Charleston, West Virginia's not-so-clever marketing campaign

The Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau's new campaign features prominent people of the city promoting why "I'm Charlie West."

Charleston "ambassadors" -- from Mayor Danny Jones and musician Bob Thompson to Larry Groce and Main Kwong owner Carina Kwok -- voice why Charleston is an ideal place to live, work and stay.

Thirteen locals will be featured in the "I'm Charlie West" campaign, which includes print and broadcast advertisements, electronic marketing, billboards and a social media presence.

The CVB launched the campaign Thursday night at the West Virginia Power baseball game at Appalachian Power Park.

Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau President Alisa Bailey said in a news release that by engaging the community, the city is marketed as not only a place to live, but as a destination, too.

Tourism, which employs 5,000 people, has an annual $580 million economic impact in the Kanawha Valley, according to the visitors bureau.

"The campaign was created from a study that indicated the number one reason people come to Charleston is to visit family and friends," Bailey said. "To that end, our residents turn out to be our ambassadors for the city visitation."

The CVB invites Charleston residents and visitors to get involved in the campaign to declare why they are "Charlie West."

People who want to take part in the campaign can upload photos and videos to the organization's social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, telling what they love about Charleston.

(c)2013 The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, W.Va.). Distributed by MCT Information Services.