Statewide Campaign Nets Nearly $11 Million for Rhode Island's Tax Amnesty Program

When the Rhode Island Division of Taxation wanted to reach and motivate tax evaders they called (add)ventures to determine the mindsets of this elusive target and formulate an aggressive, comprehensive campaign aimed to get big results. (add)ventures’ campaign brought in nearly $11 million in revenue for the state, a record-breaking tally that was more than the combined total collected by the state in its two previous amnesties.

(add)ventures’ short but intense program, which ran from July 15 through September 30, 2006, utilized television, radio, and print advertisements; strategic public relations; and targeted community outreach. Armed with the knowledge that tax evaders come in two categories – intentional and non-intentional – the agency developed a multitiered marketing and communications campaign that clearly spelled out who was eligible for tax amnesty, the simplicity of the filing process, the sense of urgency in meeting the September 30 deadline, and the benefits of taking advantage of the program, which included avoiding penalties or prosecution.

(add)ventures crafted messages including, “Pay now, or really pay later” for the “tax cheats” who intentionally evaded their tax responsibilities and messages such as “You forgot. We forgive” for the individuals who had made an honest mistake in either underreporting their taxes or not realizing they owed a particular tax. These messages and others served as the foundation for key creative pieces such as an attention-grabbing, 30-second animated “get out of the red and into the black” television advertisement, a 30-second radio spot, and a print campaign that permeated daily and weekly newspapers across the state. (add)ventures’ aggressive media plan even included daily “mouse ears” on the front page of the Providence Journal conveying the rapidly approaching Tax Amnesty deadline and leading readers through a visual countdown to the final day of eligibility.

(add)ventures’ aggressive public relations program landed news articles about the Tax Amnesty program in The Wall Street Journal, The Providence Journal, the Providence Business News, and many other daily and weekly newspapers. Our public relations team also secured extensive television coverage for the Tax Amnesty program, landing multiple news stories on all three Rhode Island broadcast station affiliates – all of which included a comprehensive overview of the program and featured sound-bites with Rhode Island Tax Administrator David Sullivan. Sullivan was also interviewed for several newscasts on WHJJ-AM, WPRO-AM and other radio stations during the final month of Tax Amnesty, and he was placed as a featured guest on WHJJ-AM’s The Arlene Violet Show during a 15-minute “drive-time” slot.

The numbers say it all: $11 million in windfall tax revenue for the State of Rhode Island: another successful campaign from (add)ventures.