Innovate Alabama has launched SEEK AL, a digital campaign dedicated to showcasing the rich variety of outdoor recreational assets the state has to offer to its citizens and to innovators looking for a place to play, work, and put down roots.
“Alabama is home to a wealth of natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities,” Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield said. “As part of Innovate Alabama’s Lifestyle and Recreation pillar, we are excited to showcase all of the beauty that Alabama has to offer entrepreneurs with an appreciation of the great outdoors.”
SEEK AL will leverage the state’s parks, waterways, greenways and trails to position Alabama not just as a thriving innovation ecosystem, but a place that has something for everyone, whether a current resident or someone looking to relocate.
The campaign launches at a time when Innovate Alabama and the Alabama Department of Commerce are collaborating with other key organizations to craft a new economic development strategic plan to propel the state’s economic growth into the next decade and beyond.
Capitalizing on Alabama’s outdoor recreation infrastructure is emerging as a prime new element in the plan.
“We firmly believe in Innovate Alabama’s goal of elevating outdoor recreation opportunities as a catalyst for innovation and talent attraction for our state,” said Ellen McNair, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“It’s clear that having outdoor recreation attractions can inject vitality into economic development efforts at every local level,” she said.
Designed by Birmingham-based Big Com, SEEK AL will be a multifaceted campaign and include the following elements:
- The Outdoor Recreation Asset Map: This interactive map showcases outdoor recreation assets around Alabama, allowing locals and statewide enthusiasts to find their next adventure.
- SEEK AL social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, sharing crowdsourced content from outdoor recreation assets, such as DeSoto Falls or Moss Rock Preserve.
- Sharing stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs in Alabama and how they have grown roots through Alabama’s outdoor recreation ecosystems.
- Highlighting partnerships between SEEK AL and Alabama higher education institutions to encourage students from Alabama and out of state to get outside and explore their local assets, utilizing outdoor recreation as a tool to keep talent in the state after graduation.
“We see tapping into Alabama’s abundant outdoor recreation assets as a key differentiator in attracting and retaining talent. Activities like hiking, mountain biking, or paddling that you may reserve for a long weekend elsewhere are a way of life here,” said T.C. McLemore, executive director of outdoor recreation programs for Innovate Alabama.
“When I’m out on a mountainside trail or enjoying the beach with my family I often hear, ‘Who knew Alabama had this?’ Launching SEEK AL is an effort to showcase everything that this great state has to offer to our residents and to those looking for where their next move might take them,” he said.
As a marketing campaign reaching beyond state borders, SEEK AL brings to life a recommendation made by Innovate Alabama’s Council on Outdoor Recreation, led by Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“People from Alabama have long known that our state is filled with natural beauty and has something for every outdoor enthusiast, and now we’ll have a comprehensive inventory of all of Alabama’s outdoor recreation assets, along with the Seek AL website that will serve as a central hub for outdoor recreation in the state,” said Commissioner Blankenship.
“Thanks to Innovate Alabama, residents and innovators alike will now have the resources to fully experience ‘Alabama the Beautiful,’” he added.
Innovate Alabama will be adding an outdoor recreation grant opportunity in the next round of the Innovate Alabama Network, a comprehensive resource to connect communities fostering innovation in their own backyard.
