nonprofit storytelling: who’s the hero?
This is a story of a nonprofit putting its customers at the center of its stories. And doing it in a wonderfully inventive, wildly respectful way.
Visit Myrtle Beach tells plenty of stories that involve beaches and arcades and golf courses. But I was surprised to learn that in 2016, nearby Surfside Beach was the first certified autism-friendly destination in America. And since then, the destinations and attractions of Myrtle Beach have been working to become more welcoming to families with members on The Spectrum. Visit Myrtle Beach has developed the 6-episode show Traveling the Spectrum, available now on Peacock. Watch the trailer here.
The Content Marketing Institute recently awarded its 2025 Content Marketer of the Year Award to Stuart Butler, President of Visit Myrtle Beach. I learned so much from this interview with Butler about how Traveling the Spectrum came about. Here are four takeaways I think any nonprofit can value:
Build Audience Through Owned Media. In its 2025 budget, Visit Myrtle is still spending the majority of its marketing dollars on Paid Media – 43%. But Butler talks at length about why they develop their own media and tell stories their way. The results have been good: When the Traveling the Spectrum trailer came out in April 2024, it had 750,000 views in the first month. That’s the TRAILER.
Shine a Positive Light on the Story That Exists. Butler says, “In this case, it’s really easy because we can tell real stories of real people. So rather than saying ‘Hotel A is autism-certified,’ we’ll show the impact that has on families, talking to people that are actually having the lived experience. Hopefully they see themselves as the hero of the story.”
Offer Something Useful to Your Community. “We started bringing in folks that were creating content that were on the spectrum or had a family member on the spectrum. That was the way we started telling the story. The autism community is so tight-knit. Everyone talks to everyone, and everyone shares resources.”
It's Not About Us. “We want this to be about the challenges of traveling with autism. We don’t want to say ‘Come to Myrtle Beach because we’re sensory-friendly.’ We want to be spreading the message that 87% of families whose children have autism don’t travel – and we think that’s an injustice that needs to be solved. This show is a part of the solution.”
It’s great rooting for the three families in Traveling the Spectrum, sharing their anxieties and their pride in these adventures. You can invite the folks you serve to tell their stories too - about their lives, their challenges, how they found helpful resources and inspiration through your organization. If you need help planning these stories, let’s talk about it!
