Page 2 - MidWeek - April 26, 2023

2 MIDWEEK APRIL 26, 2023
Choosing What ‘Home’ Will Mean
“This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a mo- ment on the yesterdays.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
BAd, Man!
uried in the brouhaha about how to handle adver-
They waited quietly under a wooden pa- vilion, a shelter from passing showers. The dozen at-risk teenagers had trav- eled over the Koʻolau Range to reach the Women’s Com- munity Correctional Center. For the first time, they would meet the women prisoners, their writing buddies. The theme for their gathering was “home.”
with kindness.
Ha’aha’a, to be expressed
tising and marketing for the state is the sense that,
with humbleness.
Ahonui, to be expressed
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 No. 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.
with patience.
Roused, the group stood,
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.
By sharing their stories, the women were investing in preventing these young peo- ple from making the same mistakes they had made. Ka Moaʻe, the gentle trade wind, rifled their papers, and then they began.
Through a pen pal program, teens and women at a local correctional facility wrote to each other about what “home” meant to them.
held hands and joined in an impassioned rendition of Ha- waiʻi Aloha, echoing Pilahi’s philosophy.
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, Sam- sung, Louis Vuitton, McDonald’s, Toyota, Intel, Nike, AT&T and VISA — the most recognized brands in the world, most with many decades pursuing customer rec- ognition. Yet they’re all still out there daily, reminding us of their products, value proposition and mere existence.
With trepidation, some hesitantly, some boldly, spoke into a microphone, sharing passages they had written. An inmate in a red
The teens also spoke. “Home” in the housing proj- ect where he lived, said one boy, was an unsafe place where the scent of pakalolo wafted through the air, gangs roamed and kūpuna, patrolled the streets nightly.
At some point, two boys and a girl shared what their counselor, Coach Silva, had taught them about Pilahi Pa- ki’s ALOHA:
Anita ‘Ilima Stern is a re- tired elementary school teach- er, as well as a kumu hula.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Robin Stephens Rohr and Lynne Johnson.
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 rev- enue goals and thus ensure happiness for hotel operators and Hawai‘i’s tax coffers.
KELLEY
shirt choked back tears as she read her story about leaving home and children far behind.
A thin, shy girl with sad eyes and no more than 14 years old, had a recurring theme in her piece — home
Akahai, to be expressed with modesty.
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
Lokahi, to be expressed with unity.
“If I were your age and I
‘Oluʻolu, to be expressed
had to do it over again, I’d make better choices,” she said as she quietly sobbed.
alone. She wept, saying the only comfort and safety she remembered was her grand- mother’s house, now visited only in memories and dreams.
With that road map, in- mates and teens alike pledged to grow beyond past experi- ences, to redirect their path- ways and to make their future homes places of safety, com- fort and light.
But to suggest that we can rest on our laurels and save $25 million to $50 million a year because “they’ll come anyway” is most likely naïve and quite possibly danger- ous. 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 market- ing 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.
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com