Challenge

The client wanted to showcase the area’s textile heritage, but many of the mills are closed or are not open to the public. Yes, there is the regional history museum, but how do you give tourists opportunities to explore the whole county with a chance to ring cash registers along the way?

Solution

We worked with a local publisher and expert to develop a self-guided driving tour of textile points of interest around the county and drive traffic to local retail establishments. We anchored the tour around eating in mill village restaurants with an opportunity to meet and mingle with folks that have a direct connection to this history. The tour also encompasses museums, monuments and mills.

Result

The first stage of this project was the development of content and producing a map/guide for a half-day or full-day self-guided driving tour. The product was distributed by the client and placed in retail establishments on the tour. After the third reprinting, the client asked how we could help control print costs.

The second stage of this project was the development a mobile website which delivers more information with an interactive experience. The user has turn-by-turn directions, a GPS enabled map, more descriptions and historical photographs, along with audio tracks for locations. Now, instead of standing in front of the monument and reading a paragraph about it before they take a picture, they can view several vintage photographs related to the stop, read a great deal of information and listen to a personal account of a mill worker before they take that photo.

Visit the website here and download a PDF of the map here.