For Second Straight Year, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Wins Crisis Communication and Issues Management Award

At this year’s South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (SCPRSA) annual Mercury Awards, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and CVB claimed the top honors of “Crisis Communication and Issues Management” award for the second consecutive year. This award of excellence was rightfully earned by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber for developing programs undertaken to deal with an event of issue that has had or may have an extraordinary impact.

“The ‘Coast is Clear’ campaign was originally developed in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew hit the coast,” said George DuRant, senior vice president of tourism development for the CVB. “The campaign resonated with our visitors and they immediately knew we were a resource for keeping them updated and informed. Thatevent provided a ‘crisis playbook’ we continued to refine to help those in need when Hurricane Irma came storming through.”

The ‘Coast is Clear’ campaign has been crucial in keeping the North Myrtle Beach area and community safe when hurricanes, tropical storms, and other disastrous events take place. The objective was to be prepared in advance with appropriate messages and communications tactics that instill confidence in travelers, as soon as appropriate, in order to support area businesses dependent on tourism.

By doing this, the CVB supported and served the community by encouraging potential visitors to consider visiting North Myrtle Beach as soon as the weather and roads were clear. Following the change of course for Hurricane Irma, the messaging was quickly altered in order to welcome those to North Myrtle Beach as a safe place to locate refuge. Dozens of channels, including social media, digital displays, e-blast, web and app alerts, text alerts, media alerts and visual media were coordinated pre- and post-storm.

According to the Chamber’s Board Chairman, Scott Ellis, “Orchestrating and deploying an integrated, multimedia campaign in tense times is a massive challenge. Under George’s leadership, staff and three partner agencies Crawford Strategy, The Brandon Agency and Southern Tide Media, we collaborated with the City of North Myrtle Beach to keep visitors, residents and businesses in the city of North Myrtle Beach safe, especially in times of trial.”

“Being given this award is a huge accomplishment for our Chamber and CVB,” DuRant continued. “The CVB worked closely with our City’s public information officer, Pat Dowling, S.C. and N.C.-D.O.T., Horry County E.M.S., SC Parks, Recreation & Tourism officials and, of course, our tireless staff who manned command central and distributed our great and timely content to the public, tourists and our members.”

The SCPRSA Mercury Awards are given annually to organizations that have successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. Mercury Awards recognize complete public relations programs or campaigns incorporating measurable and sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. These four areas represent the solid criteria by which senior practitioners judge each entry to ensure it meets the highest standards of performance in the profession. The Mercury Awards are regarded as the pre-eminent achievement of public relations in South Carolina.

For more information about the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, CVB visit www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com.

About the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and CVB

The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), an accredited five-star Chamber/CVB founded in 1999, continues to lead by example as a local business advocate and supporter, as well as a champion of North Myrtle Beach as a top travel destination within the Southeast. Since its founding, the Chamber/CVB has been wholeheartedly committed to advancing the welfare and prosperity of North Myrtle Beach while achieving a thriving, diverse and sustainable economy. The Convention and Visitors Bureau, North Myrtle Beach’s official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), is committed to growing the North Myrtle Beach visitor and destination market by distinguishing the coastal beach town as a first-choice travel destination and brand. North Myrtle Beach welcomes millions of visitors each year to “Just Coast” on pristine beaches and through unexpected adventures, representing an economic impact of over $1.1 billion in North Myrtle Beach, and an additional $219 million in the surrounding area in March through August of 2016 alone. The North Myrtle Beach travel industry accounted for nearly 14,000 jobs and generated more than $117 million in state and local taxes in 2016.