When the former Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau approached Brains on Fire about creating a new identity for our hometown, they didn’t have to ask twice. This was far more than an identity project; it was an opportunity to foster a greater sense of community within our community. With 36 Greenvilles in the United States, we would need to identify that “something special” that really sets us apart. In this session, Brains on Fire Word of Mouth Inspiration Officer, Geno Church share the evolution of THAT Greenville, SC and the #yeahTHATgreenville hashtag. You’ll learn how WOM and traditional advertising worked in tandem to turn a dot on the map into an award-winning destination and a thriving community of loud, proud and passionate advocates. Sure, there may be 36 Greenvilles in the U.S., but there’s only one #yeahTHATGreenville. Takeaways: 1. Visual is powerful. Don’t limit yourself to looking at content as a way to relay information. Content should be art. 2. Success requires both WOM and traditional marketing. A happy partnership between the two can support, boost and enhance the other when they work in tandem. 3. Insight is key. Doing your homework ahead of time allows you to unearth and tap into existing pride and energy. 4. Don’t be afraid to let go. Allow the community to take the reins, own it and make it their own. 5. Keep things fresh. Continually seek out new opportunities and ways to reenergize and engage the community.

1. WOMMA SUMMIT 2014
hashtag
#
yeah that
@genochurch

2. WOMMA SUMMIT 2014
hashtag
#
yeah that
@genochurch

3. Q&A A LITTLE

4. 1Question

6. OK WE GET IT

11. radar WE AIN’T
ON THE

12. 2Question

14. 1

16. 1

18. 1

20. 1

21. ?

22. 36

23. No Respect

24. YEAH with 36 states
out of 50 having
a Greenville it’s a
little hard to get
some respect.

25. Meet
Amy

29. Ugh

30. Not
Mind MUCH LESS A
CONSIDERATION
Top of

31. Your
Buying
Just not

32. First Big
Take Away

33. Digging
Up
People

34. W hat
HeWared

35. Surprise! 1 #
People typically came
here because they knew
someone. But repeat
visitors kept coming back
because they were
surprised by Greenville
and all it had to offer.

36. People 2 #
People consistently said
the best thing about
Greenville was how nice
people were.

37. 3 #
had a
Everyone
"
“That”

38. during interviews when
we asked people about
what they did, everyone
talked about THAT
restaurant being their
favorite place or THAT
hike being their favorite
thing to do or THAT store
being their favorite place
to shop. There was a
THAT for everyone.
A "THAT" for every person.

40. # yeah that
greenville

41. visit
SC
greenville

42. HOapupry g CAUSE WE’VE
# yeah that
greenville
GOT SOMETHING
TO SMILE ABOUT

43. Second Big
Take Away

44. it’s in
the
MIX

45. peaaidrned
shared

46. the
specereot p is l e

47. paid mix people into
the conversation

48. remember
this?

49. BoomBoom OUT GO THE LIGHTS

53. plorouudd
passionate
ADVOCATES

54. earned AN OUTSIDE SHOT

56. shared THIS IS HOW
WE ROLL AT
BRAINS ON FIRE

57. hello
it’s
moe

58. hello
it’s
moe

59. COMMUNITY MANAGER
facilitator of conversation

60. wis aay COMMUNITY.
NOT A PLACE.

61. As a brand, you don’t OWN
any social space other
than your own handle,
and you definitely don’t
own the folks you
interact with therein.
They’re human beings –
just like you.

62. Every voluntary
interaction made by a
community member
is a direct expression
of their “social self”.
We must see these
interactions as an
honor and treat
them that way!

63. A COMMUNITY
MANAGER
HAS to be a
PEOPLE person.
To be successful in
conversation you’ve
got to be real, be
vulnerable, be grateful.
The rest will fall in line!

64. Third Big
Take Away

65. MEANINGLESS
GREENVILLE
trivia

66. gimme
steps
five

67. step 1

68. you’re
IN MOE’S WORDS
human
SO ACT LIKE IT

69. STEP 1 it takes
dates
a few

70. STEP 1
mbee am ber
first “I had to prove myself
first - as an active and
valuable part of what I
was trying to create. ”

71. step 2

72. psrtoevping
IN MOE’S WORDS
yourself

74. hash
#dtgvl
#it#greenvillesc OVER & OVER
#instagvl
STEP 2

75. STEP 2
nurture RELATIONSHIPS
LIKE
COMMENT
ENCOURAGE
STAY IN TOUCH
BE HUMAN

76. step 3

77. IN MOE’S WORDS
eelnegvaagtee

79. #yeahthat
greenville
rpeost
SUPER-ACTIVE
MEMBERS

80. step 4

81. IN MOE’S WORDS
letting goCan be a
beautiful
thing

82. #yeahthat
…SPRING FEVER
…SUMMER
…FALL
…SNOW
1950

83. #
ride
greenville
that
117

84. #
eat
greenville
that
359

85. #
TR
yeah
that
TRAVELERS REST
507

86. meet
amy
another
she did all THAT!

87. #that
Yes, it is still on me to
follow people, to check
out events, to put
myself out there... but
THAT tag provided me
with the opportunity to
do all of those things!

88. step 5

89. mueept

92. RETURN
ON
THAT

93. from launch to end of FY13
-following grew:
82,700%

94. 800 photo’s in just a few days

95. from FY13 to end of FY14
-following grew:
540%

96. At the end of the year
26,378
#yeahTHATgreenville

97. Averaging 203 photos per day

98. Pins have increased 2,424% since Q3FY13

99. Followers have increased 2,114% since Q3FY13

100. Likes have increased 1,230% since Q3FY13

101. 129% increase in page fans
mostly in Q4FY14

102. 806% shares increased

103. 953% likes increased

104. 1100% comments increased

105. 72% following increased
since launch

106. 103% mentions increased
since launch

107. 130% retweets increased
since launch

109. WOW!

110. WEB TRAFFIC 83%
EARNED ROI 4000%
HOTEL
OCCUPANCY 90 68% MILLION
INQUIRES 300%

111. Zero
to Hero

112. Q&A THANKS…
@genochurch