From the outside looking in, brand involvement with bloggers looks a bit like a one way street with a side alley. Brands get the prime real estate on the street with free or cheap advertising and bloggers get the side alley of back door perks like free products, trips, sometimes even a paycheck. For many brands and bloggers it’s a win-win scenario of networking, relationships and mutual support.

While that is all well and good, there’s another side of it, a benefit that’s subtle but every bit as vital to the relationship between brands and bloggers.

At the beginning of May, Nashville and surrounding areas in Tennessee experienced unprecedented flooding. There was flash flooding and then rivers that crested well above their banks flooding homes, office buildings, landmarks, farms, football stadium, schools, restaurants, and streets.

It’s now well known that major media outlets ignored this natural disaster but what’s even more well known is how the citizens of the area stepped up, helped each other out and put life and breath into the state motto, “The Volunteer State”.

But in order for Nashville to truly thrive again, people must believe in Nashville again. Tourism is vital to the economy, as is dollars being put back into local industry like restaurants, shops, small businesses, entertainment and locally grown produce.

When the Cumberland River, which flows through downtown Nashville, flooded into the city, one big question on everyone’s mind was, “How will this affect the CMA Music Festival?” The CMA Music Festival was scheduled to begin just about a month out from the flood and several venues, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and the football stadium where the concerts are held, had experienced flooding.

And yet on June 10, the CMA Music Festival opened not a minute behind schedule. This event brings millions of dollars of tourism money into Nashville. It’s a festival that has been become an iconic part of Nashville summers and important boon to the local economy.

Now you’re wondering what this has to do with brand and bloggers. Through relationships formed via Blissdom (a blogging conference held in Nashville), Manwich (a ConAgra brand) arranged for some Nashville bloggers to experience a Nashville night out that included dinner at a Nashville hot spot, limousine transportation and tickets to the CMA Music Festival concert.

It would be really easy to view this as just another blogger perk from a brand. But I know better than that. I’m from Nashville and I’m a blogger and I was in that group that night.

As much fun as it was to be treated to a night out, it was even more heartwarming to know my city was being supported as well. When a brand treats you to dinner in your town and purchases tickets to an event for you to attend (be it a concert, or sporting event or even movie pass) they are supporting local economy. When a brand comes to your area and hosts special events, they support local economy. When a brand puts money into a blogging conference, they support local economy.

Thank you, Manwich! Thank you for believing in Nashville and in bloggers! It’s a win-win-win!

photos courtesy of Dawn Camp, Alli Worthington, and Malia Carden