamber was still an active and important part of the local economy.
Deep research, listening session with community stakeholders, and intensive collaboration with the Chamber led to a massive resurgence in its membership and renewed attendance at flagship events.
Branding
We devised a new brand identity to get the community excited about its Chamber again. An elegant, but approachable, brand created an authoritative yet welcoming feel that projected the confidence that local business leaders and prospective investors wanted to see.
Research
To learn more about the needs of the community, and start reintroducing the Chamber, we met with business owners, residents, and leaders from local nonprofits, state agencies, and business associations across Orangeburg County.
Messaging framework
Our research made it clear that the Chamber needed to change the way it spoke to its community. We created a fresh messaging framework that positioned the Chamber as both a critical voice for local businesses and an essential part of bring new investment and tourism dollars to the county.
Logo
The existing mark still had authority and recognizability in the community. We updated it and created a new wordmark that better aligned with the Chamber’s new, professional look.
Visual identity
We created a look and feel based on Orangeburg’s spirit of rural refinement. Lush, stately greens–juxtaposed with burnished gold accents–paid tribute to Orangeburg’s agricultural past while looking toward its prosperous, business-friendly future.
Brand launch campaign
We launched the brand with a suite of new collateral—including a multi-channel digital advertising campaign that put chamber members at its center.
Website
The existing website was outdated and difficult for members to use. We built an intuitive new site that promoted members, solicited outside investment, and could serve as Orangeburg’s tourism hub.
Social media management
More love for local.
Local business owners needed some love. They wanted to feel supported, and celebrated, by the Chamber.
Equipped with a bold new brand identity, we revamped the Chamber’s social media presence, spotlighting local business owners and offering more routine updates on economic development related topics to account followers.
Results
These efforts paid off, strengthening these essential relationships and reemphasizing the Chamber’s commitment to the community.
In just one year, the Chamber’s followings on Facebook and Instagram rose by a combined 143%, with their overall social media reach increasing by a staggering 1,200%.
Event marketing
After a successful brand launch, the Chamber saw a massive increase in engagement from its community. We capitalized on this with outreach campaigns promoting flagship Chamber events—the Chamber Cup, Festival of Roses, and Annual Business Expo.
Results
Every event saw increased attendance and revenue—$18,345 raised from the Chamber Cup; record out-of-town visitors to Festival of Roses (an estimated economic value of $1.4 million); and record ticket sales to the Business Expo.
Video & photography
To further promote each event, our team built extensive photo libraries and created video advertisements that would play on local media as well as social media.
