Creating Appalachian Economic Development via Crowd-sourcing for Travelers and Tourists

Creating Appalachian Economic
Development via Crowdsourcing for
Travelers and Tourists
Peter H. Hackbert
Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program
Berea College, Berea KY
2013 Annual Meeting Community Development Society
July 20-24, 2013
Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina
11/13/2015 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 1

EPG searches for “real-world”
solutions
• Mission statement -
educating and inspiring
students from Appalachia to
become service-oriented
leaders
• 1,600 liberal arts students
• 150 years
What better way to encourage young Appalachians to start their own businesses than to reach out to them while they’re still
trying to figure out what they should be doing with their lives?

The EPG Program defines
“Entrepreneurial Leadership” as:
"A process when one person or a group of
people in a community originate an idea or
innovation for a needed change and influence
others in that community to commit to
realizing that change, despite the presence of
risk, ambiguity, or uncertainty".

poverty and unemployment rates
outpace the national average 1 and
1/2 times, and per capita income
falls two-thirds below the national
average.
Appalachian Regional Commission Distressed Counties - 2009

Where we do our
service for 6 years
Berea Kentucky

Source: Ezzell,T., Lambert, D., and E. Ogle. Strategies to Economic Improvement in Appalachia’s
Distressed Rural Counties, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Washington DC: ARC. February 2012.

“Uneven Ground”
UK Professor of
History: Ronald Eller
www.google.com/images

…growing popularity of ecotourism and
heritage tourism…contained the potential
for building an alternative economy, one that
promised greater monetary returns for local
residents, the preservation of rural traditions,
and the protection of sensitive natural
resources.
- Ronald D. Eller, Uneven Ground, The University of
Kentucky Press, 2008: 256.

Small Rural Appalachian Community
Economic Development (CED)
Traditional ED Strategy / Tool
Alternative ED Strategy / Tool
CD Capacity Building Strategy /
Tool
Economic Development
Approaches
Economic
Outcomes
Other
Outcomes
Direct, Short-term
Indirect, Long-term
• Industrial development
• Business retention / expansion
• Workforce development
• Tourism
• Entrepreneurship
• Downtown development
• Arts / Creative economy
• Cluster-based development
• Residential development
• Transportation
• Broadband / Internet / Social Media
• ED finance
• Philanthropy
• Strategic planning
• Leadership development
• Organizational development
1. Recruit firms from the outside
2. Strengthen/expand existing firms
3. Promote development of new firms
• jobs
• firms
• prosperity
• wealth
• social
• civic
• environmental

EPG Small Rural Appalachian Community
Economic Development Model
Traditional ED Strategy / Tool
Alternative ED Strategy / Tool
CD Capacity Building Strategy /
Tool
Economic Development
Approaches
Economic
Outcomes
Other
Outcomes
Direct, Short-term
Indirect, Long-term
• Tourism
• Entrepreneurship economy
• Cluster-based development
• Local Living Economies
• Residential development
• Transportation
• Broadband / Internet /
Social Media
e
1. Strengthen/expand
existing firms
2. Promote new firms
• jobs
• firms
• social / civic
• environmental

5 Years Research
• Demographic Analysis
• Economic Analysis
• Entrepreneurship
• Community Survey
• Site visits (14x10x6) 840 night stays

Small Town Program
Populations
1,602
357
175
1,764
747
1,081

Crowdsourcing
Terms include social media, user-
generated content (UGC), consumer
generated media (CGM), online social
networks (OSN), social networking
sites (SNS), Web 2.0 and Travel 2.0.

TripAdvisor
• 100 million reviews
• 30 countries
• 60 million unique monthly visitors

Academic research

YELP drive real revenues to small
businesses
• A survey of 4,800 business owners to learn the economic
impact Yelp has on small businesses. The results saw an
average of $8,000 in annual revenue from Yelp. categories
doing exceptionally well advertising to purchase-minded
Yelpers:
Home -- $54,000*
Automotive -- $39,000*
Local services -- $36,000*
Hotel and travel -- $36,000*
Shopping -- $24,000*
Health & Medical -- $20,000*
Source: Boston Consulting Group, Unlocking The Digital-Marketing Potential of Small Business, March 19, 2013, retrieved at
https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/digital_economy_marketing_sales_unlocking_digital_marketing_small_businesses/

Key Question
Can Social Media be a tool to
develop an alternative economy in
Appalachian communities?

We observed and we listened to
the KRADD business owners,
attraction and destination
operators.

