Work: Case Study Explore Charleston
In an effort to capture the growing share of people searching the web for their next travel destination, the CACVB came to us back in 2002 in need of a new website–one that did justice to the depth and breadth of experience that awaited. This iteration of the website would kick off our longest-running, most wide-ranging partnership–and serve as the foundation for Charleston to grow into one of the world’s most prized destinations.
Our aim was to capture Charleston’s essence, authentically. So we dug into the unique attributes of the city we call home. We gathered insights on consumers and travel behavior, talked to community partners, and studied competitive destinations. The theme that revealed itself: Charleston. Where History Lives. With the emphasis on “lives” it’s a reflection of a perfectly preserved colonial seaport with a vibrant daily life and rich culture.
Twenty+ years later there’s not much we haven’t done together–like building multiple iterations of the core website, crafting sub-brands to bring more of the Charleston experience to life, putting a multi-million dollar ad budget to work online, launching programs, helping with sales strategy, speaking and training for travel community to maximize their participation, and building a sales and ticketing platform. That just scratches the surface.
Today, Charleston is one of the strongest, most desired travel brands in the country–a twelve-time winner of Travel + Leisure’s “Top City in the US”, and even ranked as the World’s Best City a time or two. From 2000 to 2025 visitation has grown from 4 million to 8 million people a year with related visitor spending increasing from $2 billion to $14 billion a year. Quite a feat for a small, Southern city–and it’s a twenty-plus year journey we’ve proud to ride alongside.
