Putting Tennessee’s Rural & Distressed Counties on the Map

Some wins are easy to measure—clicks, conversions, impressions. Others are felt more deeply in ways that go beyond data points. Our recent work on the Rural & Distressed County production project for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) is one of those wins that resonates far beyond the numbers. It’s about impact. It’s about changing the trajectory of communities. At the 2025 Blizzard Conference in Franklin, TN, that impact was on full display.

Attendees, including tourism professionals from across the state, industry partners, and TDTD leaders, showered praise on the work our team has done over the past few years. They weren’t just pleased with the creative—though the photos, videos, and branding certainly made an impression. They were talking about real, measurable change.

From “Distressed” to Dynamic

When we began this initiative three years ago, over 35 counties were classified as rural and distressed. These were places struggling to attract visitors, businesses, and investment. Our goal, alongside TDTD, was to help these counties tell their stories through dynamic photo and video assets—giving them the tools they needed to be seen, to be discovered.

Fast-forward to 2025, and only 9 counties remain on the distressed list, surpassing the state’s goal of bringing that number down to 10 by this year. That’s not just movement—it’s transformation. 

Stories of Impact

One standout example is Hickman County. Before this project, Centerville in Hickman County didn’t even have a tourism website. Today, they not only have an online presence but have leveraged the photography and video content we created to build a compelling destination brand. The result? A surge in tourism investment and new attractions. In fact, Hickman County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marcia Alexander couldn’t stop expressing her gratitude for the work and the relationships built along the way. They’re already discussing additional content creation to showcase even more growth.

Then there’s Carroll County, a place that once questioned whether they had anything to offer tourists at all. Our video work changed their perspective—and their trajectory. Now, we’re wrapping up a visual identity and wayfinding project, born from their enthusiasm and belief in what’s possible.

Advertising You Can’t Buy

This kind of organic success is rare. The work we’ve done—partnering with these communities to uncover their unique stories—has turned curiosity into visits, visits into economic growth, and growth into long-term sustainability. It’s the kind of advertising money can’t buy, and it’s a testament to what happens when strategy, creativity, and purpose align.

That’s what we aim to do every day. To Melanie Beachamp and her team at TDTD, we couldn’t have done this without your hard work and additional efforts to drive this program, and our state, forward. To everyone on our team who played a role in this effort—including our sister company PopFizz, who shot these amazing assets—the win is yours. Your work has made a lasting difference, and the impact is only beginning.