Stonington Borough is a quaint, historic village in Connecticut, rich in history, loaded with small town charm and situated on a mile-long peninsula that projects into Fisher’s Island Sound and Little Narragansett Bay. It’s a quiet little fishing village with eclectic shops, art galleries, boutiques and restaurants.
The Stonington Borough Merchants Association approached DLP to develop content and manage their social media channels in an effort to build awareness and drive visitors to the town. The initial scope of work has turned into a long partnership that includes strategy, marketing, communications, advertising, events, and design.
Although the SBMA had a website, it wasn’t driving traffic to or creating awareness of the Borough. Alexander started over from scratch, developed a strategy, and reconfigured the site to be more of a destination and travel guide. The full scope included copy, photography, and site management, with original editorial content published each month.
To leverage the unveiling of the Lobster Trap Tree at the Stonington Town Docks on Small Business Saturday, Alexander created and implemented a holiday marketing strategy to drive traffic into brick-and-mortar businesses throughout the holiday season.
The Find the Buoy Holiday Scavenger Hunt was designed to appeal to kids and adults. Planning, messaging, identity graphics, print, social media, content marketing, advertising, and press outreach were included in the scope of work.
The nearly month-long scavenger hunt featured two prizes and was inclusive of a large number of SBMA members. It has become an annual event and participation has grown year over year.
“It seems like everyone is having a great time! Lots of first-time people at Wm. Cole ~ some just want the stamp but some stick around and shop! I've heard great things about the Hunt, the Lobster Pot Tree, the Stroll! What a great kick-off to December but also a great way to end the year!” — Chelsea Parrilla, Wm. Cole
With a modest budget, Alexander creates print and digital graphics for annual events. She also developed a membership kit to attract new businesses to the organization.
Started in 2019 as a small “sidewalk” art fair, the Stonington Borough Art Walk, hosted by the SBMA but managed and promoted by Alexander, is now an annual event featuring the region’s best artists. From logistics to load out, Alexander is involved in every aspect of the event — planning, design, advertising, and photography.