The power of branding: Bluffton, SC moves into Forbes list of top 25 places to retire

Last year our research center worked with marketing gurus Rawle Murdy on a new branding campaign for the cute little town of Bluffton in South Carolina. And the work we accomplished is already paying dividends. “Bluffton: Heart of the Lowcountry” has moved into the Forbes list of top 25 places to retire in the U.S. The list is based on housing and living costs, taxes, weather and air quality, crime rates, doctor availability, and active-lifestyle rankings for walkability, bicycling and volunteering. Forbes also looked at economic data with an eye toward a "working" retirement. But of course being the perfect place to retire means nothing if people don’t know about it – and that is where branding comes into play. You can read more about our branding project at http://scstatetourism.blogspot.ca/2014/04/final-report-from-bluffton-branding.html And see the full Forbes list at: http://www3.forbes.com/personal-finance/the-25-best-places-to-retire-in-2014/21/