On a recent trip south on I-95, I came upon those familiar billboards that begin in North Carolina. You know the ones I mean…the sombreros, Pedro and the excitement they build as you get closer and closer to South of the Border in South Carolina. Many are the same signs I remember as a child as the family headed down to Florida in the station wagon.
South of the Border has been beckoning tourists in the same manner for 6 decades. You won’t find them on Twitter. You won’t see Pedro offering his forecast of “Cold Today, Hot Tamale” in any vacation guides. They don’t have a Facebook page. Their website is more about information than a sales pitch to come visit.
South of the Border has been sticking with what works for them for over 60 years. But, does it really work? The place is a tired looking side show with cheesy t-shirt shops and empty buildings. Yes, I did I personal visit to see what has changed…and what has not.
Seems someone at SOTB is trying to modernize. There’s IS a website. They even have a blog (though there are very few entries and it hasn’t been updated in over a month). But, what if they REALLY modernized?
- SOTB has a Foundation that directly supports the local community. Did you know that? Probably not and you won’t see it on any of their billboards either (WHY?)
- SOTB advertises their Motor Inn featuring jacuzzi’s in the rooms. Seriously? The image that puts in my head is not a comfortable, quality night of sleep. It’s time to contract that puppy out to Marriott and let consumers book their rooms online!
- SOTB has been a mainstay along 301 (and I-95) for over half a century. The history of the place is actually, quite interesting. Where is the museum to share this with the world?
- Engage the car traffic with those billboards! ”Text “PEDRO” to “quatro, uno, tres” for a special offer”
- Get a Facebook page! After all, it’s FREE! Consumers have already created a Facebook group – they want to engage with SOTB and you should listen to them!
Tried and true marketing efforts can still work; but must be modernized to avoid becoming tired marketing efforts.
