Central Creek Park

Now one of the largest municipalities in the state, Goose Creek wanted to establish an all-abilities playground for its growing population. The city built Central Creek in partnership with sponsoring businesses, but it still needed to spread the word about the new amenity. It launched a wide-ranging communication campaign, collaborating with local news media and utilizing social media to build hype about the park.  

Communication-focused staff, including a newly hired digital marketing specialist, told the park’s story effectively. The push began well before the park’s opening, with photos and social-media-friendly video snippets illustrating the construction process, both from the ground and from the air using drones, catching attention by playing into resident’s curiosity about something new and different in their community. The city also modified its existing “Goose Creek Rising” communication campaign into a “We All Rise” campaign, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the park. After a heavily attended opening ceremony, the city continued to use marketing tactics like humorous internet memes, onsite video interviews and even engaging with social media influencers for outreach. 

The marketing efforts ultimately reached hundreds of thousands of people across the Lowcountry. With in-house marketing meaning that much of the cost was folding into existing staffing, the marketing push also paid off through strong donor support for the park. Private donations exceeded $1.3 million, including leadership gifts, naming opportunities and other campaigns.

Contact Frank Johnson at fjohnson@cityofgoosecreek.com or 843.797.6220.