Remember the Rhode Island Tourism debacle of the late winter, early spring of 2016. Remember the slogan, Warmer and Cooler. Remember the video, with that skateboarder, yes, the skateboarder from Reykjavik. The state blew up that program and chose Lara Salamano, the Commerce Department’s Chief Marketing Officer, to fix the program. Some $4.3 million was allocated to the project, and much of it put in the hands of three advertising/public relations companies. How has the program worked?
We found out answers to some of those questions, and more, as Lara Salamano, joined me recently on AM 1540 WADK Newport. Salamano is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, leading the coordinated, data-driven, statewide, marketing campaign to bring more tourists and more businesses to Rhode Island.