RGV Partnership close to selecting marketing firm to promote ‘One Region, One Voice’ campaign – Rio Grande Guardian

MCALLEN, Texas – Daniel Silva, president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, says the group is close to selecting the marketing entity it will use to spread its powerful “One Region, One Voice” message.

The message, which received near-universal support in communities across the RGV, was articulated at the RGVP’s major 2023 Economic Summit, attended by Governor Greg Abbott.

“In the time between the economic summit and today, we put together a marketing package. In fact, I only got my final marketing proposal yesterday. So we are in the process of selecting a marketing entity. And now we will go to all the cities and counties and try to get them to participate,” Silva said.

Silva made his comments in an extensive conversation with Rio Grande Guardian host Mark Hanna, a podcast set to be released later today.

Silva explained to Hanna that the marketing campaign will include important data sets that the Valley’s economic development agencies and cities can use to attract new businesses.

“The campaign is that we collect data and create an archive of information so that for EDC operators who want to advertise, there is a website they can go to,” Silva said.

“They can pull demographic information. We’ll do that specifically for certain cities when they request it. We’ll have collected videos and podcasts. Basically just marketing material about the region that they can use when they put together their package.”

Silva expressed hope that the EDCs will use this information in their individual trade missions.

“We will provide them with consistent information from the same data source so they have access to good information that everyone can use.”

In addition, Silva said, the RGVP plans to provide material on major success stories from across the region. The hope is that each EDC will use this material to counteract the negative press the region is facing.

“We want to highlight successes throughout the region. When Driscoll Children’s Hospital opens, we want everyone to celebrate that success,” Silva said.

“When we have a new LNG (liquefied natural gas export terminal) terminal at the Port of Brownsville, we want everyone to talk about it.”

Silva said a previous organization, the Rio South Texas Economic Council, had previously tried to market the region by advertising it in certain media outlets. He said this was expensive and would be exposed if there were violence or security problems on the other side of the Rio Grande.

“Our hope now is that we not only have one source for this, but that all cities will be able to do this … by curating/providing/processing this information on a quarterly basis, giving everyone the opportunity to submit material on the same topic,” Silva said.

“And we believe that if we choose to focus on health care this quarter, we’ll publish all the success stories, we’ll publish statistics, we’ll talk about health in the Rio Grande Valley; and if every city shares this through their social media channels, it’ll look like a flood of information and everyone will be able to get excited about it.”