Telling the story of a region through data

Background

The Research Triangle Regional Partnership is an economic development organization that works with 12 core counties located in Central North Carolina. The organization serves as a connector between businesses looking to expand or relocate in the Triangle and the economic development offices, government agencies, and business organizations that can help fuel their growth.

They approached Carolina Demography in 2020 with an ask: Could we build a databook for them to use in two ways:

• To source the material for their 2020 State of the Region event and publications
• To use for business planning by their membership base

Approach

Helping a client understand the complete picture of a region

We began by reviewing their data needs, along with the platforms and audiences they wished to reach. We then collected data from a variety of sources that would help their members and staff better understand:

• General demographic trends
• Labor/workforce trends
• Commuting patterns
• Educational attainment across the region
• Housing/quality of life indicators
• Infrastructure and diversity measures

Results

Telling a story using many different data points

In addition to developing a databook, we created a one-page handout to distribute to guests at their annual conference. The material is now being used to promote and plan business development in their 12-county region.