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Board hears plans to grow Experience Gullah app, weigh advertising rules and legal review
Summary
The CDC reported about 250 impressions for the Experience Gullah site in the past 28 days and discussed tiered advertising for native Gullah-owned, island-owned and non-islander businesses; staff will consult legal in early December before finalizing contract terms.
Executive Director Thomas reported progress on the Experience Gullah website and mobile application, which the CDC launched Oct. 2 to promote local Gullah-related sites and island businesses. "In the last 28 days, we have had, roughly about 250 site visits, at Experience Gullah," he said, noting impressions come from both local and international searches.
The board discussed how to monetize the platform while preserving cultural content. Thomas described three advertising tiers: native island Gullah-owned businesses, island-owned non-Gullah businesses and non-islander businesses that want a presence on Hilton Head Island. "I'm thinking about, you know, a monthly fee per business, or annual fee," he said, adding he had not settled on pricing and planned to structure entry rates to be fair to native island businesses.
Board members debated scope and user experience. One committee member warned against overloading the site with ads and urged using advertising as a recruitment tool for businesses that add value to the community. A participant asked about the revenue model: "Can you talk a little bit about the revenue stream from advertising contracts or fee-based advertising services?" Thomas said legal review is already scheduled: "I meet Nick, December the 1st week of December with legal to have some of those discussions."
The executive director also previewed separate video content, "Gullah TV," as a place for short advertising slots that would not dilute the main site. Thomas said Gullah TV streams on broader platforms (YouTube and Apple TV among others), which opens additional advertising opportunities.
Next steps: staff will return with a legally reviewed advertisement and contract framework and recommended fee tiers for the board to consider.
Ending: The board did not adopt policy at the meeting; Thomas will present the legal analysis and proposed pricing to the board after the December review.
