There's No Place Like Yours

Addressing the Challenge: Planning a memorable vacation is all about getting every detail just right – especially for families with children on the spectrum. Visit Myrtle Beach had a unique opportunity make a meaningful connection with this important audience through earned media.

Getting to Precisely What Matters: The Champion Autism Network (or “CAN”) was founded by a mother in the Myrtle Beach area to advocate for the needs of families affected by autism. Dozens of attractions, restaurants and even the airport had already lent their support to the movement, offering special sensory-friendly experiences. Fahlgren Mortine helped Visit Myrtle Beach build on this momentum and start promoting the area as America’s first autism-friendly travel destination.

Daring to Make a Difference: We secured more than 400 placements that mentioned or featured the area’s autism-friendly options and the CAN program. Following the media blitz, CAN received more than 80 new requests for a CAN Card, growing the number of cards in circulation by more than 200 percent.