‘Come home’ campaign promotes W.Va.’s many pluses

[Lost River Ledger]

By Jessica Legge
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT December 28, 2008 12:14 am

— For the “Come Home to West Virginia” campaign, the Department of Commerce is looking for an official spokesperson to promote what’s special about the state.
The campaign came out of Gov. Joe Manchin’s State of the State Address in January, said Kim Harbour, director of marketing for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
From that point, the Department of Commerce, which is sponsoring the initiative, began gathering and documenting stories of people who had returned to West Virginia to live and work in its growing industries, she said. “Come Home” profiles are featured in a special issue of Wonderful West Virginia magazine, which is mailed to about 32,000 people.
Harbour said the department has been doing advertising this year to support the campaign. It has been running a series of five ads that talk about “homesick remedies,” or things that make people miss West Virginia.
In an effort to invite people to take another look at West Virginia, these ads target areas in surrounding states where former residents have tended to move. The department is also doing marketing inside the state to help residents be ambassadors.
According to information gathered from other states, the Department of Commerce found that families were looking for a high-quality but affordable lifestyle; a safe, stable and friendly environment to raise children; a balance between work and play; and quality recreation. West Virginia offers all of these things, Harbour said.
However, she said many people from surrounding states don’t know about the industries and opportunities in West Virginia, such as the growing field of biometrics.
“They have this perception of West Virginia only being coal and tourism, but they don’t know about the aerospace industry or that we have a large auto parts manufacturing sector,” Harbour said.
“There are actually 23 different countries that have companies here employing 22,000 West Virginians. You can actually have an international career living right here in West Virginia.”
As the Department of Commerce was developing an advertisement focusing on family, the staff realized that finding a real West Virginian would help promote the campaign and welcome people home to the state, she said. The “Come Home to West Virginia” spokesperson contest formed as a result.
“We’re looking for somebody who can help us encourage and inspire people to move home, somebody who has an enthusiasm for West Virginia,” Harbour said.
“We hope to feature the person on the Web site dispensing his or her advice about coming home to West Virginia and also in our regional ads.”
She said people can nominate themselves or a loved one by submitting an essay of no more than 100 words about the “nominee’s reasons to come home to West Virginia” and what he or she loves about the state. A color photo must also be included. There is no cost to enter the contest.
Although the individual who is nominated must be a West Virginia resident, the person nominating them can be a family member or friend from out of state.
“If we choose somebody who was nominated by somebody, they both win,” Harbour said.
The winner gets to be the spokesmodel for the campaign, and the person who submitted the entry receives a family vacation at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, she said.
The contest started after Thanksgiving, and the deadline to enter is Jan. 2, 2009. So far, the Department of Commerce has received about 70 nomination entries from across the state.
“They’re really wonderful,” Harbour said of the essays. “Everybody has their own personal take. We’ve been really pleased with the response.”
The department staff will narrow down the entries to the best five or six nominees, and then will make some follow-up phone calls. Harbour said they hope to announce the winner by the middle of February.
“This has been one way to add authenticity to our marketing where we’re kind of reaching out to people in West Virginia,” she said.
Harbour said the campaign is a way to remind people both inside and outside the state of the qualities and advantages that West Virginia has.
To nominate yourself or someone else as the “Come Home to West Virginia” spokesperson, visit www.hometowv.com to submit an entry online or download a printable form. Individuals can also call the Department of Commerce at 558-2003 for a form.
Interested persons can go online or contact the department to request a copy of the special edition of Wonderful West Virginia magazine. A digital version of the publication is also available on the Web site.
E-mail Jessica Legge at [e-mail].

[davidinalameda]

1. i'd love to move back

and in fact I'm considering it in a few years but with the political climate in the state as conservative as it is, I can't do it

I'd move back to go back to school and that's about it

I'd stick way close to Morgantown and that's about it