The document provides an overview of tourism marketing strategies for small organizations on a limited budget, outlining topics such as developing a marketing plan, defining the visitor experience, branding and positioning, cooperative marketing opportunities, understanding target markets, and communication strategies. Attendees will learn tools and resources for creating a tourism marketing plan and how to maximize financial resources through partnerships. The workshop aims to teach participants how to effectively communicate with visitors and develop familiarity with marketing concepts.

1. Tourism Marketing on a Shoestring
May 15, 2012

2. Introduction
• Travel Oregon Staff
• Regional & Local Organizations
• Presentation Team
• Workshop Participants
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3. Introduction
Cooperative Marketing Paths
Local Businesses, Services, Attractions
Local Destination Marketing Organization (DMO/City/Chamber)
Regional DMO (Central Oregon Coast Association)
Regional DMO (Oregon Coast Visitors Association)
Travel Oregon
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4. Introduction
Overview of Today’s Topics
§ What is marketing?
§ Starting your marketing plan
§ What is the experience you are selling?
§ Product positioning and branding
§ Cooperative marketing opportunities – Travel Oregon/RDMO
§ Understanding your potential markets
§ Marketing communications strategies and action planning
§ Budgets, timelines, measurement
§ Discussion
§ Evaluations and wrap-up
§ Workbook
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5. Introduction
Outcomes
§ How to communicate in a way that the visitor finds
compelling.
§ Familiarity with marketing terminology, strategies,
action planning.
§ How to extend and maximize financial resources
through partnerships.
§ Tools and resources from which to develop a tourism
marketing plan.
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6. Introduction
What are the top three things you
are going to do in the next week?
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7. Starting on Your
Marketing Plan
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8. Marketing Plan
What do you want to work on?
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9. Marketing Plan
WHAT IS MARKETING?
§ What do YOU think Marketing is?
§ Definition of Marketing – The process or technique
of promoting, selling and distributing a product or
service. To be most effective, marketing requires the
efforts of everyone in an organization and can be
made more or less effective by the actions of
complementary organizations.
§ Marketing includes everything from the initial
awareness of a product, service, or destination to the
marketing materials developed to the delivery of the
experience. GDS

10. Marketing Plan
Marketing Plan Background & Rationale – Page 7
§ Create your organization or business mission
statement
§ Mission – A broad, general statement about an
organization’s business or organization’s and
scope, services or products, markets served and
overall philosophy.
§ What is your business/organization?
§ What services or products do you provide?
§ Describe the markets that you serve.
§ What is your overall philosophy?
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11. Marketing Plan
Marketing Plan Background & Rationale – Page 8
§ What is happening in the world around you?
§ Economic Conditions?
§ Current travel trends?
§ Current social trends?
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12. What Experience
Are You Selling?
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13. The Experience
What Are You? (Page 9)
The LURE: the experience that motivates the visitor to
actually come to your destination.
DIVERSIONS: things visitors can do closer to home but
will do in your destination because they are already there.
AMENITIES: Things that make the visit a comfortable one:
signs, restrooms, shade trees, parking, seating and gathering
areas wifi, etc.
AMBIANCE: historic buildings, public art, street banners,
etc.
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14. The Experience
When selling: (Page 9)
• Who is your customer?
• Lead with the benefit to your customer.
• Name the company second.
• Are you part of a larger niche or destination
brand?
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15. Positioning
& Branding
Page 11 GDS

16. Positioning & Branding
A Brand is a promise of the experience
you are going to deliver.
Positioning is how you describe what you
are selling. (marketing)
(A good reference book is “Destination Branding for Small Cities”
by Bill Baker.) GDS

17. Positioning & Branding
What branding IS NOT:
• A logo
• A slogan
• A marketing campaign
• Geography
• History
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18. Positioning & Branding
• Tie in with a destination brand when possible
• Become known for something special
• If the product is not unique, make the service
special
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19. Positioning & Branding
Even if you do nothing, you still have a
brand. It just may not be the one you want.
Because consumers decide what your brand is, your product,
service or destination has a brand.
Do you really know what your brand is?
Are you managing your brand?
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20. Travel Oregon
Programs
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21. Global Marketing

22. Marketing Team
Kevin Wright, Vice President, Global Marketing
Holly Macfee, Vice President, Global Brand Strategy
Global Communications
• Judiaann Woo, Director
• Linea Gagliano, Manager
Global Integrated Marketing
• Mo Sherifdeen, Director
• Kate Jorgensen, Project Manager
• Bryant Marban, Production Coordinator
Global Marketing
• Amy Nyberg, Account Executive
• Katy McCulloch, Coordinator/Assistant
Global Marketing Services
• Michael Sturdevant, Senior Manager
• Ariana Bray-Sweet, Coordinator

