Published: January 22, 2008 08:36 pm         

4-C announces branding initiative for southern W.Va.

What is the first thing you think about when you think of southern West Virginia?

“Our research has revealed that there is a negative connotation and we need a different name to market the area in regards to tourism,” said Judy Radford, executive director of the 4-C Economic Development Authority.

During Tuesday’s Raleigh County Commission meeting, 4-C and the Southern West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau gave a final report on the launching of a branding initiative to introduce the area as “New River Gorge.”

“The reason for settling on the New River Gorge as a brand name for the area is because it goes through three of the four counties we serve,” she said.

Radford says there are a few who don’t like the name, but most have agreed to support it.

“Nicholas County is the only county the New River doesn’t flow through, but they understand the importance of that name,” Radford said.

The new branding plan has two components — product development and marketing.

“From the product development side, we already have several current projects working in the region,” Radford said. “We believe these projects will help attract more people to the region.”

Radford recommended to the Raleigh County Commission that a signage program also be developed.

“We also need to look at the community development guidelines here,” she said. “We want to brand this area as a tourism region, but we want to also make sure we don’t harm the things that make us an attractive area.”

Radford said the new brand initiative should be a part of the county’s comprehensive planning with the state.

“We want to help with this planning in any way we can,” she said.

The New River is anchored by Summersville Lake on one side and Bluestone Lake on the other, Radford added, which will also be marketed as part of the branding initiative.

“We know already that millions of dollars have been spent on marketing the New River Gorge,” Radford said. “It didn’t make sense to start from scratch with a new name.”

Radford said Bridge Day, whitewater rafting and other events have given the New River Gorge area national and international recognition.

“We know that people from around the country and the world know the name New River Gorge and we want to build on that name,” she said. “Now we will challenge all businesses, private and public, in the region to embrace this new brand name for tourism marketing.”

The branding initiative will begin with a logo which will be developed in the next few months, according to Radford.

“We will visit as many businesses as we can and try to encourage them to use this new logo,” she said. “It will also be placed on Web sites and newly printed materials as a way to get the new name out there.”

Doug Maddy, executive director of the SWVCVB, says the goal is to make the New River Gorge area a major destination area for travelers and vacationers.

“This is an ongoing process and this branding initiative gives us a name to focus on,” he said.

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The commission also:

- Announced a mutual, non-disclosure agreement not to release confidential information that belongs to agencies that are part of the metro GIS mapping and infrastructure mapping that is ongoing.

- Unanimously approved two precinct change orders. Precinct 48, Fireco, voted at Union Valley Baptist Church, which has been permanently closed. The new location, Whitby Mission Church of God, is approximately four-tenths of a mile past Union Valley Baptist Church on the right side of the road. Precinct 64, Naoma, voted at Sundial Assembly of God Church since the 2004 elections. Apparently the church had problems with some in the church objecting, according to the commission, so it was decided by the church that it would not be used any longer for elections. The new location is more centrally located to the Naoma precinct.

- Unanimously approved $25,000 in funding for the YMCA, which has a budget shortfall that resulted from a recent building project.

- Unanimously approved to transfer the deed for the Public Higher Education Center property and building back to Forward Southern West Virginia. The approximately 33 acres were deeded to the county commission during the construction phase, which is now complete.

—E-mail: fpace@register-herald.com