The We Are Open campaign launched a few weeks ago to support Napier businesses.
Napier City Business Inc (NBCI) is thinking outside the square with its latest campaign to encourage shoppers into the CBD.
We Are Open was launched this month with a video showing business owners from different cultures saying “We are open” in their own language.
“It was so cool. We wanted to send a very clear message, in a respectful and empathetic way. It was really easy to get everyone on board and we were so lucky it was a gorgeous blue-sky Hawke’s Bay day,” says NCBI general manager Pip Thompson.
She says the campaign launch aimed to promote the people behind the message.
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“We wanted to send the message that we have culturally diverse people who live and work in Napier and make it the wonderful place it is.”
She says retailers and hospitality have had three “really dented” years.
“I think everyone has just been hanging in there waiting for a really good season. This year was supposed to be that really good season.”
Thompson believes a national communications focus on Napier city being the heart of Cyclone Gabrielle hasn’t helped.
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“It was a rural disaster that did impact people from Napier’s CBD, but the CBD was unaffected.”
She says when a tourist off a cruise ship asked her how long it had taken to clean up the CBD after the cyclone, she had an “aha” moment.
“I realised this was what the world had…
