Case Study: Economic Branding
for North Carolina
In 2018, North Carolina’s business environment still suffered from the economic and reputational fallout brought on by “HB2.” Over the course of 2016 to 2018, The Results Company repeatedly convened some of the state’s top business leaders to grapple with a frustrating reality – North Carolina’s pro-business policy reforms were in full bloom, but the HB2 affair all but neutered the benefits those reforms were supposed to yield. By spring of 2018, it was time for action.
Two clear conclusions emerged from the early 2018 gathering: North Carolina must undertake an integrated, nationwide campaign to turn the page on HB2, and that campaign must be executed with sophistication and precision. Competitor states like Georgia, Texas, and Florida were spending tens of millions of dollars to bill themselves as top spots for employers. Though North Carolina was at least as attractive in terms of pro-business policies, the state wouldn’t bear the full fruit of its reforms without a concerted effort to tell decision-makers in other parts of the country about them. In the process, North Carolina would move on from its HB2 hangover.
In the months that followed, The Results Company deployed its core competencies – a firm grasp of the strategy required for success, together with the tactics and expertise to deliver. Our work yielded a nationwide marketing initiative, “All in NC,” backed by $30 million in state marketing funds. The campaign targeted national employers by showcasing North Carolina’s worldclass advantages over competitor states.
In the years since, North Carolina has earned international headlines for its near-constant parade of economic development wins, from Wolfspeed to Toyota to Apple. CNBC ranked North Carolina the Best State for Business in both 2022 and 2023, a close second place in 2024 and the boom shows no signs of abating.