23. Marketing Programs
• Media/Advertising
– 2 year/$4 million campaign
• Public Relations & Communications
– Media Relations/Communication +
• Integrated Marketing
– Digital Channels + Content
• Fulfillment
– Guide distribution (website & 800 # requests,
and BRCs)

24. Marketing Objectives
• Continue to Engage Consumers in the Oregon
brand
• Breakthrough Market Clutter by Focusing our
Messages
• Engage in Conversations with Consumers who
Identify with the Oregon Mindset
• Leverage Oregon Fans

26. Folks don’t come
to Oregon to get
away from it all.
They come here
because they
need more of
something.

27. Rich Storytelling & Inspiration
Authentic. Visionary. Stewardship.

29. Two Pillar Marketing Strategy
Spring Fall
Outdoor Recreation Culinary
Oregon Adventurecation Oregon Bounty
Advertising Positions Oregon as the travel destination Position Oregon as a premiere foodie
Message: for outdoor recreation. Focus on: destination. Feature stories may include:
• Hiking • Oregon Chefs
• Cycling • Vintners, Brewers, Distillers
• Golf • Chocolate/Cheesemakers
• Outdoor Adventure • Fishermen
• Ranchers
Media TV and online ads placed in environments TV and online ads placed in environments
Strategy: that reach active explorers and outdoor that appeal to foodies/cultural creatives who
enthusiasts who are more likely to travel to are active vacationers
Oregon
Promotion Social Media promotion on Facebook with Developing a tastemaker event designed to
: Adventurecation contest and branded tabs on make influential foodies intrigued in the
Travel Oregon and partner Facebook pages specialness of Oregon Bounty

30. 2012 Spring Campaign
Oregon Adventurecation

32. Spring 2012 Advertising
Overall: 50% TV / 50% Online
Domestic TV Markets:
– local broadcast networks in Spokane, San Francisco, Seattle, and
Portland
– limited national buy through select channels on Dish Network’s
partnership with Google TV
Canada TV:
– Vancouver B.C., local network buy

33. Online Plan
World Expansion
• 4.1MM imps
Local Sites
• 4.9MM imps
Enthusiast Sites
• 6.6MM imps
Travel Inspiration
• 9.3MM imps

34. Online Banner Ads

35. Travel Oregon Facebook Tab

36. Partner Pages on Facebook

38. Full On Oregon Weekend

39. Coverage
Gwen Pratesi, Bunky Debra Smith, Smith
Cooks Bites

40. Award Winning
Food.TravelOregon.com

41. Outline
• Evolving role of DMOs
• Our approach to destination content
management
• How we partner with statewide
partners

42. Online trip experience is crowded, clinical
& intimidating ~ Forrester

43. The Facts
– 28% of leisure travelers in the U.S. who
booked their trips online said they'd be
interested in going to a good traditional travel
agent*
– Customer enjoyment in online planning/booking
dropped to 46% in 2009 vs. 53% in 2007*
– Travelers want “local information” from travel
brand social media accounts**
• Forrester Research - Travel Booking Satisfaction Report, 2009
• USA Today. What Do You Tweet to you Hotel, April 18, 2011

44. Integrated Marketing
(Digital + Content)
INSPIRATION INFORM CONNECT
INSPIRATION
We tell, curate & We facilitate the We provide
facilitate storytelling gathering of Oregon’s tourism
—stories, blog personal and industry myriad
posts, photos, relevant Oregon opportunities to
videos, trip experiences to build a relationship
experiences—that create successful with travelers to
evokes an emotional trips that are highly Oregon and
response and anticipated and translate their
ignites the desire to fondly remembered interest into a sale
travel.

46. DMOs Still Influence
Travelers…

47. ….Provide Useful Info

48. And Can Do It On-the-Ground.
Things Have Changed for DMOs
(Source: PhoCusWright. “Loco Over Local: Four Trends That Are Reshaping
Tourism”)

50. DMOs are
Destination
Curators
(i.e. creators +
curators of
amazing content
that tells the story
of our city, region,
state and/or
country)

51. Content
Creates
Audience

52. (Source: MilesMedia, Content Marketing”)

53. (Source: PhoCusWright. “Loco Over Local: Four Trends That Are Reshaping
Tourism”)

54. Integrated Marketing
(Digital + Content)
INSPIRATION INFORM CONNECT
INSPIRATION
We tell, curate & We facilitate the We provide
facilitate storytelling gathering of Oregon’s tourism
—stories, blog personal and industry myriad
posts, photos, relevant Oregon opportunities to
videos, trip experiences to build a relationship
experiences—that create successful with travelers to
evokes an emotional trips that are highly Oregon and
response and anticipated and translate their
ignites the desire to fondly remembered interest into a sale
travel.

