Marketing Work Moves Forward

There is a saying that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." That, unfortunately is exactly where we find ourselves today, with the going tough. Federal, State and Local Governments as well as private entities find themselves with difficult choices. What do we cut, how deeply do we cut and can we really afford to keep paying for our lifestyles with no thoughts of the long term consequences?

I can't begin to answer these questions. I can however provide some insight as to my thoughts on marketing and how it can impact a local economy. I think when you are at the bottom, which we hopefully are, you need to work smarter, be more aggressive and look for new opportunities. That is exactly why we are creating a new visitors guide for Stokes County. We want to promote the image of being the outdoor playground of the Piedmont. We are reaching out to not only our local Chamber of Commerce in King, but the Winston Salem Chamber and will be looking for other opportunities. We can no longer accept things as they are and expect someone else to take pity on us and look out for our best interest. This is not going to happen.

In addition to these steps, I am working on a county-wide tourism development plan. This will map the assets we have in place, determine who our allies are, what we have on the shelf already and where we need to go. We will be looking for opportunities to leverage funding sources to develop our assets in a positive manner. This will include the development of the Dan River Corridor as an economic engine and job creator for the county.

This plan, along with a parallel effort to enhance Moratock Park will cost the County about $45 to $50,000. It is not the best time to spend money but if we are to move forward, I feel it imperative to take these steps. Without it, we will look around two, five or ten years down the road and wonder what happened to the opportunities that many have taken advantage of and we have let pass us by.