The Charleston Area Alliance has enlisted the powers of two new superheroes, Bruce Bright and Mia Mendez, in its ongoing quest to attract new jobs and investments to the Kanawha Valley and tout the benefits of living and working in the region. 

Bruce and Mia are the fictional stars of a groundbreaking new economic development campaign – Adventures of the Super Site Selectors: The Search for the Perfect Location – which was unveiled this evening during the Charleston Area Alliance’s Annual Meeting. 

The centerpiece of the campaign is an action-packed, comic-book-style publication that follows the adventures of Bruce and Mia, who transform themselves from mild-mannered executives into super heroes who will stop at nothing to find their clients the ideal location for business relocation or expansion. Harnessing their extraordinary powers – as well the hard, cold facts – they conclude that the Kanawha Valley is the perfect site for businesses to locate and grow. 

Alliance President & CEO Matt Ballard unveils the "Adventures of the Super Site Selectors."

During their capers, they discover such truths as: 

• Industrial electric rates in West Virginia are consistently 25 percent lower than the national average; 
• Charleston’s cost of living is 8 percent below the national average;
• West Virginia had the nation’s sixth highest growth rate in domestic product and the nation’s second best improvement in economic growth in 2008; 
• Charleston is within overnight trucking of more than 50 percent of the U.S. population;
•  Thanks to business-centric reforms, major state business taxes will be drastically reduced or eliminated over the next few years; and
• West Virginia exports have increased at a rate four times faster than the national average.

Bruce and Mia are wowed by amenities such as The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences-

Annual Meeting guests check out the comic.

West Virginia, Capitol Market, Mountain Stage, Appalachian Power Park, Tamarack and FestivALL. The dynamic duo is also impressed by the area’s top-flight medical facilities, variety of higher educational opportunities and transportation options.

Summarizing his recommendation that his client locate to Charleston, Bruce tells his boss that “the facts are all there…I was surprised to uncover a strategic location of interstates, river, rail and air with a highly-skilled workforce that is competitive in comparison to other areas even triple its size!  My expansion site location has to be Charleston, West Virginia!”

Meanwhile, Mia is working on a separate assignment.  She reports her research is “going to blow some minds. Everything was impressive… from metropolitan sophistication to snow skiing, rafting, loads of outdoor adventures and recreation.”  “So, your expansion site recommendation is Charleston, West Virginia?” her boss concludes.

In its intriguing storyline, The Search for the Perfect Location deftly incorporates the Charleston Area Alliance’s specialized services offered to businesses considering relocation or expansion to the Kanawha Valley. As the official partner between private business, the community and government, the Alliance provides a small business incubator, real estate assistance and tailored business solutions from engineers and economic development professionals on staff.

The adventures of Bruce and Mia will also be presented in a variety of multi-media and new-media formats designed to extend their reach and impact. The series promises to continue as the story ends when Bruce and Mia discover they have more in common than an uncanny ability to uncover the perfect site for a business relocation.

Just as they fall for Charleston could the two super selectors fall for each other? Could they soon be contemplating a merger that requires a search for the perfect place to live and raise a family?  Episode One ends with these questions unanswered, prompting speculation more episodes may be in the works. Stay tuned.

“We couldn’t be more excited to unveil this creative new economic development tool to prospects around the world,” said Alliance President/CEO Matt Ballard. 

“In today’s economy, everyone must work smarter to get their message out and stay ahead of the competition.  With Adventures of the Super Site Selectors: The Search for the Perfect Location we are presenting the many advantages of doing business in our region in a style that both stands out from the crowd and showcases the unique qualities of our region.”

“Economic development recruitment brochures can all begin to look the same, explained Senior Vice President JoEllen Zacks.  “They’re very pretty, feature glossy photos and are filled with volumes of verbiage and facts.  It’s hard to tell one from another.  And few are actually read and retained by the people who matter.

“Our goal was to break though the competitive and cluttered communication environment by creating an attention-grabbing vehicle that delivers a entertaining message from the perspective of our target audience – relocation decision makers. Through the action-packed, illustrated adventure, we position these professionals – the site consultants – as the heroes all the while highlighting  the key attributes of the Kanawha Valley – and West Virginia — in a memorable way.”

“This is one publication that will stay out of the circular file,” Ballard added humorously. “We’re pretty sure our target audience has never seen an approach quite like ours. We expect them to be quite captivated.” Ballard indicated the direct mail campaign featuring the piece is set to launch in early November.

The script and design for the 20-page publication were executed by Bryan Boyd Creative Group, Inc., a business-to-business marketing and communication firm based in Charleston.

“After some out-of-the box brainstorming, BBCG took our vision of a comic book with site selector super heroes and developed it into a full-blown adventure with incredible art and graphics,” said Zacks. “Bryan and his talented team took the idea and ran with it beyond our wildest imaginations.”

“Bryan Boyd Creative Group and the Alliance have worked closely together for the past two decades,” noted Boyd, CEO of the firm. “The techniques and creativity employed in this Super Site Selectors campaign are ­indicative of the trust and confidence the Alliance has placed in our firm to truly showcase the Charleston region in a memorable way.”

Adventures of the Super Site Selectors: The Search for the Perfect Location is now available by calling 304-340-4253, or emailing. info@CharlestonAreaAlliance.org. An online version of the story will soon be available. The publication also has a Facebook fan page:  “Adventures of the Super Site Selectors.”