Big Apple Greeter is a free tour service in New York City provided by over 300 volunteers who give tours to 7,000 tourists annually. Founded in 1992, it aims to provide a welcoming experience for visitors and showcase NYC's diversity. The nonprofit partners with other organizations to promote tourism. It uses various social media platforms to engage an international audience and build its brand consistently across each channel.

1. LaTanya Williams
COMS546 Social Media Analysis
2/9/2020

2. A Unique Tourist Experience
Big Apple Greeter is a free service provided for New York City visitors. Lynn Brooks started the
company in 1992 as a unique program designed specifically for welcome visitors. After doing a lot of
travelling abroad, she realized that many people had an interest in visiting New York but were uncertain
about the best way to tour the city. Since then the company has grown to over 300 volunteers who
serve 7,000 tourists each year. Visitors can tour 100 neighborhoods in the New York City area. The
organization has hosted visitors from around the world. Their passion is connecting with people from all
walks of life. They believe in cross-cultural relations and have completed tours in over 20 different
languages. Ultimately, travelers are given the opportunity to enjoy the diverse environment that New
York City offers.
As a partnered organization of the International Greeter Association, a non profit that offers
volunteer greeters to tourists in countries like Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany,
Israel, Japan, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom,
the company provides travelers with a welcoming guide at no cost. The organization serves groups of up
to six people and advocates for sustainable travel. “They respect natural and man-made environments,
bringing both cultural and economic enrichment to local communities,” (“Core Values,” n.d.).
The company is partnered with NYC & Company, a non-profit destination marketing
organization (DMO) and convention and visitors bureau (CVB) whose mission is “to maximize travel and
tourism opportunities throughout the City, build economic prosperity and spread the dynamic image of
New York City around the world,” (“Who We Are,” n.d.). Big Apple Greeter is one of 2000 organizations
that work in concert with NYC & Company, a 501(c) 6 private corporation that represents the interests
of member organizations in New York City.

3. The Make A Wish Foundation of Metro New York is another partner of Big Apple Greeter. The
Make A Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York is a nonprofit the serves children
with critical illnesses. Their mission is, “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical
illnesses,” (“About Us,” n.d.).
The Company’s Mission
“Big Apple Greeter’s mission is to enhance New York City’s worldwide image and enrich the New York
experience by connecting visitors with knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. The mission was
created to accomplish the following goals:
• Promote a friendly, inviting, manageable image of New York City.
• Bolster tourism and foster economic development.
• Create opportunities for New Yorkers to show pride in their city and give back to their city
through volunteering.”
Comparable Companies
The service and support that Big Apple Greeter offers tourist is very unique. But there are
companies that provide similar services. With Locals allows tourists to schedule private tours and
activities, such as food tours, walking tours, day trips, bike tours, and night tours. Cities like Athens,
Lisbon, Rome, and Barcelona offer over 50 authentic tour options. The company serves 40 cities and
provides 800 locals and 1200 travel experiences. The tours are offered by locals and can be personalized
to include venues, local culture, arts, architecture, wine, local delicacies, wildlife, and nature, (“Book
unique private tours,” n.d.).
The major difference is that the company is mainly centered around international destinations.
The only With Locals tours offered in the United States are in the San Francisco area. Popular San

4. Francisco tours include North Beach private tours, bike tours, tastings, Golden State Park tours, and
cultural experiences. Travelers can review profiles of local tour guides and learn about their area of
expertise.
Tours by Locals is another similar company. They have been in business since 2008. They offer
various private tours tailored to the individual needs of the tourist. The company has over 400 guides
available in over 164 countries. Top destinations include London, Kyoto, Rome, and New York City. Other
regions that provide local guides are Brazil, Central America, Spain, Portugal, and New Zealand. Tourists
can easily search for tours, reach out to guides, book tours, and make payments online.
Similar to Big Apple Greeter, Tours by Locals does offer its services in New York City. The tours
are varied and provide opportunities for travels to visit area staples like Central Park, the Hudson River
Valley, Grand Central Station, the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, and the Gold Coast
Gardens. Tourists can also explore cities like Brooklyn, Manhattan, Harlem, and Greenwich Village. Tours
can be coordinated for up to 10 travelers with various activity levels in the form of half day or full day
tours, (“Find A Tour,” n.d.)
Target Audience
“Market segmentation is the process of dividing a market into distinct groups that have
common needs and characteristics,” (Tuten and Solomon, 2018, p. 38). According to North Star
Meetings Group, New York had over 60 million tourists in 2018, including 50 million national and 13
million global visitors (Doyle, 2019). Each year millions of tourists visit New York City. It is a popular
destination for global travelers with an endless amount of renowned tourist sites like the World Trade
Center, Time Square, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Many infamous television shows and movies are
recorded in New York City. Additionally, the area is widely known for artistic events, performances, and
shows.

