REDISCOVERING
THE SOUTH SHORE
PROJECT RECAP
About Hello! South Shore
"You'll be surprised by all you haven't seen."
The Hello! South Shore project is an initiative of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. It was made possible through a regional pilot grant program from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
We spent the Summer tooting our own horn and shining a light on this beautiful, vibrant place we get to call home - and encouraging our residents to support local businesses recovering from COVID-19 to stay, play and spend local.
Check out our project recap below to learn more about the campaign and what we did to support our region.
Norris Reservation, Norwell
The South Shore is a collection of vibrant, quaint, beautiful New England towns that span from the Quincy to Plymouth along both sides of the Rt. 3 Corridor to the coast. The region has an abundance of things to do, see, create and explore right down the road. This project was centered around the development and creation of a full-scale marketing campaign to encourage South Shore residents to stay, play and spend local.
Project by the Numbers...
Duration
4
The number of months the campaign stretched across during the summer of 2021.
18,500
The number of accounts reached over the project's time period. Overall impressions were up 275% over the project's time period.
Organic Social Reach
81,194
Our organic reach through the South Shore Chamber's social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
Checklists
13
The number of day trip checklists launched throughout the course of the project.
Marketing Reach
986,871
The number of South Shore residents, visitors, and businesses that were reached over the course of the 13-week campaign across all paid and organic advertising and marketing.
Communications
125
The number of unique communications created through email, radio, social media, billboard, magazine and other forms of media.
Geography
25
The number of towns that make up the South Shore that were spotlighted throughout the summer.
Checklist Spotlights
120+
The number of places to visit and explore that were highlighted through our day trip checklists launched each week of the project campaign.
LIVE radio
15
The number LIVE radio spotlights throughout the course of the campaign with guests from across different industries and lifestyle interests.
"Not only does the South Shore feel like home to me, there are so many things to do and the community continues to grow and is so friendly...I did leave and live in NYC for 9 years but always came back to my parents home in Pembroke. My family has built businesses all across the south shore over the years from my grandmother's bridal business to my family's Dairy Queen, we have met many people along the way... I think my favorite part of the South Shore is experiencing all the different seasons and the different things to do with the change of seasons - viewing cranberry bogs, apple picking, beaches, etc. All of the small businesses are top notch and offer such great customer service. "
- Amanda, Pembroke resident
Hello!
Creative Process
It was important for us to work with local businesses and engage their expertise in the development, design and execution of this project.
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We conducted an RFP process for full-service marketing agency for creative development, media placement and execution of marketing strategies for campaign
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We enlisted local businesses to create logo, photography and videography, graphics, website design, and ad creative for media placements.
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Our primary media and communications strategies included - print, social, digital, radio, direct mail, billboards and direct email.
A list of the companies and outlets we worked with along with our ad creative can be found in the section below.
Kayaking on the North River
Marketing & Creative Services
Overall creative:
Hollywood Agency
Photography/Video:
Hawk Visuals
Marshfield Community TV
Heather McCall Photography
Logo design:
Spin 350 Creative
Social Media:
Main Street Media Group
Chamber staff
Quincy Farmers Market, Kilroy Square
Select Media
Placements
Link to 3-page advertorial:
Links to full page ads:
Edible South Shore
Dedicated emails:
(Hello! Kids edition)
Patriot Ledger
(Campaign and Contest)
Links to PR & Earned Media:
"It’s easy to forget how great the region is when you’ve lived here your whole life. I was truly excited about the Hello campaign because it was going to give me a reason to encourage my family to get out of our comfort zone and see how truly special the area is. I love that our region offers so many different opportunities to choose from – whether you feel like a beach day, a hike, taking in some history, or eating something delicious, you can’t be bored here. "
- Heather, Holbrook resident
Adams National Historic Site, Quincy
Hello! Campaign Media Samples
Enjoy some samples from our marketing campaign below - including graphics, website ads, billboard presentation, radio audio and social media posts.
Advertising
Various sized banners utilizing the creative and photos of the South Shore were pushed out through a dedicated 30-day Facebook campaign via LOCALiQ. We saw 194,080 impressions, 2,609 (1.34 click rate). Targeted displays on Facebook had 75,029 impressions/59 clicks and targeted ads off Facebook reached 127,975 people with 176 clicks.
We had two rotating digital ads at the beginning and end of July on Route 3 at the Hanover billboard. It's estimated that 188,220 vehicles passed by with 18,000+ impressions.
We mailed varying postcards to the 1,130 Chamber membership at the beginning and towards the end of the project.
The Chamber's Social Media
We reached 502% more accounts for a total of 19,898 accounts during the campaign on Instagram.
Radio
Three ads were produced and run on WATD 95.9 FM radio. Six commercials per weekday from July 5th through August 31st. Two in the morning reached 40,000; 2 midday reached 30,000 for a total of 252 commercials.
Hello! Excursion Checklists
Spotlighted excursion checklists were created and released each week, for 13 weeks, to raise awareness of the region's wealth of cultural and creative assets among our residents. These excursion checklists included local historical sites, recreational spots, restaurants, breweries and culinary stops, arts, musical performances, real estate and neighborhood development spots and more. By showcasing attractions and elements from each of the 25 communities that make up the region, we looked to drive more foot traffic to local businesses to help bolster economic recovery post-COVID.
