The story Delaware’s coastal growth isn’t telling

Coastal Delaware is growing at a tremendous rate, and so is the economy. According to a 2024 study conducted by the University of Delaware, coastal activity now supports over 104,000 jobs and contributes $22.5 billion to Delaware’s economy each year — growth that has outpaced both the state and the nation since the last such study, over a decade ago. But the business owners who have dominated the market for decades are now facing competition. Transplants (like myself) moving in from major cities like Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia are planting roots — real estate alone has seen a remarkable boom, now generating 14% of coastal revenue despite just 9% of the workforce — and those mom and pop shops are having to share their clientele. Transversely, the big city businesses are bringing their top-firm marketing strategies to the small beach towns they now occupy, but are missing the mark in including their long-time local neighbors and patrons.

Communications and public relations is about bridging that gap — connecting audiences who otherwise were never supposed to meet, in ways marketing alone cannot do. How do you resonate with an audience you’ve never had to account for? How do you stay true to the roots laid by your family generations ago while also catching up to the new age? 

Or what about growing businesses expanding alongside the new population influx — reflected in the $1.1 billion spent on coastal construction last year alone — now managing multiple locations and staff? How are you ensuring your message is communicated consistently and cohesively across all of them, not just externally, but in-house?

And what about a crisis? Because one thing is certain: in an age of social media, a simple disagreement or misunderstanding with a customer can turn into weeks of discourse blown out of proportion, and a permanent stain on your otherwise five-star Google review history. A crisis communications plan is key to keeping damage control at a minimum, and having that plan in place before you ever think you’ll need it.

And lastly, that reputation you’ve spent your entire life building — how are you leveraging it with your friends at the local media outlets, or through local community events? How are you identifying opportunities to share your hard-earned expertise with others who aspire to travel the same path?

This is communications and public relations. All of the things you’ve thought about as a business owner, and all of the things that have yet to cross your mind. These things aren’t just for Fortune 500 companies. They’re for anyone who has a story to tell. A message to deliver. An expertise to share. Growth to accomplish.

This is what salt & story does. Not for you, but with you.

Source: Rising, J. & Wilson, C. (2024). Seaside to Statewide: The Economic Contributions of Delaware’s Coastal Region. University of Delaware School of Marine Science & Policy and Delaware Sea Grant. https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/ceoe/desg/2024CoastalFieldsReportv5110424-2-ForWeb2e.pdf