Summer 2011
We conducted KRADD social media
workshops

They use
Facebook

Google Search Website11/13/2015 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 27

Summer 2012
We researched Kentucky Tourism

Kentucky Visitor Profile Study
Daniel Boone Country Region
September 2010 – August 2011 Visitors
Prepared for:
The Commonwealth of Kentucky
Department of Travel and Tourism
Prepared by:

Tourism is the 3rd largest industry in Kentucky,
providing $3.3 billion in salaries annually
This is despite only 34% of first-time Kentucky
visitors actually recalling seeing any advertisements or
promotions for Kentucky prior to their visit.

The Daniel Boone Country Visitor
Average Income: $68,560
Average Age: 50.8
Average Travel Group Size: 3
69% short pleasure trip
53% use internet
Recommend their visit to others: 96%11/13/2015 Peter H. Hackbert, Berea College 32

115 million Americans live
within a day’s driving distance

Imagine
How would you spend 36 hours in
the KRADD region?

36 Hours in the
KRADD Region

Online consumer recommendations are
the second most trusted source of brand
advertising, second only to
“recommendations from people I know” in
a global 2012 study of 28,000 consumers in
56 countries
Source: Nielson, “Consumer Trust in Online, Social and Mobile Advertising Grows, 2012

"Traveler/tourist persona profile
gives you a chance to truly
empathize
with target market segments,
stepping out of the role as someone who wants
to promote a product and see, through your
travelers' eyes…”

34 Personas
created in 2012

1. Traveler and Tourist Personas

Meet the Weston’s

Lifestyle

Limitations

Westons’ Travel Goals & Strategy
• More Spontaneity
• Wide open road with
unplanned stops
• Download apps
• Love of history
• Good foods and
scenic roads

The Weston’s Next Steps
• Once returning home from their rally the
Weston’s…
• Uploaded multiple pictures on facebook
• Wrote reviews on their food and lodging
• Told their friends about their trip and passed
along their brochures
• Planned an annual trip to Hazard for the
Cherokee Rally Tag- A-Long

Joseph Atkins
Images.google.comImages.google.com

45 Years Old
45 years old
Works in Cincinnati
Restaurant Manager
Married
No children
History Buff
Social Media Experience
Wife is in Chicago
$1,100 budget
Travels by car
Visit a buddy at Alice Lloyd college
Images.google.com

What got him to stop?
Tripadvisor.co
m

Deals/Discounts

Yelp Review: Hindman Settlement
School

Lunch Special

Appalachian Artisan Center Studio
Yelp.com

Store decals

Joseph Atkins Next Steps
• Returning home from his trip
• Uploaded multiple pictures on Facebook
• Wrote reviews on Yelp, Google+ and
TripAdvisor
• Told his friends about his trip and passed
along his comments
• Planned an annual trip to Perry County, KY

Who is the next
DUKE in Joe’s
restaurant?
Use social
media to
acknowledge
loyal local
customers

Cameron Bruce
19 years old 51 years oldSourced: Google images

Patrick Todd
16
years
old
49 years
old
Source: Google
images

Lifestyle/ Limitations/Budget
Sourced: Google images

Historic Reenactments
Sourced: Google images

Begley’s General Store: Electronic
Archery Range Techno Hunt
Sourced: Jalissa Hunter

Begley’s General Store Review
Sourced: Yelp

Kentucky School of Bluegrass &
Traditional Music Review – “all
cross the USA”
Sourced: Yelp

Next Steps
4 Actions Happy People Do:
1. Upload Photos
2. Tell others
3. Make comments
4. Comeback

How to Spend a Weekend in Berea as a
TransAmerican Bicyclist
By: Jenna Brooks
Hometown: Alexandria, KY
Class: Rising Junior
Major: Business Administration
Cycling Through Appalachian
Serenity

America’s oldest and most used route.
Reference: America's Bicycle Travel Inspiration & Resource - Adventure Cycling Association."

The Typical TransAmerican Biker
Active, Independent, Adventurous and Driven
Reference: America's Bicycle Travel Inspiration & Resource - Adventure Cycling Association.

