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Who goes to Kennebunkport, Maine in the winter? No one…that’s who. Until now.
Flash back to 2015: To help our client Kennebunkport Resort Collection (KRC) bridge the revenue gap that plagues such a summer-season destination, we were instrumental in the creation of the Paint the Town Red program. Staking a claim as “New England’s Most Romantic Town,” Kennebunkport rolled out the red carpet of romance throughout the entire month of February…red twinkling lights all throughout town, Red Plate dining specials at all restaurants, Red Tag Sales at retailers, special surprises and décor at area businesses, and more.
Year one (2015) was no small feat, as we had to help KRC rally local support for the program. This program would only work if area businesses would join together and participate to make the program bigger and stronger than just a KRC initiative. Redpoint took the lead on coordination and marketing…and we even contributed our painting skills to the effort, transforming dozens of everyday objects (even hockey sticks) into red ambassadors for the program.
Year two (2016) was a smashing success. KRC’s two year-round hotels were sold out for Paint the Town Red’s opening weekend, and media coverage was extensive: Yankee Magazine, Country Living, The Boston Globe, The Montreal Times, CBS-TV, ShermansTravel, Portland Press Herald, FoxNews, and more. The NBC-TV affiliate in Portland, ME did a full cooking segment with KRC’s leading chef Justin Walker, showcasing romantic meals to cook at home while plugging Paint the Town Red culinary events. Most importantly… KRC’s February occupancy skyrocketed to the point where winter is now “a season.”
Year Three (2017) and Year Four (2018) brought continued media (and revenue) love to KRC, with prominent pieces in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Departures, The Boston Globe, and dozens more. But wait… it gets better. Year Five (2019) expanded the media reach even further, with more than 100 media placements ranging from USA Today, Thrillist and Brides to MSN.com and Coastal Living, and the strong social influencer campaign – anchored by ABC’s The Bachelor contestant Chelsea Roy – featured a host of Instagram takeovers and collaborations to get KRC’s messaging in front of several million people.
In all, over the course of the five-year period, there were more than 2 billion media impressions for the Paint the Town Red program.
Since 2019, and following a pandemic pause, the program continues to mature and evolve, and high profile media and key social influencers are proclaiming “This Maine Town Celebrates Valentine’s Day for the Entire Month of February” and all of KRC’s winter hotels buzz with life from late January through early March.
