By GREGORY ZELLER //
As winter drags on, you may be dreaming of a week in warm and sunny Arizona. Long Island’s top tourism bureau is hoping Arizonans are dreaming the exact opposite.
Of course, Discover Long Island doesn’t care when residents of Phoenix, Scottsdale and surrounding Arizona communities come to the Island – winter, summer or otherwise. They’re just hoping they’ll come, and to increase the odds, LI’s official destination-marketing organization has launched an ambitious advertising campaign in and around the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The package of social media, television and digital ads comprises Discover Long Island’s first-ever western advertising campaign – a six-week promotion that officially launched Jan. 25, runs through this weekend and paints Long Island as “an ideal destination for Phoenix/Scottsdale residents looking for a coastal escape,” according to Discover Long Island President and CEO Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds.
Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds: Phoenician connection.
That sounds like a tough sell – a six-hour flight to one coast versus a six-hour drive to the other – but Discover Long Island insists it has the intel: Based on “geo-location data obtained through mobile devices” and studies of regional consumer-spending habits, the tourism bureau “can confirm there is strong interest in [Long Island’s] assets,” not only from Phoenix residents but from Los Angelenos, living right there on the left coast.
Reynolds, herself an Arizona-to-Long Island transplant, can confirm the phenomenon – and assured Arizonans, Californians and everyone else that the Island’s miles of world-class beaches, proximity to New York City, thriving wine country, first-rate dining and entertainment options and other attractions never disappoint.
“Long Island offers endless experiences and celebrates all four seasons,” the Discover Long Island CEO added.
Also building that Phoenician-Islander momentum is Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, a Paradise Valley, Ariz. resort acquired in November 2021 by Montauk-based Gurney’s Resorts, which already maintains multiple East Coast properties.
That move convinced Discover Long Island that the time was right to begin a western marketing push – and Gurney’s Resorts Executive Vice President Michael Nenner agreed, noting Sanctuary Camelback guests have a “luxury expectation … synonymous with that of the Hamptons.”
“Gurney’s Resorts recognizes the evolution of Scottsdale as a world-class destination,” Nenner said in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with Discover Long Island as they captivate Greater Phoenix residents with their new campaign and champion the connection between the two premier destinations.”
