COACT Helps Economic Development Organizations Move Ideas to Action

At COACT, we believe that communication and learning are essential to long-term relevance and success. Without it, your organization is likely to stagnate and suffer from lack of perceived value. Many of our clients are hoping to build awareness of their region or services, helping their communities retain and grow employment, and provide decision makers with the information they need to make informed expansion decisions.

The Challenge – Profile of Success

Our client, an economic development organization that was trying to connect youth with local opportunities, was looking for a strategy to better engage with high school students. Their mission was to make teens and young adults aware of jobs available in the community and what the county has to offer, with the goal of retaining them once they graduate. While our client was recognized by some, they were unknown to their target audience at large.

The organization looked to COACT for an integrated strategy to catapult their brand to the next level. Spoiler alert: it worked.

“We’ve worked really closely with COACT to retain our youth. Their team created focus groups in our school districts and led discussions with local youth to have conversations about retention. It helped show students that they don’t have to move to NYC to have a great life right here in their hometown.” – Business & Workforce Development Manager

Turning the Challenge into an Opportunity

Our client faced the challenge of getting their name out as a trusted resource. The organization wanted to educate and help young adults overcome the skepticism surrounding the decision to stay in the county, post-graduation. The message they wanted to get across was that their county was a great place to live, work, and play.

COACT designed and installed marketing elements and compelling content for our client that featured their existing expertise and resources. This work  positioned them with the right people, at the right time. We helped them highlight available jobs, local businesses, and entertainment throughout the county.

Building a Future

COACT’s multi-faceted plan aimed to strengthen the organization’s voice in the county. Our goal was to personalize the brand and make it more engaging. We did so in a variety of ways including website development, email outreach, social media engagement, photography and video, content creation, program initiatives, and more.

Along with the new website we designed, COACT also launched a blog which highlighted the different regions within the county. We spearheaded our client’s social media profiles and gained a loyal base of followers across multiple platforms including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

COACT also played a significant role in the development of a high school internship program for the organization. We implemented a student-focused marketing initiative aimed toward getting students involved in the region while teaching skills in key career areas.

From Little-Known to Well-Known

Taking our client from little-known to well-known didn’t happen overnight. Our team’s consistency in growing the brand and getting in front of the people who matter most to them was integral to our success. We implemented multiple integrated sales and marketing initiatives, all of which contributed to our client’s recent success in the economic development space.

“I would highly recommend COACT to any business looking to grow their awareness and business opportunities – they have been amazing as an extension of our team both on the business development and marketing side, and our results have been off the charts.” – Economic Development President

Why COACT?

At COACT, our team of business development and marketing professionals are dedicated to implementing strategic outreach for our clients. We design, install, and execute brand development and awareness campaigns, while building strategic relationships that are important to our clients.