Boosting the Buffalo Boom

Challenge

Invest Buffalo Niagara, an economic development organization representing the eight counties of Western New York, works to attract new employers to the Buffalo Niagara region and support business attraction, expansion, and entrepreneurship. The organization partnered with Violet PR to raise awareness of Buffalo’s resurgence, emphasizing job and investment creation, growth and attraction. In addition, the EDO sought Violet PR’s help to market Buffalo as a climate change refuge, thanks to a range of factors and initiatives taken by the region. 

Solution

Violet PR developed a two-pronged strategy to drive economic growth to Buffalo. Through a series of press releases and pitches, Violet PR positioned Buffalo as a model for other cities to rebound due to its revitalized downtown, innovative economy and partnerships with area businesses and universities to implement the latest trends and technologies to recruit and train talent. 

Using statistics and research to support the position, we developed a campaign to showcase Buffalo’s emergence as a climate change haven. We highlighted the growth in population influenced by climate refugees, including the 3,000 individuals who relocated to the city after Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact on Puerto Rico. We highlighted the natural aspects of the region — abundant freshwater, mild temperatures and minimal risk for the ‘Big Five’ natural disasters: wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes. Additionally, we drew attention to the region’s efforts, such as plugging into the hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls to decrease climate pollution and an urban renewal project to transform underutilized land into sustainable green space.

Violet PR’s work secured feature coverage in publications including the New York Times, Fast Company, The Bond Buyer, Earth 911, Newsy, American City & County and EcoWatch. The combined total of impressions from the coverage surpassed 13M.

Media Placement Highlights