Hear them roar, softly: “The Coast Is Clear, Naples, Florida”
As I sit on the balcony, gazing into the sunset, the rhythmic sound of waves, crashing softly on the beach, provides the soundtrack. Kids, laughing and playing, pierce the air with joy. Couples stroll, hand-in-hand, into the heavy air that coats the evening breeze.
I am at the Naples Beach Hotel in Naples, Florida. Life is beautiful.
There is just one thing…. For local businesses, the inquiries have slowed. The phones ring less frequently.
You see Naples is on the West Coast of Florida…. the Gulf Coast of Florida. You’ve heard about the BP Oil Spill, haven’t you?
Newsflash: THERE IS NO OIL HERE!! And it is projected at a 1% chance that this area will see any oil.
Yet people listen and watch cable news with one ear and one eye, if that much. It’s maddening enough that businesses is the center of the actual tragedy have to suffer. But why should this area, and others, suffer, too.
Not wanting to wait for the public relations cavalry, some area businesses started a blog: The Coast Is Clear Naples. It just has a few posts and pictures, so far, but it’s a beginning. It brings voice to this beautiful region of Florida and explains to the world that Naples is Open-For-Business.
Tomorrow, I will teach a seminar on social media and give a presentation for a membership drive, to members and guests of the National Association of Wedding Professionals – Naples Chapter. It may seem unlikely to some that a band of mostly small business owners can make sufficient noise to bring business to their community.
I, for one, don’t doubt it for a second. After all, they’ve taken the first step, in the right direction. Hear the rippling waves roar.
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority
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We visit the Naples, FL area every year and this year was no exception! Our favorite beach is Delnor Wiggins Pass, and as expected, it was as perfect as always. While the oil has not touched the beautiful Naples coast, no amount of oil could keep us away – there are far too many other fabulous things to do and see! We’re already counting the days until we’ll be back.