Flock and Rally and SCAAHC Win 2017 IABC/SC Palmetto Award of Excellence for Green Book of S.C.
Flock and Rally, the women-led integrated communications firm based in Columbia, S.C., in partnership with the S.C. African American Heritage Commission, won a 2017 Palmetto Award of Excellence from the S.C. chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/SC) for the Green Book of South Carolina mobile travel guide: http://www.greenbookofsc.com.
The award recognizes innovation and marketing excellence for the firm’s development and promotion of the Green Book of South Carolina, the state’s first mobile travel guide to African American cultural sites across S.C. and one of the few travel apps of its type in the country. The web-based guide was launched in April 2017 and features more than 300 historical and cultural sites, including official state historic markers, districts, churches, museums, schools, HBCUs and cultural attractions.
The S.C. African American Heritage Commission hired Flock and Rally in Fall 2016 to help them develop a brand that conveyed the voice and point of view of the African American experience in South Carolina, while aligning with the modern feel of current-day tourism. The firm also was tasked with amplifying the new brand across all digital platforms and implementing an extensive public relations campaign focused on regional and national target audiences.
“We were honored to be approached by the Commission for this project,” notes Flock and Rally co-founding partner Tracie Broom. “To bring the Commission’s vision to life, we expanded our existing team to include a group of esteemed project partners, including Sherard Duvall of OTR Media, Period Three web design, graphic designer Cait Maloney, Jessica Boyd of the Gild Agency, PR professional Kaela Harmon, and more.”
The public relations campaign garnered an estimated 788,000 coverage views via 80 online press clips, plus additional TV broadcast airings, radio airings across 20+ stations nationally, and print editions, including NBC-BLK and Essence. The brand’s social media platforms, managed by the Gild Agency, showed continuous engagement of target audiences for the duration of the campaign. Governor Henry McMaster also wrote a letter of commendation to the Commission following the successful launch of the Green Book of S.C.
“The development of the mobile guide perfectly aligns with our organization’s mission to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina,” says Jannie Harriot, vice chairperson of the S.C. African American Heritage Commission. “There has long been a need for a travel tool like the Green Book of South Carolina.”
“It was very important to our team that the new Green Book of South Carolina brand reflect the Commission’s vision accurately and authentically,” says Flock and Rally co-founding partner Debi Schadel. “We are thankful to all of our project partners for fulfilling that vision so skillfully.”
The IABC/SC Palmetto Awards showcase excellence in communications projects and campaigns, digital communications, social media work, and other collateral material. IABC/SC links organizational, business communicators to a global network of communication professionals that develop, establish and adhere to the highest professional standards of quality and innovation in organizational/business communication. For more information, visit http://sc.iabc.com.
At the 2016 IABC/SC Palmetto Awards, Flock and Rally won both the “Star of the Show” prize and an “Award of Excellence” in the category of Marketing Communications for the agency’s Famously Hot New Year 2015 campaign. Learn more about Flock and Rally at http://www.flockandrally.com.
About Flock and Rally: Integrated Communications for a Brave New South
Flock and Rally, founded by partners Debi Schadel and Tracie Broom in Columbia, S.C. in 2010, is a full-service, women-owned integrated communications firm, offering branding, marketing, public relations, social media and event planning services. Flock and Rally’s mission is simple: to rally our community around great ideas. Flock and Rally is certified as a federal DBE, as a Richland County SLBE and as a City of Columbia LBE. Learn more at www.flockandrally.com.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/flockandrally
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flockandrally
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flockandrally
About the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission
The mission of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission is to identify and promote the preservation of historic sites, structures, buildings, and culture of the African American experience in South Carolina and to assist and enhance the efforts of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The 15-member commission includes representatives from all regions of the state. Visit http://shpo.sc.gov/res/Pages/SCAAHC.aspx to learn more, or contact Jannie Harriot directly at professionaljmh@aol.com or 843-332-3589.
About the Green Book of South Carolina
The Green Book of South Carolina is the first mobile travel guide to African American cultural sites across South Carolina. Created by the S.C. African American Heritage Commission, it provides residents and visitors from around the world a user-friendly guide to discovering and celebrating enriching cultural experiences across the state of South Carolina.
This mobile travel guide showcases more than 300 attractions and sites for a diverse audience, allowing travelers to plan their ultimate, customized itineraries across South Carolina. Browse the Green Book of S.C. at http://www.greenbookfsc.com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenBookofSC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenBookofSC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GreenBookofSC