Purpose
The Southampton County Historical Society is at a pivotal moment in its history. With the new museum, growing tourism opportunities, and an expanding collection of historical assets, the organization needs more than marketing support. It needs strategic leadership to build a sustainable communications and tourism program that will continue to grow long after this initiative is complete.
Rather than simply creating a website or managing social media, The Addison Group will serve as the Historical Society's Marketing Department. As the Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, Tom Powell, along with the entire Addison Team, will provide executive-level marketing leadership while building the systems, tools, and infrastructure necessary for long-term success.
The goal is simple. We want to create an organization that can effectively market itself, engage visitors, strengthen fundraising, and support tourism for years to come.
Phase One
Build the Foundation (Months 1-3)
The first phase establishes the strategic and digital foundation for the Historical Society. We have completed the Brandiscover™ process, so now we can develop a comprehensive messaging framework, define the organization's brand standards, and position Southampton County as a premier historical tourism destination.
During this phase, we will also design and launch a new website, establish the organization's digital infrastructure, optimize search engine visibility, create analytics and reporting systems, and implement the necessary platforms for email marketing, donations, memberships, and visitor engagement.
Phase Two
Build Awareness (Months 4-8)
With the foundation in place, our focus shifts to increasing awareness and visibility throughout the region. Monthly marketing efforts will include website enhancements, historical storytelling, social media management, email newsletters, press releases, search engine optimization, tourism promotion, volunteer recruitment tools, membership campaigns, and fundraising communications.
Every piece of content will reinforce the Historical Society's mission while positioning Southampton County as a destination for authentic historical experiences.
Phase Three
Build Engagement (Months 9-14)
Once awareness has been established, attention turns to building deeper relationships with visitors, donors, volunteers, educators, and community partners.
This phase includes communication for educational initiatives, tourism partnerships, oral history projects, event promotion, fundraising campaigns, school outreach, heritage tourism development, and regional collaboration. The objective is to transform one-time visitors into lifelong supporters while creating stronger community engagement throughout Southampton County.
Phase Four
Build Sustainability (Months 15-18)
The final phase focuses on ensuring the Historical Society can successfully manage its marketing efforts internally.
The Addison Group will train volunteers and staff to manage website updates, social media, email marketing, and ongoing communications. We will develop marketing procedures, editorial calendars, communication standards, and documentation that provides a roadmap for future growth.
By the conclusion of the engagement, the Historical Society will possess not only professional marketing tools, but also the knowledge and confidence to sustain them.
Once our 18-month projections are complete, we can revise our relationship to better serve the ongoing needs of the Society.
Services Included
Throughout the engagement, The Addison Group will provide ongoing strategic leadership while managing the organization's marketing, communications, and tourism initiatives. Services include:
Executive-level marketing strategy and Fractional CMO leadership
Website development, maintenance, and content management
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Social media strategy and content creation
Email marketing and newsletter management
Historical storytelling and content development
Graphic design and creative services
Photography and video planning (In some instances, additional costs my be necessary, but only if approved by the board.)
Public relations and media outreach
Tourism marketing and destination branding
Membership and fundraising communications
Volunteer recruitment and engagement communications
Community partnership communications
Monthly strategy meetings and board consultation
Marketing performance reporting and recommendations
Strategic Initiatives
As opportunities arise, this engagement also includes the planning and execution of strategic projects that support the Historical Society's long-term vision. These may include:
SouthamptonHistory.com development
Freedom Trail branding and promotion
Visitor Center communications
Heritage tourism campaigns
Historic marker promotion
Oral history initiatives
Educational partnerships
Membership program enhancements
Annual fundraising campaigns
Community awareness initiatives
Regional tourism collaboration
Wayfinding and visitor experience messaging
Expected Outcomes
At the completion of this initiative, the Southampton County Historical Society will have a fully developed marketing and communications program capable of supporting long-term organizational growth. The organization will benefit from a professional brand identity, a modern tourism-focused website, active digital communications, improved search visibility, stronger fundraising and membership efforts, enhanced visitor engagement, and a trained volunteer team prepared to manage ongoing marketing activities.
Most importantly, the Historical Society will possess a sustainable marketing framework that supports its mission of preserving, interpreting, and sharing Southampton County's remarkable history while establishing the county as one of Virginia's premier heritage tourism destinations.
“This initiative is not an expense for marketing. It is an investment in the future of Southampton County Historical Society. By building a strong brand, creating a unified digital presence, expanding tourism, strengthening fundraising, and training the next generation of volunteer leaders, this engagement will establish a lasting foundation that continues to benefit the organization and the community well beyond the initial 18-month term.”