Exploring the South Shore by interest
Interest | Excursion Highlights | Impact |
|---|---|---|
Arts & Culture | Spotlighted multiple summer concert series, arts exhibits & events, music venues and local theatre productions to draw attention to cultural opportunities in towns across the region. | Worked with local organizations to highlight music, arts festivals, and local theatre performances. Offered regular promotional giveaways to participate or attend a local concert or show. |
Food & Beverage | Worked with local brewer to create Hello! South Shore Beer. Engaged restaurants and prepared food purveyors for picnic boxes to offer weekly food and beverage promotions to encourage residents to try a new spot and support one of the hardest hit industries. | Limited edition beer sold in 2 weeks, sign-ups for picnic boxes and crudite boxes on two separate occasions sold out and residents discovered some new neighborhoods in the region that have seen revitalization over the past 5 years. |
Open Space & Recreation | Worked with the Marshfield Chamber, an affiliate, to spotlight both the coastal aspects but also the many acres of hiking that is available. | Visitors participated in yoga at the beach, enjoyed the Daniel Webster Sanctuary, visits to local shops, as well as free appetizers from local area restaurant. |
Special Events | Promoted existing summer events like Scituate Heritage Days, Marshfield Lobsterfest, Weymouth 400 and created special Hello! South Shore events at Derby Street Shops and in The Pinehills. | Existing events allowed us an opportunity to encourage residents to explore attractions in the surrounding areas by spotlighting other places to explore nearby. |
History | Spotlighted various historical societies, historical walking tours in Norwell & Hingham and various historical sites, like Fort Revere in Hull and Island Grove Park in Abington. | Opportunity to talk about all the history the region has to offer that falls outside of Plymouth. All towns have some historical hidden gems to explore. |
Samples of the day trip checklists are viewable below. Full list of all daytrip checklists are available on the website here.
Hello! Special Edition Checklists
If you were looking for an interest, we put together a day trip for it! From kids to dogs to what was happening on specific days of the week, we had something for everyone!
"It's a great idea [referring to Hello! South Shore]! People definitely take [this place] for granted - I’m glad we don’t!"
Stephanie C., Plymouth Resident
Hello! Partnerships and Collaboration
Our project started by getting as many people, organizations, businesses and towns together to partner with us to make this campaign a success. We held calls, zoom meetings, and in-person meetings with over 75 individuals, engaged local officials and worked with all member companies as well as non-member companies, organizations and stakeholders in the region. Through these conversations and collaboration, we were able to highlight over 120 places of interest in the 13 “spotlighted” Hello! South Shore excursions and have built a catalog/database of 450+ attractions that fall into one of the following categories: Arts, Music & Theatre; Food & Beverage; Outdoors, Sports & Recreation; History & Culture; and Retail & Shopping.
We established an advisory committee of local organizations and area experts in the tourism, food & beverage, retail, open space, arts, music and history industries. The advisory committee held regular weekly meetings to review progress on project and help to guide our work with collaborating organizations.
Local Towns
Worked with towns to highlight specific interests.
Bramhall's, Plymouth
Restaurants & Retail
Provided area restaurants & food purveyors, plus local craft brewer with a stipend to enhance day trips.
Barrel House Z, Hello! Beer, Weymouth
Residents
Offered easy-to-follow checklists of excursions, food, fun, and networking.
Derby Street Green, Hingham
"I am thrilled to have the South Shore Arts Center featured in the arts/entertainment excursion...thank you for purchasing a gift certificate for a family membership as part of the Hello! South Shore project. I love your forward thinking and so appreciate the support. The South Shore Chamber's gift represents an investment in the Art Center's growth and sustainability...The Chamber plays a much broader role helping us stay connected with fellow businesses, keep informed of new trends, and stewarding us all toward more successful South Shore."
Patrice Maye, Executive Director, South Shore Arts Center
Hello! Swag & Giveaways
We built out our promotion of the Hello! excursions by offering a variety of weekly giveaways that included merchandise or gift certificates to local historical sites, arts organizations, businesses, restaurants, small retailers, experiences, and more. This helped to raise awareness of the campaign and local area attractions and businesses as well as incentivized South Shore residents to get out and explore the towns beyond their own community.
Offerings included:
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Weekly gift basket giveaways composed of goods from over 120 local merchants, restaurants and businesses.
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Weekly "Where in the South Shore" photo contest with gift cards to local establishments.
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South Shore branded merchandise offered at special events - Derby Street Shops The Community Green, Hello! Plymouth Pinehills excursion & Marshfield Chamber of Commerce's Lobsterfest
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EAT South Shore Summer Passport program encouraging residents to dine local and offering chance to win gift cards to local restaurants in exchange
Hello! Resident Spotlights
We asked resident's to share why they love the South Shore and what they discovered this summer in their exploring. See a sampling below. To learn more about some of their favorite finds from the summer, read the Blog!
"We LOVE living close to the beach, trails, shopping and the city. You can always find something to do; whether it’s a summer concert, a Farmer’s Market, a new brewery, a ride on the carousel, or a delicious dinner on the water. I can’t imagine living anywhere else."
- Emily, Weymouth Resident
"The South Shore’s central location is ideal for our lifestyle. Easy to access to cape, hop on the train to Boston and not too far from NH and Maine. It is beautiful - from forests to beaches and kayaking on ponds and rivers. The area is so rich in history. We love that we can raise our children in such a wonderful place."
— Rick, Randolph Resident
Hello!
Final Thoughts
Over a 13 week period, the campaign has reached 950,000 people. It has helped to showcase the South Shore’s offerings in history, art, food, beverage, music and open space. The project has driven community members to frequent local business as they come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and supported new businesses that will grow out of the pandemic.
It elevated the brand of the Chamber among South Shore residents and laid the foundation for future economic development work around placemaking, the cultural economy and local tourism.
We look forward to continuing to use this platform to promote all the South Shore has to offer to it’s residents, its business community and future visitors to the region.
