#NewRoConnects

About Project

Campaign Objective:

The City of New Rochelle sought to expand its young creative community by encouraging relocations from in and around NYC to New Rochelle, a shoreline city located 30-minutes from NYC.

The #NewRoConnects campaign’s primary target audience was creative entrepreneurs, 20-35 years old, and secondarily, all millennials. The objective of this campaign was to get young creatives to choose New Rochelle, a newer, innovative, ambitious creative city offering a lively, colorful place to live, but which also allows individuals places of quiet solitude.

Strategy:

The #NewRoConnects campaign launched around a hashtag contest that utilized an apartment give-away to attract and motivate young creative entrepreneurs to move to New Rochelle, where they can grow, live, and create. Contestants were required to submit a 30 to 60 second video on why they want to live, create, and grow in New Rochelle, and post on Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #NewRoConnects. The winner will live rent free for 12 months, save money and utilize the small business programs provided by the City of New Rochelle.

To further engage entrants, a website was created (www.ideallynewrochelle.com/contest) to promote the campaign and guide entrants in submissions. The submissions were featured on the site, creating a virtual gallery of videos promoting the benefits of life in New Rochelle. Social posts drove markets to the website to view, share, like and vote on their favorite videos.

Message:

The #NewRoConnects campaign utilized the idea of connections in an ampersand that paired creativity with lifestyle. It told the market they could Work Like a Boss & Play Like a Beast in New Rochelle, living a life of Grit & Games and Passion & Play of New Rochelle, in a city on the train line that will have them There In Time & Back In No Time to Make a Splash & Take a Splash in the city by the sea that’s shaking up the market.

Outcome:

The #NewRoConnects campaign was promoted on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest and through OOH (Out of Home) placements on transit, streetscapes and billboards.

Instagram placements propelled success topping 11,597 impressions, with more than 30% falling directly within target audience demographics.

The use of short-form videos, targeted hashtags, clear and concise copy with entry instructions, high frequency posting, and collaboration with local partners drove attention to New Rochelle, increasing contest applications, follows, and likes.

During the timeframe of the campaign:

Instagram reached 87.2% more accounts than in the two months preceding the campaign, including a 98.4% increase in reach to non-followers, and engaged 84.4% more accounts overall.

Twitter reached 4.5x more accounts than in the two months preceding the campaign.

Facebook reached 70.1% more accounts than in the two months preceding the campaign.