TEDx sparks conversations that matter — and in March 2019, Appalachian Kentucky voices took center stage for the first time ever at TEDxCorbin. Why Corbin? In just three years, Corbin, Kentucky’s downtown has gone from a 40 percent vacancy rate to nearly 0 percent. Its revitalization has taken the press by storm, and inspired other Appalachian towns in the region to repopulate their own Main Streets. Within a region that holds "place" and "storytelling" in high regard as part of its cultural tradition, Corbin is a natural fit to host Eastern Kentucky's first TEDx. A thriving rural community of 7,000 people, this small town is now home to a downtown summer concert series, a local coffee shop, several farm-to-table restaurants, and, of course, the original Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Corbin counts in its ranks residents who range from artists to tech entrepreneurs, farmers to professors, and a former Survivor contestant to several Harvard PhDs. The big need? Organic promotion.
A good portion of the speakers/performers selected for the event were Berea locals. This is a supportive community that values promoting its own. Part of my work to stoke the fires of TEDxCorbin was to hype the Berea community about their own. This was done through strategic placement within widely used Facebook groups (the primary channel for the locale) as well as building buzz at local hangouts and workspaces. The Berea community was the 3rd most reached city throughout the entirety of the TEDx cycle, falling only behind Lexington and Corbin, Kentucky.
Press
WYMT | The Times Tribune | The Lexington Herald Leader | The Morehead News | WEKU/NPR | The Daily Independent | The Sentinel Echo | Richmond Register | Appalachian News-Express | The News Journal |
TEDxCorbin needed to establish a base following to support its event launch. To do this, branded content was created and shared, community influencers were sought out and utilized, and organizational partnerships were formed to increase sharing and visibility. After this establishment, the launch was set to begin. During this time, social was meant to promote the YouTube Live link and enhance the second-screen experience, so the focus was on reach and engagement. The main focus of the entire social strategy was definitely on the day-of strategy, which was solely my responsibility. Given that this was a first-time, regionally-focused event, the buzz had to be high to meet high goal numbers. Expectations were exceeded. See social samples and the day-of results below.