Turning a neighborhood into a destination

The owners of the South Bark Dog Wash in San Diego decided that it would benefit them to organize the other businesses in their South Park neighborhood, so they started the South Park Business Council. Together they host a quarterly event called the South Park Walkabout.

Here is the card for the December Walkabout:

On the back, a map of the neighborhood with every participating business.

These evening events include free rides around the neighborhood in a funky bus and special activities like food, raffles, bingo, or music. The Grove hosted the San Diego Mandolin Orchestra.


The Daily Scoop on Juniper had specialty cocoa.

Many stores featured holiday decorations, free food, and later hours.

The business council also produces a full-page ad in the monthly neighborhood newspaper, creating the sense that South Park is a destination. Pooling their resources has more impact than running small individual ads.

Tip of the day: Think of ways you can partner with other businesses in your area, instead of thinking of them as the competition.

This is an excerpt from Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Handbook for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries, coming in May '07 from Left Coast Press.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, destination marketing, South Bark Dog Wash, The Grove, San Diego, South Park Walkabout