The Rhode Island Tourism Fiasco: 3 Marketing Lessons
Well, intended or not, Rhode Island certainly knows how to get itself into the news! It has received a lot of attention over the last week, despite being the smallest state in the union.
The heart of the matter involved a new state campaign to help raise awareness, boost tourism, and position RI as a great destination. A combination of missteps, however, turned what might have been an impressive effort to increase publicity into a firestorm all over social, print and broadcast media. It put the marketing chief, designers, video team and governor all in hot water — hard to do this time of year back east.
The proposed slogan, “Cooler and Warmer,” left a lot of people scratching their heads. If you have to tell people you’re cool, you’re not really cool. If it refers to the weather, um, well, that’s not a consistently strong aspect of Rhode Island to play up. The logo, which was supposed to look like a sail, looked like a shark fin to some and to others, like a bland corporate design. Where was the cache to the state?
The promotional video accidentally included brief footage from Iceland. The website featured a few landmarks that weren’t even in the state, but in nearby Massachusetts (Oh, the horror!). It left out some major restaurants, and featured a chef who had passed away. What???
The approximate total of the initiative, which included the design, slogan, and media buys was by all accounts close to $5 million — this for a state that is still reeling from the financial debacle that was 38 Studios, a $75 million state loan to a video game company that ultimately defaulted and left Rhode Island taxpayers holding the bag.
Some of the best responses on Twitter when the program was rolled out came as the result of @RIprobz (RI Problems), who asked followers to tweet out possible replacement slogans using the hashtag #BetterRISlogan. Among my favorites:
“Rhode Island: the best 30 minutes you’ll ever have on I-95”
“Rhode Island: more Dunkin’ Donuts than people!”
“Welcome to Rhode Island. Now leaving Rhode Island.”
“Rhode Island: We’re the best part of Connecticut.”
“Rhode Island: 3% bigger at low tide.”
“Rhode Island: That’s where Almacs used to be.”
The governor was no doubt caught flat-footed by the vehement reaction from Rhode Islanders to her team’s effort. Initially she tried to support the campaign, but to her credit, recognized how damaging the outfall could be long-term if she held her ground. Rhode Islanders are at once self-deprecating and witheringly witty about the pros and cons of living in their state. They know their brand.
Fortunately, the governor reversed herself and they are starting anew, inviting participation from the locals. The marketing chief, who was not a native Rhode Islander, has resigned. The agency that created the video quickly made a new clip spoofing themselves on the Iceland faux pas, a good move when the natural inclination might have been to hide and stay out of the fray. This entire storm in a Gaspee teacup transpired over just a few days, turning the state into a spectacle just in time for April Fool’s Day.
What are the takeaways?
1. Just as former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill (from Massachusetts) famously said that all politics is local, all logos are local. Corporate and government executives alike should seek input first from those who know the brand best. Social media is an excellent way to solicit input early on when constituents are geographically dispersed.
2. When hiring someone to articulate your brand, where possible find the person who grew up in the company or state. They will live and breathe the brand, and won’t miss important details.
3. When faced with overwhelming resistance, it’s critical to recognize when it is time to admit the mistake and start over. The faster that is accomplished, the better in the long run. It shows you are listening.
Being in the public eye is no picnic. As a marketing professional, I have true empathy for all of the parties involved, yet as a native Rhode Islander, I feel so disappointed that a chance to showcase the unique combination of the state’s beautiful ocean shores, fascinating colonial history and mouth-watering culinary scene was bungled. You won’t find a prouder, wittier, more stalwart group of people. I know.
