Birth of a Village
Situation.
Kiawah Development created a new "downtown" at the crossroads of two resort islands near Charleston, SC . Being much more than just a shopping center, establishing Freshfields Village presented a challenge of developing a long-range marketing plan that would help establish just the right atmosphere for a decidedly upscale customer base. There were a number of skeptical folks with discriminating tastes to win over!
Solution.
Letting the village be a village offered the best strategy, creating events that played upon the strengths of gathering spaces in small towns to draw residents to see and be seen. From opening day, we developed a number of festivals that could capitalize on the small town atmosphere, and provided a full range of entertainment from Easter to Labor Day. Marketing efforts focused on the folksy, laid-back attitude of a small Southern Coastal town and played upon the strengths of the "town square" that is called the Village Green.
Results.
The best compliments came from the residents of the two resort communities, when we heard them say, "Something fun is always happening at Freshfields." The grand opening program added energy to the Village, and helped firmly establish Freshfields as the center of entertainment for the Island Community. The additional festivals that followed in the months after the Memorial Day grand opening helped to fulfill the mission of the Village in developing a sense of community in what used to be a tomato field.