3 H’s
Hydration
Hunger
Humanity

Limitations and Considerations
Local Photo taken 6/09/2012

Next Steps
Reference: Google Images
4 Actions Pleased
Customers Do:
1. Upload Photos
2. Tell others
3. Make comments
4. Comeback

Reflection Session Framework
Source: Clayton, P.H. (2012). Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: Practical Tools for Critical
Reflection in Service-Learning, Center for Excellence in Learning through Service Campus Christian Center &
Center for Transformative Learning, Berea College, February 3, 2012
“I learned that” …
“I learned this when” ….
“This learning matters because” …
“In light of this learning” …

Jamar Sullivan
Four Souls, Two Destinations,
One Adventure of a Lifetime

• JT Lockhart
• Cliff Paterson
• Azizz Omar Rahiem
• Markus Hughs
Traveler Personas

Finally on the road 11:00 a.m.

Must crawl before you walk @ 2:00
p.m

Taking a dip or Making a Big Splash
@ 5:00 p.m.

Cooking on Open Flames @ 7:00 p.m.

Catching ZZZ’s in the Night @ 11:00
p.m.

Lunch among Climbers @ 12:00 noon

Joseph and Marry Christian
Picture courtesy; http://www.genuinekentucky.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/01/2011-Kentuckys-Visitor-
Guide.jpg

9:00 AM: Boone
Tavern
Picture courtesy: Indigenous innovators facebook group

Video courtesy: Indigenous innovators facebook group

10:30 Berea College
Visitor Center
Fee had written to the
American Missionary about
the need for a higher
school "which would be to
Kentucky what Oberlin is to
Ohio, antislavery, anti-
caste, anti-rum, anti-sin. . .
. Why can we not have
such a school here?"
Picture courtesy: Indigenous innovators, berea.com

Science Building and Fee
Glade Area
Picture courtesy: Indigenous innovators/facebook

2:00 PM Book Store on Main street
Picture courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators

5:00 PM Dinner at President’s House
• Dr. Larry Shinn,
Current President
New President:
Lyle D. Roelofs
Picture courtesy: berea.com

6:30 AM Seabury Center
Picture courtesy: berea.com

9:00 am Craft Tour to actually see
students weaving, making brooms and
wood working

Video
Video Courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators

10:30 AM Meeting with Vice
President, Michelle L. Janssen
• Discussion on how to
donate to college
Picture Courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators

12:30 pm Lunch at Papa Leno’s
Picture Courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators
http://www.flickr.com/photos/twofishblu/4660865414/

Old Town, Eco Village and
Berea Center for Arts
PictureCourtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators

Berea College’s Convocation Program
• Former Berea College student and today's
successful entrepreneur talks about his experience
and the how Berea Changed his life.
Video Courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators,
berea.com

Meeting with Convocation
Speaker and EGP Program
and EPG Cohort 9
Dr. Peter Hackbert
Picture Courtesy: facebook/Indigenous innovators,
berea.com

Email to College President
Dear Dr. Larry Shinn,
Berea College is doing a noble job. We are amazed by its mission,
vision and student led activities. We congratulate Lyle D. Roelofs
for continuing further this noble cause as you are retiring soon.
We will be back soon with a gift of 5 million dollars.
Very truly yours,
Mr. and Mrs. Christian.

http://stanleyquan.com/the-philanthropic-dollar/philanthropy/

Reflection Session Framework
Source: Clayton, P.H. (2012). Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: Practical Tools for Critical
Reflection in Service-Learning, Center for Excellence in Learning through Service Campus Christian Center &
Center for Transformative Learning, Berea College, February 3, 2012
“I learned that” …
“I learned this when” ….
“This learning matters because” …
“In light of this learning” …

So What?

1,214 Social Media Reviews
250,000 freeviews

Four Tips for KRADD Leadership
1. Claim your business listings (It’s free!)
2. Encourage multicounty reviews (more =
better)
3. Monitor what’s being said in the Counties
4. Start at SOMOLO campaign

Who Cares?

Now What?

KRADD Actions
1. Recommend KCTC execute social/mobile
certificate program
2. Expand the Tourism Definition
3. Use KY State Park Assets
4. Explore KY Trail Town models
5. Stimulate social media for the local
economy via mobile
6. Collaborate within the KRADD region

…link ecotourism and heritage
tourism………..contained the potential for
building an alternative
economy, one that promises greater
monetary returns for local residents, the
preservation of rural traditions, and the
protection of sensitive natural resources
to [SOMOLO] social, mobile, local,
economy
.

What If?

Any Questions or Comments??

Creating Appalachian Economic Development via Crowd-sourcing for Travelers and Tourists

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Creating Appalachian Economic Development via Crowd-sourcing for Travelers and Tourists