Open Letter to the RI Business Community

by Steve Maciel

Allow me to suggest we rally our accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors around a plan of action to create demand for, and drive traffic to, state-based businesses – with a special focus on Main Street business – via value-added packaging. The intent is to form a mutually beneficial alliance of strategic partners with the purpose of generating greater commerce by increasing accommodation occupancy rates and extending a warm invitation to purchase Rhode Island based products and services.

Primary Components:

Implement a statewide marketing and merchandising campaign (tentatively) called First Shift. This campaign shifts our focus to some of the things we are “First” at in areas where we excel, our strengths:

1) Romance Hospitality – Newport named 2nd most romantic city in US. Open Table, Feb. 4, 2016

2) Historic Firsts, i.e.: The First Two Week Vacation in US History – Giovanni da Verrazzano Letter to King Francis 1 of France, July 8, 1524).

The First Shift Campaign is specifically designed to enhance existing Tourism accommodation packages via value-added incentives to create economic benefit including:

• Making our area more attractive as an overnight destination primarily during shoulder seasons
• Capitalizing all existing tourists by motivating them to Shop & Dine Like a Local
• Motivating RI Residents to take “near-cations” that include an overnight stay – each overnight RI visitor generates $435 in expenditures and adds $257 in RI gross state product. 2012 Global Insight Study
• As an added benefit: This campaign also helps make our state more likely to retain and attract business by demonstrating a sharp focus on state-based/local companies.*

Suggested Specific Actions:

• Over-and-above existing Tourism packages, offer value-added “Stay, Shop & Dine” hospitality perks to target consumers. One suggested target is those seeking a romance experience. This lucrative, leisure travel demographic is an ideal fit for this campaign’s Accommodation/Hospitality/Culinary/Retail/Arts & Entertainment focus.
• These perks can be bundled around existing premiums such as a branded souvenir gift bag to showcase samples of our products and services, coupled with a mobile app (or simple coupons) to deliver value. (*This action creates demand at both wholesale and retail levels.) These premium offers can be subsidized as a form of media within existing business and organization marketing budgets.
• Share a version of this promotional message: “Book your best RI Vacation Package, and upon check-in, we’ll present you with a complimentary value-package showcasing all that’s great about our state.”
• Implementation time period: Our lowest occupancy month of February, centered around Valentine’s Day. The Romance Packaging theme can then radiate out across our shoulder seasons.

These enhanced packages help engage customers and tells our unique story through a direct-to-consumer sampling experience. They can be offered immediately by bundling existing amenities/incentives and continually grow more elaborate.

I am proposing that our business community, with state government cooperation, adopt and incorporate this campaign as part of our marketing strategy infrastructure. My colleagues and I are in the process of test marketing aspects of this campaign and building a database of strategic partners who want to see this, or a similar plan, come to fruition. Consider joining us? [email protected]

Follow us on Facebook, at: https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverRIFirst/

Thank you!

Steve Maciel, Founder, “1 of 52” Hunger Network, 401-368-1325 – DiscoverRIFirst