Grady County Archway Partnership
Project Summary
Grady County is full of charming southern small towns and natural beauty — the problem is it’s not currently thought of as an attractive tourist destination. There are plenty of outdoor activities and attractions unique to the region, but a lack of brand marketing leads tourists to overlook Grady County as a potential place to explore and visit.
In order to rebrand Grady County as a tourism destination, the NMI Grady County Archway Project is utilizing the emerging media resources of the New Media Institute as well as the knowledge of Archway Partnership professionals at the University of Georgia. This collaboration will hopefully bridge the gap between the county and the public’s perception of it and, in response, lead to an effective and long-lasting change in the way Grady County markets itself to outside visitors.
The NMI Grady County Archway Project is creating a series of technology-based deliverables that can exist on multiple media platforms. By turning Grady County from old media to new media, the NMI Grady County Archway Project brings new visitors, new revenue, and new opportunities into the county. The NMI Grady County Archway Project’s deliverables aim to showcase the beauty, the businesses, and the people of Grady County. These deliverables include but are not limited to: a 90-second promotional video, an extensive photo collection, select social media accounts, positive online reviews, still advertisements, a tourism website, and a comprehensive tourism guide. With all of these deliverables combined, the NMI Grady County Archway Project seeks to create a brand for Grady County that not only attracts visitors but allows the county to put its best face forward in an era of new media.
Overview of Grady County
Grady County sits near the Georgia-Florida border-line and has a population of 25,011 people. It was founded in 1905, is 458.2 square miles, and is 35 miles away from Tallahassee, Florida. Grady County consists of Cairo, Whigham, and Calvary.
Their main problem that the Grady County Archway team addresses is their lack of tourism materials to help bring in families and outdoorsy individuals to the county. Our deliverables are designed to address this problem because they include a multitude of visuals and images across multiple platforms. These different platforms cater to different audiences giving Grady County the advantage of reaching a multitude of demographics.
The Grady County Archway team believes the potential impact of the project to be grand. The increase of tourism from the new media assets, created by the team, will optimistically lead to additional hotels and accommodations being built in the city in a chain-effect manor. This chain-effect will hopefully continue until the county has a constant flow of tourists visiting each weekend for family-fun and recreation.
Description of Deliverables
Grady County Archway’s seven deliverables include:
- A website dedicated to tourism for Grady County which includes outdoor recreation, restaurants, and attractions. This is a more attractive, fun website with entertainment factors
- A 90-second promotional video which is set to play in the visitors center which presents the “Real People. Real Escape. Real Country.” theme
- A “photo reel” using Flickr to showcase the small town feel, including outdoor recreation, nature, and the local towns
- Social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr which creates engagement online within the community
- New online reviews of restaurants, businesses, etc. which promote awareness and improve public perception of the revenue-generating portion of the county
- A still advertisement for places that won’t be able to play the promotional video
- A downloadable tourism guide for visitors which feature attractions and food. This will save time and research for the visitor, making the visit easier.
The final goal of these deliverables is to attract tourists into the county, whether it be a simple day trip or a whole weekend. By transitioning Grady County from old media to new media, Grady County Archway will ultimately bring new visitors, money, and opportunities into the county.
Team Reflection
As a team, this project has shaped the way we view our own skills and appreciate each other’s. We discovered that what we had in common, such as proficiency in writing or in visual editing software, helped us produce stronger products when our members worked in concert and what we differed in enabled us, as individuals, to tackle challenges that expanded our present capabilities. The opportunity to assemble a tourism marketing campaign for Grady County and to visit the county on various weekends allowed us to engage with our campaign both holistically and creatively. We began to understand the place and the people who lived there, which made us more effective in our areas of expertise and as general researchers. Overall, we gained real-world experience in working on an interdependent team, working with deadlines, and creating deliverables from start to finish within a campaign, which has been absolutely invaluable to our growth as New Media students and emerging professionals.
Cassidy, the team leader, expressed that she is
“Excited to see just how much we can really impact Grady County.”
Maggie, the social media specialist, also stated,
“Everyone is very hardworking and creative, making this project super enjoyable.”
“I have learned a ton throughout the course of this project, and it’s still not over yet! Not only have I learned a lot of “hard skills” regarding my job with creating the website, but I’ve also learned a lot about working with others. I have completed many groups projects over the course of my college career, but none have been nearly this extensive. I have really learned the most about working well with others and how to handle disagreements and managing multiple opinions. We have all worked really hard this semester and I’m excited to see all our work pay off! “— Elle Henderson
“Thus far, this team has conquered challenges beyond what we could’ve imagined in an effort to create our compelling deliverables. This project has really shaped my leadership ability, and I am excited to see all of our hard work pay off in just a few weeks.” — Cassidy Chakroun
“This experience has helped us all grow as professionals and creatives and it’s been a really rewarding experience. The people of Grady County are always so happy to see us and to hear what we’re doing, and it’s just makes all the hard work so worth it. I’m excited for our debut and to show that all the faith that was placed in us was not wasted!” — Megan Flory
“I went into this project unaware that Grady County even existed, and I’m leaving with a complete understanding of why its capital is known as ‘The Hospitality City’. I’m proud to have created a video deliverable for such a welcoming place, and I look forward to showcasing everything Grady County has to offer!” — Kelly Buckman
“With our initial research, it was evident why many people have never heard of Grady County before. This county is small, charming, but tucked away in the country with absolutely no online presence. The things we did find were not very appealing and from a consumer’s perspective, there is no real reason for me to come to Grady County. However, with the nature of the project, our group was tasked with traveling to capture content and to interview Grady County natives to have a better understanding of how to market the county. After meeting individuals who lived there and hearing their stories, I fell in love with the place. There are so many stories and hidden gems that I felt the world needed to know about. It inspired me to do everything I could to capture the most beautiful parts of Grady County so that the world can see what I saw through those lenses. I have grown as a creative, and I am immensely grateful for this opportunity that has allowed me to hone my craft and to be inspired by individuals who are extremely passionate about the things that they’re doing for their county.” — Tony Phan
“I went into this group project without realizing what we were being faced with. I assumed this project would be just like any other, but I was very wrong. This entire experience has been the best in every possible way. We have each individually learned so much about ourselves, Grady County, what it is like to work with a client, what it is like to work on a campaign, and so much more. We have learned what it means to be a real team and I’d say our work has paid off.” — Maggie Duncan
“Learning from the skills of my team members and challenging my own skills have been an invaluable part of the experience of this project. Grady County has so much heart and discovering it and finding ways to describe it has been an absolute privilege.” — Aisleigh Edouard
Travel Report — Weekend #1 in Grady County
February 22nd — 24th
Travel Report — Weekend #2 in Grady County
March 22nd — 24th
Travel Report — Weekend #3 in Grady County
April 11th — 14th
During our third and final visit to Grady County, our team spent time capturing any content we were not able to acquire from the previous trips. We explored more of downtown Cairo, discovered off-road trails, interviewed residents and key stakeholders, networked with local citizens, and, lastly, tried new foods!
Kelly was able to take more footage for the Grady County trailer, and she also captured shots of the group working behind the scenes. Maggie and Tony took over the NMI Instagram to show more of what we did throughout the day, and they took more photos of the town for the Grady County Flickr account. Sharon, our Grady County liaison, led us to more sites around the county, including a multitude of restaurants, enabling us to gather more information for our site reviews.
