Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council — April 25, 2013 (meeting #1135) — reading text

competitive research and analysis of peer sites and overall best practices • Review of Google analytics of the sites for user trends and patterns • Examine the unique user experiences occurring on each site for possible integration • Develop high-level analysis of the content on all four sites • Provide recommendations • Engaging content • Content management platform • Effective booking channel Packet Pg. 219 23  Consumer Research 8.A.a Packet Pg. 220 Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) 24  8.A.a Consumer Research Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) Conduct consumer research to increase efficacy of marketing efforts • Understand consumers’ attitudes, awareness and perceptions of Destin, Ft. Walton and Okaloosa Island • Uncover opportunities to increase visitation • Obtain understanding of what drives visitation • Understand leisure travel planning process • Explore meaning of Emerald Coast • Uncover any barriers to visitation Packet Pg. 221 25  Shoulder Season Campaign 8.A.a Packet Pg. 222 Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) 26  8.A.a Shoulder Season Campaign Objectives Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Drive new visitation and increase bookings to Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast post-Spring Break through Memorial Day Strategies • Build and maintain visibility across all steps in the travel planning and booking process • Paid search, travel content and booking/deal sites and Social Media • Utilize media to drive consumers to newly developed campaign landing page • Communicate value messages to drive bookings Packet Pg. 223 27  8.A.a Shoulder Season Campaign Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) Target Audience • Primary Audience • Adults 25-54 without children in the home • Secondary Audience • Senior adults Packet Pg. 224 28  8.A.a Shoulder Season Campaign Reporting Strategies Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Develop a reporting system that will track bookings • Track and report additional online metrics (impressions, clicks, click rate, etc.) • Reporting is sometimes dependent on third-party partnerships Packet Pg. 225 29  8.A.a Shoulder Season Campaign Media Spend, $200,000 Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Merchandising Partnerships • Incorporate niche content sections • Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline, Travelzoo, $127,000 • Travel Content Targeting • Create content, travel contest/sweepstakes and/or packages • TripAdvisor, RGM Alliance Network, Specific Media Network, Google Keyword Search, $62,500 • Social Media • Target consumers based on their interests, conversations and likes • Facebook, Twitter, $10,500 Packet Pg. 226 30  8.A.a Shoulder Season Campaign Social Media Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • March: Vacation Planning and Preparation • Focus content on vacation planning • Incentivize travel: provide fans with the resources they need to organize trips • April: Spring Break Engagement • Leverage relevancy of Spring Break conversations to drive visitation post-Spring Break • May: Last-minute Trips • Encourage users to take last-minute trips to the Emerald Coast • Emphasize ease of access from drive markets • Spotlight user-generated content Packet Pg. 227 31  Groups, Meetings & Conventions 8.A.a Packet Pg. 228 Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) 32  8.A.a Groups, Meetings & Conventions Objectives Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Raise awareness of Okaloosa County as the premiere destination to hold events, meetings and groups • Drive incremental bookings Strategies • Position Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast’s unique offerings as a premier location for groups and meeting business • E.g. weddings, military, sports, religious, family reunions, fishing, bus tours • Develop collateral material to support top niche audiences (e.g. wedding guide) • Identify key media opportunities to effectively reach target audiences • Utilize lead generation outlets to directly solicit RFPs (e.g. Cvent) • Work in collaboration with Public Relations and Social Media to position Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast as the top group and meeting destination Packet Pg. 229 33  Public Relations 8.A.a Packet Pg. 230 Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) 34  8.A.a General Awareness Objectives Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Raise awareness of Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast • Leverage the natural assets of the area to highlight the Emerald Coast during shoulder season Strategies • Support shoulder season campaign • Work in collaboration with Social Media to utilize existing media channels (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) • Utilize news coverage to establish Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast as the top choice for a vacation destination • Position Okaloosa County’s Emerald Coast unique offerings as a premier location for group and meeting business • Leverage public improvement projects to gain regional media coverage Packet Pg. 231 35  8.A.a Tactics Utilize targeted media lists Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Employ robust media list that includes the entire southeast region of the country in addition to appropriate national outlets • Travel media, online news sites, consumer media and blogs Invite travel writers • Organize travel writers who reach consumers from target markets interested in unique aspects of Emerald Coast • Family travel • Event-centered • Seniors/snowbirds Packet Pg. 232 36  8.A.a Tactics Provide event-focused outreach Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) • Outreach to target publications • Identify newsworthy events for corresponding trade publications • Oakley Fishing Tournament, State HOG Rally and other additional special events and sponsorships Target Regional/National Media Outlets • Pitch story angles that highlight Okaloosa’s assets • E.g. celebrity sportsmen, TDD’s proactive stance on sustainability, unique anniversary • Secure travel features in respected media outlets (e.g. National Geographic) • Establish a presence at the Society of American Travel Writers 2013 Convention, October 20-25, 2013 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast • Create a pre- or post-destination tour for select travel writers Packet Pg. 233 37  8.A.a Local Communications Plan Attachment: PMA Final Stub Year Marketing Plan (1651 : PMA) Objectives • Position the TDD locally as a trustworthy entity of the Board of County Commissioners • Leverage the destination’s public improvement projects of the TDD to create positive sentiment • Encourage community buy-in for special events leveraged to attract tourists to the area Strategies • Present Dan O’Byrne as an accessible and transparent leader of the TDD • Communicate TDD initiatives including beach re-nourishment efforts • Work with local media to secure positive stories on TDD accomplishments