MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

A KEY GOAL OF THE DOWNTOWN ITHACA ALLIANCE (DIA) IS TO POSITION AND MARKET DOWNTOWN ITHACA AS A PLACE TO SHOP, DINE, VISIT, AND PARTAKE IN ENTERTAINMENT OFFERINGS. IT IS ALSO A PLACE TO MARKET FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AND WORK. MARKETING, WORKING TOGETHER WITH COMMUNICATIONS, CHARGED WITH MANAGING AND OVERSEEING INTEGRATED ADVERTISING, MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AMONG EVENTS, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, TO ENSURE THE VISUAL AND WRITTEN MESSAGE TO PUBLIC AND AMONG STAKEHOLDERS, RETAINS THE VOICE AND BRAND OF THE DIA ORGANIZATION OR OF THE DOWNTOWN ITHACA DESTINATION.

Downtown Gift Card Promotion And Administration

Considered the most versatile gift card in the region, the downtown card is accepted at over 100 downtown locations and works just like a prepaid visa or mastercard gift card. The downtown Ithaca gift card provides customers with a large variety of shopping and dining options in the district and more importantly, keeps store purchases local and retains more tax dollars in the community. The DIA maintains the gift card program at no cost to downtown businesses. Our 2023 goal is to attain at least $70,000 in local sales. In 2022, we had $53,868.00 in sales.

Ithaca Loves Teachers

Ithaca Loves Teachers is a direct-marketing initiative in partnership with the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce to promote visiting or staying in Ithaca to K-12 teachers and staff in the New York public school system during their February winter break. For over 10 years now, ILT continues to be an effective promotion to help businesses during an especially slow time in business and tourism. Taking place in February each year, ILT returned to an in-person event stretched over two weeks to allow teachers to spread out their activities and the registration passes moved to a web-based software application allowing for teachers to access their deals, check-in at businesses, and redeem them from their smartphone devices. Over 2000 teachers participated in the February 2023 promotion.

Continue Implementing An Ongoing Seasonal Advertising Program

Throughout the year, the DIA marketing staff will create and manage a seasonal advertising program that fulfills the annual marketing plan, utilizing electronic, print, and social media as appropriate. This helps continue to attract visitors and tourists to our downtown area and downtown events.

Pedestrian Counter Project

In 2023 we will continue our contracts with Springboard for our current pedestrian counter locations. We will provide period reports to committees and make data available to downtown businesses and prospects.

Welcome Student Weekend

The DIA will work with Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) for this year’s 2023 Welcome Student Weekend. We’ve combined them all into one weekend this year and this day is intended to be welcoming orientations to the community and Downtown for new students, providing them with an opportunity to learn how to navigate Downtown and how to access Downtown via TCAT.

Contract For Placer Marketing Data

The DIA pays for Placer AI software to provide us with state-of-the-art marketing data and analytics that will assist us in advertising placement, in designing programs and events, and business development (both recruitment and retention).