5. The organization targets thousands of travelers interested in exploring the region. Doyle says,
“The top five international markets for 2018 NYC visitation were: The United Kingdom (1.24 million),
China (1.1 million), Canada (1 million), Brazil (920,000) and France (807,000),” (2019). The non-profit
also contributes to the booming tourist economy by partnering with various restaurants, hotels,
businesses, and venues.
Social Media
Big Apple Greeter uses several platforms to build brand awareness and engage its audience of
worldwide travelers. In addition to a standard website, the non-profit also promotes content on
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The demographics for the YouTube site are very diverse.
The videos feature local greeters and tourists of various ages and cultures. The followers on Twitter,
Instagram, and Facebook are also very diverse. Many of the followers include local leaders from
different boroughs, marketing professionals, travel writers, and counsel members.
Details on the Big Apple Greeter organization can be found at the following sites:
www.bigapplegreeter.org
www.YouTube.com/bigapplegreeter
www.facebook.com/bigapplegreeter
www.instagram.com/bigapplegreeter
www.twitter.com/bigapplegreeter
The YouTube profile has 114 subscribers and has 11 videos with actual greeters, volunteers, and
Fox 5 newscasters. The Twitter has over 2000 followers. The Facebook page has over 10,000 likes and

6. the Instagram page has over 1700 followers. The social media sites feature content on historical sites,
events, performances, promotions, and volunteer spotlights.
Social Media Effectiveness
The Big Apple Greeter does an excellent job at developing and promoting consistent content
across all of its platforms. According to Tuten and Solomon, “The content developed for social media
should be consistent with the brand’s style and personality in other communications,” (2018, p. 157).
“It is important to create a distinct, consistent, and memorable site,” (Scott, 2015, p. 198). The content
also parallels the diversity and culture of the region. The brand gives tourists a feeling of community and
connection.
Belch and Belch describe integrated marketing communications as more than planning
marketing campaigns, but as a unified strategy for customer and brand communication (2018). The site
is easy to navigate, and the content is clear and concise. Visitors can easily request services, learn more
about the organization, and make donations on the website.
Comparing Best Practices
In comparison to similar sites, Big Apple Greeter could benefit from using more visuals to
market its services. “Videos use emotion to tell stories in ways that most other forms of marketing
cannot, (Scott, 2015, p.99). Big Apple Greeter can create and market compelling videos with exciting
information on major attractions in New York City. They might also feature other notable personalities
or celebrities to promote their services. “Some organizations recruit external thought leaders that
buyers trust, which is an effective technique for showing your buyers that you are plugged in and work
with recognized experts, (Scott, 2015, p. 231).

7. Big Apple Greeter can also gather feedback from visitors and post reviews. “Yelp became
popular for its user-generated reviews of local businesses,” (Tuten and Solomon, 2018, p. 39). Other
sites show profiles of tour guides and allow travelers to select a specific person based on their area of
specialty. They might offer more flexibility for travelers who express interest in different things like the
arts, architecture, food, and the outdoors. “Brands enhance participation by providing experiences for
user that are worth participating in and telling others about,” (Tuten and Solomon, 2018, p. 189). The
company can also promote user generated content and incorporate things like hashtags, tagged photos,
and contests into their marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
Big Apple Greeter offers global travelers visiting New York City a unique service by allowing
tourists to view the region alongside a local resident. They can explore the culture and ethnic diversity of
the city while they make a new friend with first-hand knowledge of the city’s greatest features. The
founder discovered a solution to a problem and make a way for thousands of global travelers to
fearlessly discover New York City.
In addition to providing an excellent service, the company’s use of social media truly helps to
capture the “vibe” of New York City. Tourist can find pictures and videos of locals who know all about
the New York experience. Tuten and Solomon says, effective campaigns maintain connected with the
audiences that they serve (2018). Big Apple Greeter’s social media strategies are effective because of
their consistent use of brand persona to serve a growing market of potential NYC tourists.

8. References
About Greeters. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://internationalgreeter.org/greeter-idea/core-values
About NYC & Company. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://business.nycgo.com/about-us/who-we-are/
Belch, G., and Belch, M. (2018). Advertising and Promotion. An Integrated Marketing Communications
Perspective. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education
Book unique private tours (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.withlocals.com/
Doyle, A. (2019, January 17). New York City Again Sets Tourism Record as IT Roars Into 2019. Northstar
meetings group. Retrieved from
https://www.northstarmeetingsgroup.com/News/Industry/new-york-city-2018-tourism-
statistics-record
Find A Tour. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.toursbylocals.com/TBL/WebObjects/ToursByLocals.woa/1/wa/searchFindTourInPl
ace
Our Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://metrony.wish.org/about-us/the-make-a-wish-story/our-
mission
Scott, D. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing and PR. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Tuten, T. and Solomon, M. (2018). Social Media Marketing. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.