Buried in the brouhaha about how to handle advertising and marketing for the state is the sense that- hey, we’ve already built it, so they will come (not exactly “Field of Dreams”, but you get the gist). If simple existence was sufficient to ensure that our #1 industry would keep performing as it has historically (minus those pesky, short-term rentals), the conundrum over who and how to market Hawai`i wouldn’t be such an important struggle.
But lest local consumers think that our speck in the ocean is an “automatic” when it comes to luring hard-earned, discretionary spending, heed the wise words of Ford Motors’ founder, Henry Ford, who said, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time”. The price we’d pay might be steep, too steep for Hawai`i to risk, no matter how we invariably market, who does it, or who we’re trying to reach.
If branding is the issue du jour, then let the debate begin. But if you really think we can cut way back and still maintain our current visitor positioning (a big chunk of our tax base), then you’d better inform Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Coca Cola, Disney, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, McDonalds, Toyota, Intel, Coca Cola, Nike, AT&T, and VISA… the most recognized brands in the world, most with many decades pursuing customer recognition. Yet they’re all still out there daily, reminding us of their products, value proposition, and mere existence.
And yes, Hawai`i is “different”, but so claims Mexico, Canada, California, Florida, New York, the Caribbean, and other destinations that crave inbound visitors (and spending). Sure, we want a savvier, more culturally-aware visitor who’ll spend more money than in the past so we won’t need as many bodies visiting to reach annual revenue goals to ensure happiness for hotel operators and Hawai’i’s tax coffers.
But to suggest that we can rest on our laurels and save $25 – $50 million a year because “they’ll come anyway” is most likely naïve and quite possibly dangerous. Studies from the past 100 years show that entities advertising during a recession received higher sales than those that cut back. “Penny-wise and pound-foolish” is not a viable marketing plan. A robust, consistent marketing strategy featuring destination marketing targeted to various locales is essential in building loyalty, equity, and vital top-of-mind positioning. We can’t a Ford not to…
Think about it…