The Woodlands is an economic development initiative of Southern West Virginia business leaders who hope to attract companies and professionals to the region based on its attractive business climate and lifestyle amenities.

• Problem: The Woodlands lacked a cohesive and integrated marketing strategy. Although they had previously made a strong branding effort, they had no web presence and little brand recognition. All of their marketing materials were outdated.

• Hypothesis: WELD assessed The Woodlands need for a comprehensive Web 2.0 site, but also recognized video as the most effective tool to tell the Woodlands Story.

• Execution: By utilizing the existing Woodlands branding materials, WELD designed and implemented a comprehensive, search engine-optimized website that could unify their brand message and dramatically improve their visibility. WELD also carried out an extensive video production campaign to develop videos that would speak to the four major themes of the Woodlands as a Jobs Gateway: Business, Infrastructure & Industry, Education, and Lifestyle, as well as a fifth video to serve as a homepage overview. Besides optimizing the website, WELD also distributed the videos across the Internet to be indexed by search engines.

• Result: The site's built-in analytics are establishing a baseline of visitor traffic and interactions which will be used to refine the site and better achieve the organization's economic development goals.