One Acadiana campaign wins communication award

One Acadiana received an award of Communication Excellence from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a national organization whose mission is to support and develop chamber professionals to lead businesses and their communities.
The advertising campaign, which tells Acadiana’s story as a place where a homegrown workforce, unique workspaces, and unmatched quality of life make the region the right place to do business, was developed by 1A in close coordination with local economic development professionals and a local marketing firm, Calzone & Associates. Selected out of 200 other entries, the campaign was announced as an award recipient alongside 40 other winners.
The series of eye-catching print and digital ads targets site selectors and business development professionals across the country and around the world. Advertisements are being run in national site selection publications such as Site Selection (with a circulation of over 40,000 manufacturing companies, CEOs, partners, chairmen, presidents and owners, along with an e-circulation of 60,000 C-level executives across the globe); Business Facilities (with a circulation of 40,000 and online readership of 20,000); and Business Xpansion Journal (with a total circulation of over 91,000).
1A President and CEO Jason El Koubi explained that as the region’s economic developer, 1A is carrying out a core strategy through the campaign. “1A launched its national advertising campaign to engage site selectors and decision-makers who are seeking the right place to do business. The ads highlight Acadiana’s unmatched quality of life and the potential of Acadiana’s workforce, workspace, and sense of place for business growth and success.”
According to El Koubi, the advertising campaign is already seeing results, “The advertisements are generating potential leads and capturing attention – during the month of March, our online advertising with Business Facilities was seen by nearly 18,000 viewers.”
Collaborator Amy Thibodeaux, Crowley Chamber of Commerce president and CEO and 1A board member, shared her thoughts on the images that attractively showcase the heart of the nine-parish region. “So many of the images we captured are worth more ‘than 1000 words. Each image, person, or business featured has a backstory-- the story of Acadiana! We are a resilient, hard-working, innovate culture that strives to be different, to be unique, and set ourselves apart from everyone else.”
Thibodeaux called the project an “amazing marketing campaign drawing national attention to our region,” adding, “The Crowley Chamber is proud to be part of this regional movement and bring our own Acadia Parish uniqueness to the table.”
One Acadiana is the leading economic development organization for the nine-parish Acadiana region in south Louisiana. With more than 1,200 investors, members, and partners, One Acadiana serves as the voice of the regional business community. The organization is located in the city of Lafayette and serves a region of about 700,000 people.