To drive through the city of Georgetown, you have cross a couple of bridges and Georgetown business owners say that can be a problem.
Downtown merchants want to entice visitors to turn off the highway once they cross the bridge and turn onto Front Street.
The Georgetown Business Association came up with a plan that includes a clever slogan: "It's a bridge. Get over it."
"Sort of tongue in cheek, but it captures the essence of what people said to us through the feedback we got," said Lynn Mueller, a business association member who helped craft the marketing effort.
New signs downtown and banners are a part of the overall plan. "You see new entry signs on both gateways, flags going up on the bridge and all of the downtown signage, directional signage, that's all a part of that overall package," said Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce president Annette Fisher.
The owner of Doodlebug's, a Front Street children's clothing shop, likes the campaign after hearing from many people over the years who happen upon Georgetown shops and are amazed at what they find.
"They tell us that they've been coming this way from Charleston to Myrtle Beach or back and forth for years and never knew that we had so much to offer on Front street and the historic area," said Ginger Gray. "So I think it'll be great to let people know."
One thing Georgetown has going for it is its rich history. The business group's research has shown that people who visit an area for historic reasons spend up to 3 times per person as golfers or beachgoers.
"So we just need to get them to come and once people come to Georgetown, they will come back," Mueller said.
The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce has done marketing efforts for the whole county in the past that have included Georgetown, but this plan is aimed specifically at the city.
"It's definitely setting apart a sense of space for Georgetown, which is very, very important, this has needed to happen for a long time," said Fisher.
Advertisements featuring the new bridge slogan will start showing up on TV, in magazines and billboards within the next month, Mueller said.
He said at least $55,000 in funding for the campaign will come from the city's accommodation tax, the hospitality tax and the Georgetown Business Association itself.
