PROVIDENCE – R.I. Commerce Corp. recently unveiled a long-planned statewide marketing campaign, announcing to the world the Ocean State is “All That” and a perfect place to spend tourism dollars that can trickle down to local municipalities.
Regional tourism leaders were not part of the state's videotaped public announcement, though they were consulted during the campaign's development and have agreed to
use the "All That" marketing material.
R.I. Commerce Corp. Chief Marketing Officer Anika Kimble-Huntley told Providence Business News the first salvo of short videos unveiled Feb. 21 was not the campaign "in its entirety.” There will be billboards, digital and streaming ads, video spots appearing in 20 air service markets throughout the country. She vowed to "run several social media promotions for locals" and noted that residents will be expected to be "brand ambassadors" for the new campaign.
Regional tourism leaders PBN spoke with are generally supportive of the evolving new campaign's goals. Residents' role in helping build support for and authenticity in a campaign touted as "a new dawn of tourism" remains unclear, however, beyond sharing a new hashtag, #AllThatRI.
More than 60% of 125 respondents to a recent PBN.com poll were not impressed with the new campaign, with almost 46% saying they expected more from R.I. Commerce after a year of planning; about 4% weren't sure.
Louise Bishop, CEO and president of the South County Tourism Council, said the organization attended weekly meetings with R.I. Commerce representatives in the months before the launch. They were glad the video package touched on multiple Rhode Island locations and activities, including its culinary offerings, shoreline, museums and nightlife.
“We are all intertwined. With six [tourism] regions in the state, we have to collaborate on things. Everybody has a different set of assets,” she said. “So, it makes our job easier if we are able to convey what we have going on here.”
If locals are not sold on "All That," other less-impressive slogans were floated, said Bishop, including "Dive In."
But pleasing Rhode Islanders is not the main objective, she noted, despite the use of public dollars. The entire state benefits when these investments translate to revenue.
“It's not supposed to be geared towards locals," she said. "It's for everyone outside of Rhode Island. That’s our job in marketing and public relations."
Kristen Adamo, president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, declined to comment on the specifics of the project but said the bureau was consulted during the process and remained “supportive of Commerce’s efforts.”
Adamo said it can be a challenge to woo audiences outside your borders and that time will tell if the campaign is ultimately successful.
“Tourism marketing looks to communicate outward to people who don’t live in Rhode Island. If a tourism campaign can be proven effective through quantitative means like increased visitation or web analytics, then it is effective,” she said.
Evan Smith, Discover Newport CEO and president, said the organization was “pleased to see the investment in tourism development and doing so with new strategies.”
“The economic impact of tourism in the state is immense and we all benefit when a campaign attracts new visitors to enjoy everything that Rhode Island has to offer,” he said.
Created in partnership with the Florida-based consulting firm The Zimmerman Agency, which was awarded a $2.2 million contract in June 2023, the campaign cost $482,624 to produce. There was also a collaboration with the Jennifer Hudson Show funded through the agency’s tourism budget, and, according to R.I. Commerce, it was the first time a tourism corporation partnered with a daytime talk show to launch a marketing campaign.
Installations were installed in select markets through a combination of social, digital and broadcast advertisements, which promised “a new dawn of tourism” in a state “ready to welcome every variation of traveler.”
Robert Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, was happy with the roll-out and said the council was consulted on the campaign “all along the way” to its fruition.
“You are never going to please everybody. Somebody must lead the way,” he said. “Whether we think its 100% perfect for us is not the concern. We are pleased [Kimble-Huntley] is out there slugging and trying things that others would be too timid to do. It’s not good to stay safe.”
Adamo is confident state tourism leaders will be keeping a close eye on the return long after the initial social media dust settles.
“Rhode Island tourism has always been data-driven in its approach,” she said. “I am sure they will be closely monitoring the campaign’s success and adjusting if need be.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com
