St. Lucie EDC wins international award
The International Economic Development Council honored the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) with a 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Award for digital media in markets with populations between 200,000 and 500,000.
The EDC’s #WorkLocalStLucie advertising campaign using the navigation app Waze was recognized during the international organization’s annual conference in Dallas in September. The first-of-its-kind campaign utilized the app’s geofencing capabilities to display “Quit Your Commute” messages to users traveling south of Becker Road in Port St. Lucie during morning commute hours and then again when the commuter traveled home during the evening commute.
“The Waze ads provided roughly 145,000 impressions with a 35,000 unique reach directly to our target audience of commuters affordably and effectively during the 2022 campaign,” said Maureen Saltzer, EDC communications and outreach director. “The EDC and its partners have done an excellent job bringing new and expanded employment opportunities to St. Lucie County but we still ha
ve approximately 62% of our workforce commuting outside the county for work every day. This campaign let the commuters know that there is a place to find out about the great careers available right here at home.”
The EDC offers the website http://worklocalstlucie.com which showcases featured jobs and provides links to many employers, organized by the type of industry, within St. Lucie County. The site is promoted through social media, digital, print, “anyscreen” and outdoor advertising using the #WorkLocalStLucie hashtag. The three-month Waze campaign was repeated in 2023 with a target audience that also included commuters heading north of the county for work.
“Because this type of advertising hadn’t been done before, our Waze campaign attracted local and national media attention, including a three-minute feature story on WPTV,” Saltzer said. “One of the best aspects of using Waze was that our quit-your-commute message was delivered at the most opportune times – either just after a long drive to work in the morning or on arriving home after a long workday and grueling evening commute home.”
About the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County
The Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic vitality in St. Lucie County through the attraction, retention and expansion of businesses in the community. The EDC works in partnership with local governments and the private sector to advance its goals of creating more and better-paying jobs for residents, broadening the tax base and improving St. Lucie County’s economic quality of life. Contact the EDC at 772.336.6250, contact@youredc.com or www.youredc.com.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,800 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at www.iedconline.org.
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