Success Stories
Integrated Marketing
Hawaiian Host 80th Anniversary Celebration

Background
Hawaiian Host, one of Hawaii's premier candy makers, wanted to celebrate the 80th year of the original chocolate-covered macadamia nut. Bright Light Marketing created two anniversary promotions. The first, an online trivia and radio promotion with KSSK, the highest rated radio station in the islands, was designed to emphasize the company's long history in the islands. The second launched a new product line, while highlighting the 80th year of Hawaii's favorite gift to the world.

Creative Approach
Bright Light Marketing utilized an integrated marketing approach, comprised of public relations, advertising, online marketing, and special events to celebrate the 80th year of the chocolate-covered macadamia nut.

The 80th Anniversary Trivia Contest on KSSK radio invited listeners to enter a trivia contest to win a trip for two to Las Vegas (Hawaii residents favorite vacation destination). In addition to contest and 80th anniversary announcements, publicity included two television news features on the 80th anniversary and the chocolate macadamia nut factory; full-page feature in the Food section of the Honolulu Advertiser; and an appearance of the contest winner and Hawaiian Host representatives in the highly rated Perry & Price radio show .

The second promotion offered a Willie Wonka style Golden Ticket Giveaway with 60,000 Golden Tickets placed on snack-easy bags in six macadamia nut flavors. Each Golden Ticket contained a computer code, which holders could enter at www.hawaiianhost80.com. The grand prize winner would be chosen randomly from 80 winning codes. Bright Light Marketing worked with Hawaiian Host's advertising agency to promote the contest with TV and print buys. Bright Light secured a cover story on Hawaiian Host's new board president and the Golden Ticket promotion in MidWeek, which boasts the largest print circulation in the State; and stories in print and online, media. A Hawaiian Host Chocolate Macadamia Nut Day celebration, another publicity opportunity, was held at Hawaii's largest shopping mall, Ala Moana Shopping Center, with entertainment, prize giveaways, and the announcement of the Golden Ticket grand prize winner.

Results
The integrated marketing approach expanded the promotional reach of the anniversary celebration and enhanced Hawaiian Host's image and product awareness in a highly competitive market.

Publicity and Promotions
Made in Hawaii Festival

Background
Each year since its inception, the Made in Hawaii Festival has progressively expanded in terms of the quality of the event and attendance. Having worked on the Festival since 1998, Bright Light Marketing's challenge is to create fresh, new story angles to entice media to cover the Festival.

Made in Hawaii Festival objectives are: 1) to generate increased awareness of the festival and its exhibitors; 2) to educate the public about the quality, variety and breadth of Hawaii-made products; 3) to increase attendance at the annual event; and 4) to encourage festival-goers to support the local economy by purchasing Hawaii-made products.

Creative Approach
Bright Light Marketing's communications program covers research; interviewing exhibitors for background information; writing and distribution of calendar listings, news releases, and media advisories; developing interesting story angles; media solicitations for print and broadcast coverage; writing profiles on selected exhibitors; and coordination of interviews and media inquiries.

Results
Over the years, due in part to media coverage coordinated by Bright Light Marketing, attendance to the event has steadily grown from 15,000 in its first year to 35,000 in 2007, an attendance record. The number of exhibitor booths also increased from 61 booths in its first year to 420 booths in 2007. Organizers believe this growth can be attributed in part to the on-going communication program, which won for Bright Light Marketing, two consecutive Ilima Awards of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators Hawaii Chapter.

Bright Light Marketing continues to work on this Festival as an annual project.

Restaurant Launch
Sam Choy's Restaurants

Background
Bright Light Marketing was brought in to assist with the opening of Sam Choy's two restaurants on Oahu— Sam Choy's Diamond Head and Breakfast Lunch and Crab —at a time when the chef was just making a name for himself as a leader in the emerging Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement. The challenge was to create attention-grabbing tactics and acquire national, local, and international media coverage.

Creative Approach
Bright Light Marketing invented the name for Sam Choy's Breakfast Lunch & Crab, as well as assisted in naming signature dishes, and creating the slogan, "Never Trust a Skinny Chef," placed on Sam Choy's aprons and flyers. We also coordinated and hosted meals for food reviewers, travel writers and concierges, and fielded media calls and pitched story angles.

Results
Our publicity efforts resulted in numerous feature stories in local and national media. Our efforts also helped Chef Sam become a national figure and Hawaii's culinary ambassador. Once launched, the restaurants have become popular with residents and visitors alike.

Now that the restaurants are established, ongoing public relations is handled in-house; however, our firm continues to assist on a project basis.



Special Event
Honolulu Family Festival

Background
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Council Chair Donovan Dela Cruz created the Honolulu Centennial Celebration Commission on March 14, 2005. Bright Light Marketing was selected to help plan and execute a year-long celebration for Honolulu’s 100th birthday, with a series of large-scale and unforgettable events scheduled in 2006.

Creative Approach
A four-day festival was organized at Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park. Reminiscent of the old days when fairs and carnivals held on the sea shore, it offered food booths, local entertainment, and carnival games and rides. A highlight of the centennial celebration was the presentation of the largest cake to be baked in city history. The birthday cake, 15 feet long by 18 feet wide, served 10,000 people. A black-tie gala, held at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, honored 100 of Honolulu’s most influential citizens over the past 100 years. Bright Light Marketing planned and staffed the event, arranged publicity, and sold tickets.

Results
 Bright Light Marketing's planning, coordination, and executive role resulted in extensive coverage in local and national media. Thousands of children and families attended the weekend festival. The gala event sold out.

Since its successful inaugural year, the Honolulu Family Festival has become an annual event. In 2007, the festival had set a record-breaking attendance of more than 65,000 people. In 2008, and in 2009, the festival is now celebrated over two weekends.

Media Events
Hank's Haute Dogs

Background
After closing his nationally acclaimed Trio restaurant in Chicago, noted restaurateur Henry "Hank" Adaniya moved to Oahu with a vision of filling a void in the islands by offering two contrasting elements, luxury and fast food, with one simple item: gourmet hot dogs. Hank asked Bright Light Marketing to ready Hank's Haute Dogs for a June 2007 opening. The budget was small and so was the restaurant located in the backstreets of Kakaako.

Creative Approach
Along with flyers, news releases, media pitches, and press kits, Bright Light Marketing planned and coordinated a series of special media preview parties over a five-month period, geared towards food, style, and travel writers, television personalities, and Japanese media. Bright Light Marketing also tapped into the new media industry by inviting food bloggers to the events. One of the special media events featured Bravo's Top Chef finalist Dale Levitzky to announce more weekend hours and "Haute Nites" to kick off night hours for the restaurant.

Results
 Hank uses no advertising, relying purely on public relations for branding and promotions. The media events generated extensive coverage in print, broadcast , and online media "We're probably the most written-about restaurant in Honolulu," says Hank. On opening day, when KHON2/Fox Morning News (the highest-rated network morning news in Hawaii) featured Hank's Haute Dogs, the restaurant sold out by 12:30 noon, experiencing 200-300 percent more sales than projected. Residual effects from the initial publicity efforts are still being felt, with sales increasing 20 to 30 percent each quarter.