Flagler's 'Dodge the Dunes' Public Awareness Campaign Receives Innovation Award

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Flagler County, FL – Flagler County’s ‘Dodge the Dunes’ marketing campaign, which seeks to create public awareness of sea dunes, has won an award for innovation.

The Chamber of Commerce named 'Dodge the Dunes' the Most Innovative Marketing Campaign of 2017. “I was thrilled,” said the campaign organizer, Amy Lukasik. “It has been a labor of love, and the entire tourism staff is dedicated to the ongoing awareness and education about protecting our dunes.”

According to the county, one of the most special things about the campaign was that it targeted the local area. “Typically, tourism organizations market and advertise a considerable distance away in an effort to attract potential visitors to the area for overnight stays,” said Matt Dunn, Executive Director. “This is more than just a marketing campaign – it is an educational campaign that focuses on protecting Flagler County’s main asset, the beach.”

'Lucky the Loggerhead” and “Shelly the Crab” were chosen to represent the campaign’s core values - Respect. Restore. Revive. Flagler’s Tourist Development Office created bumper stickers, window clings, beverage coasters, magnets, and other merchandise to emphasize how important it is to protect the dunes, support dune restoration projects, and follow regulations to ensure their short-and-long-term survival.

“The use of these mascots puts a friendly face on the initiative while reminding the public that we aren’t the only ones affected by damage to the dunes,” said Lukasik. “Lucky and Shelly are appealing to children and will draw them into the educational message, which is important because they will become our future beach dunes advocates.”

“We’ve had catastrophic issues with our beaches because of the storms,” said Flagler County Commission Chair and Tourist Development Council member, Greg Hansen. “As we restore the dunes and the beaches, it is crucial for people to understand how important it is to take care of them.”

“We want our visitors to know that we are open for business as we restore our beaches and coastline,” said Lukasik. “Our vision is for the campaign to be an ongoing effort that expands each year.”

The campaign also created and personalized 75 public awareness kits to distribute local businesses. The kits were individualized to target each business’s foot traffic and customer base. Additional information on the award-winning campaign can be found at www.DodgetheDunes.com or on their Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of Amie Torres and Shutterstock.com.

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