Orlando, Fla. – The regional business branding campaign, “Orlando. You don’t know the half of it.^®” continues to win awards for its effectiveness and ingenuity. The campaign took the top award from the Orlando Area Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association at the 2016 Image Awards Gala held at the Crayola Experience in Florida Mall on April 14, 2016. The Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) accepted the Grand All Image Award as well as the Division A Award in the promotional/marketing category. Image Awards are given to the best public relations programs in the region and are evaluated based on the research, planning, implementation and evaluation that went into the program.

The EDC website, www.orlandoedc.com, and the TV commercial, which highlights the region as more than a place to vacation, but a great place to do business, received awards in the last year from the following organizations:

Two bronze Excellence in Economic Development Awards in the categories of video/multimedia promotion and general purpose website for communities with populations greater than 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
Three gold and two silver ADDY Awards from the Orlando Advertising Federation at a ceremony honoring the region’s most creative and effective advertising programs.
Two first place awards from the Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) in the promotional materials awards competition for the EDC website and TV commercial.

“We are proud of the brand and the quality of the campaign,” said Jim Alessandro, senior vice president, content management at Disney Destinations and chair of the Orlando EDC branding committee. “The recognition we receive is wonderful but it’s the teamwork and collaboration seen across the region from community and business leaders who have rallied around the campaign that make me truly proud of the work we’ve done.”

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs originated the idea of a business branding campaign for the Orlando region. Research confirmed the area was not seriously considered as a business destination by target groups like c-suite executives and site location consultants. A branding committee made up of the region’s top branding and marketing minds oversees the campaign. Ken Potrock, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney, led the committee during the initial planning and implementation phases of the campaign. The EDC’s agency of record, Anson-Stoner, based in Winter Park, is an integral part of the campaign as is the public relations firm DCI, based in New York City and Atlas Advertising, based in Denver.

“The goal of the multi-year campaign is to get Orlando on the consideration set more often as a business location for companies looking for a new location or looking to expand,” said Potrock. “Our strategy is solid and, as a result, we are seeing an increase in leads with higher quality projects and with the potential for more jobs.”