Branding Wilmington as NC’s Career Coast to Attract Talent

Wilmington, NC is a community where coastal cool meets classic Carolina charm – with access to beaches, mountains and city amenities all within an easy drive.

While it’s known as a great place to live and visit, new waves of innovation, investment and jobs were making their way to the NC cape. With an aging population leaving the workforce, the region needed to develop and recruit the next wave of talent. DCI and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce created a fresh brand and website to position the region as NC’s Career Coast.

Services Research Branding & Marketing Strategy Website Services

The Challenge

Through national perception research, DCI determined that while Wilmington, NC was seen favorably as a place to live and visit, there was little to no awareness of the jobs and career assets available there. Facing an aging population and the next wave of retirements, Wilmington needed a brand to position itself as a hub for career growth in order to attract the talent needed to support its growing economy.

The Solution

Leveraging extensive perception research, DCI developed a modern talent attraction brand and website that elevates Wilmington as a place for balance seekers, risk-takers and life-builders ready to cultivate meaningful careers. Building upon its well-known coastal identity, DCI designed the campaign, NC’s Career Coast, to brand Wilmington as a jobs hub, where you can live like you’re on vacation and still pursue a fulfilling career. The campaign website features interactive tools to help talent as they consider a relocation to Wilmington.

The Results

1,600+

people surveyed internally and externally
7

key messages developed to “sell” Wilmington to talent
1

award-winning talent attraction brand and state-of-the-art website

“We were thoroughly impressed by DCI’s support, organization, and responsiveness throughout the entire process of our brand and website development. Their team ensured timely delivery, clear communication, and ultimately, an award-winning website that perfectly serves our community's talent attraction needs.”

Megan Mullins Chief Marketing Officer Wilmington Chamber of Commerce

North Carolina's Career Coast website from Wilmington, NC.

NCCareerCoast.com is a one-stop-shop for talent to learn about living and working in the Wilmington region.

Mock-up advertisements for Wilmington, NC's Career Coast campaign

The campaign was designed to be versatile to hit on multiple key messages and can be customized depending on the audience, as illustrated in this brand mock-up.