Our Portfolio
The BANCO team has collaborated with city, county, and state governments, the South Carolina General Assembly, members of the congressional delegation, as well as several White House administrations, health care providers, nonprofits, and other organizations.
Clients We've Served
BANCO has created a niche in media planning and placement, including script writing, production, and media placement for political campaigns. We have worked successfully with the following entities:
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Blueprint Strategies
Chernoff Newman
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Denmark-Olar School District 2
Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Palmetto Health
PEW Charitable Trust
Progressive National Baptist Convention
South Carolina Association of Black Mayors
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
The City of Columbia and Columbia City Council
The Columbia Housing Authority
The Wiley Kennedy Foundation
Featured Campaigns & Clients
Client: VoteForOurLibraries.com
Project Description: BANCO led and provided strategic planning and campaign management to the Vote For Our Libraries Campaign, which resulted in the passage of the 2013 Library Bond Referendum. This grassroots organization was comprised of elected officials, neighborhood and homeowner associations, library patrons, faith-based organizations, social service providers, school improvement councils, and civic clubs from across Richland County. BANCO maximized using grassroots tactics to spread awareness and garner support for the $59 million referendum. The Vote For Our Libraries campaign was hugely successful, passing on its first attempt on the 2013 ballot with 66% of the votes cast.
Special Features: The Vote for Our Libraries Campaign's strongest feature was the key stakeholders' public involvement in educating and mobilizing voters to vote "yes." Outreach efforts included planning and organizing community forums, participating in community and neighborhood events, using door-to-door techniques, and conducting church visits. Central to this campaign were effective graphics and communication tactics, which included using op-eds, earned and paid media, and the ability to control the narrative with local media outlets.
Client: The South Carolina Beverage Association
Project Description: In 2013, Gov. Nikki Haley and the South Carolina Department of Social Services announced a plan to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restrict certain food items that Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) customers could buy using food stamps. To roll back this initiative, the South Carolina Beverage Association hired BANCO to oppose the removal of certain juices and beverages from SNAP. BANCO was successful in prevailing against these proposed reductions through effective coalition building.
Special Features: BANCO generated and submitted e-mail messages from South Carolina faith leaders opposing Gov. Haley's proposal. BANCO identified, contacted, informed, and solicited support from faith leaders across the state to ensure that the emails reflected a statewide perspective. This included monitoring and tracking comments submitted via email and providing daily and weekly progress reports. Key to this campaign's success was BANCO’s community relationships and ability to build coalitions among diverse groups.
Citizens for a Greater Midlands (2012) and The Midlands Alliance for Better Transportation and Roads (2024)
Project Description: Citizens for a Greater Midlands (CGM), a citizens’ organization supported by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, contracted with BANCO to lead and provide strategic planning and campaign management to help pass the Richland County Penny Transportation Sales Tax. BANCO developed the “Our Penny” Campaign to garner support for a $1.2 billion initiative to fund transportation-related projects and Columbia’s transit system over a 22-year period. Not only was the 2012 “Our Penny” Campaign a success, winning 52% of the vote, but it also received the 2013 Mercury Award for Best Public Affairs Campaign from the South Carolina Public Relations Society of America.
In 2024, 61% of voters agreed to continue the Penny, a move that will raise an estimated $4.5 billion for transportation-related projects over 25 years; the tax would end sooner if the $4.5 billion is generated in fewer years. Of this $4.5 billion dollars:
Approximately $2.16 billion (48%) will be allocated for community investment projects, including road and intersection improvements, widenings, resurfacing, paving of dirt roads, bikeways, sidewalks, and other related infrastructure enhancements.
An additional 30% (approximately $1.35 billion) would be allocated for new construction, improved commuter corridors, and other projects.
Approximately $990 million or 22% would pay to operate and improve The COMET.
Special Features: Both the “Our Penny” and “Keep Our Penny” campaigns were grassroots efforts with a heavy emphasis on public involvement and the coalition building of key stakeholders (city, county, and state elected officials, neighborhood, business, transit riders, disability advocates, and faith leaders). Key to this campaign was the effective communication and media relations efforts, which enabled heightened and impactful community awareness. Research-driven messaging provided insight into crafting effective messaging and reinforcing government accountability and transparency.
Client: Tobacco Harm Reduction and Quelling the Threat of Illegal Flavored Vapes
Project Description: In 2023, BANCO partnered with Blueprint Strategies to provide information regarding harmful tobacco products and the impact of illegal vaping products on youth in South Carolina. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a June 2023 study (from 2020 to 2022) highlighting the alarming growth in illegal and unregulated disposable e-cigarettes at a rate of over 200%. The goal was to inform and educate South Carolinians about tobacco reform issues and address the threat of illegal flavored vaping in the state, making them aware that this issue was more than a health concern; it was a policy issue.
BANCO was responsible for creating letter-writing campaigns, placing op-eds in print and electronic media, generating social media content across various platforms, and engaging community leaders and educators to attend webinars in targeted areas of the state.
Special Features: Key to the success of this project was BANCO’s ability to parlay its statewide reach and relationships with elected officials, community leaders, educators, and influencers in various areas and turn these individuals into voices and advocates willing to educate and inform the public on behalf of our children and school systems; as well as the agency’s ability to place media and content in publications throughout South Carolina as needed.
The project aimed to address rising concerns about youth tobacco use in South Carolina, where vaping has overtaken cigarettes as the most common tobacco product among teenagers. Overall, the project focused on raising awareness, educating the public, and advocating for policy changes to curb the use of harmful tobacco products, particularly illegal flavored e-cigarettes, among youth in South Carolina.
Overture Walker for Senate District 22
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Ericka R. Hursey for Richland School District One, Seat 4
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Tyler Bailey for Columbia City Council At-Large
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