58. The Orb – Comprehensive Destination
Management
Media Sites TravelOregon.com
Other 3rd Niche/Micro sites
Parties
Mobile Apps VisitSouthernOregon

59. Wider & Deeper. (Print)

60. Digital Content – Seasonal Stories
5 stories per season

61. Digital Content –Feature Stories
At least 5 stories per month

62. Digital Content – Grant’s Getaways
1 story per week

63. Itineraries
Ongoing; as needed

64. Digital Content
–Blogger
Stories
-At least 5 stories per month
-20 bloggers
-Free + open (writer guide
avail.)

65. Digital Content – Email Newsletters

66. Social Media Outposts

67. “Big Daddy” Editorial Tracking

68. Online Business Listings
• Goal: Provide travelers a view of all there
is to see and do in a particular city or
region and allow them to plan their trip.
• Listings include text, photo, links, location
map & things near by
• Contact: Bryant Marban,
Bryant@traveloregon.com or
503-378-4577

69. Listings Available
• Attractions
• Events
• Eat/Drink: Restaurants, Wineries,
Breweries etc.
• Trails
• Lodging
• Deals

70. Advertising Opportunities
• Print – Oregon Visitor Guide
• Travel Oregon Ad Network
– TravelOregon.com
– E-Newsletters
• General
• Culinary
• Outdoor
• Travel Oregon Digital Magazine
• Contact Betsy Hand for more information
– betsyh@mediamerica.net, 503-445-8809
www.mediamerica.net/media-kit.html

71. Travel Oregon Online Leads
• Database of people who want more information about
Oregon
• You can search by where they’re from, where they want
to go and what they want to do
– E.g.: People from Arizona looking to come to
Willamette Valley for a family experience
• Cost: $5 to sign up, 7.5 cents per name
• Tool.TravelOregon.com
• Amy Nyberg (Amy@TravelOregon.com)

72. Ask Oregon
A strategy to deliver visitor information by
connecting passionate Oregonians to
travelers….using multiple touch points
(Web, Call Center, Twitter, Trip Advisor,
Visitor Centers etc.)

74. Launch Ambassadors
• Zach Collier (NW Rafting)
– Rafting
• Kim Cooper Findling (Freelance)
– Family Travel & Central Oregon
• Ryan Reichert (NW Whites)
– Wine
• Jeff Alworth (Beervanah)
– Beer

75. Launch Ambassadors
• John Chilson (Lost Oregon)
– Oregon History
• Dave Johnson (DJ Fishing)
– Fishing
• Noel Lucky (Golf Digest)
– Golf
• Otis Rubottom (Freelance)
– Bicycling

76. Launch Ambassadors
• Lynne Curry Sampson (Freelance)
– Eastern Oregon & Food
• Niki Price (Oregon Coast Today)
– Oregon Coast
• Cari Gesch (Blogger + Photographer)
– Hood/Gorge
• Debbie Lusk (B+B Owner & blogger)
– Willamette Valley
• Dave Strom (Dave Knows Portland)
– Portland

77. Sample Questions

78. Sample Questions

79. Moving Forward
– Travelers to Oregon love the personal
recommendations from ambassadors
– Oregonians want to be ambassadors
– Expanding program to new
TravelOregon.com

80. How You Can Help
– Set a twitter search for #AskOR
– Monitor TO Facebook page
– Respond if/when appropriate
– How do we expand scope of program to
visitor centers (e.g. Adventure Center,
Eugene) and your visitor center experts?

81. Public Relations
Targeted Pitching Freelancers
Core The right story Foster relationships,
to the right contact
Program: at the right time
host preferred writers
Monitor E-news Outreach
Conversations ‘What’s New’
Word cloud
trending
Oregon Bounty,
PR Adventurecation
Campaigns:
Special New York media tour,
event: culinary focus

82. Public Relations
• PR program allows you to proactively keep
Oregon top of mind with media
• Tell your DMO/RDMO what’s new, unusual,
unique or what you’re promoting
• Connect with Travel Oregon
PR@TravelOregon.com

83. Thank you!

84. Lunch
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85. Understanding
Your Markets
Page 12 GDS

86. Understanding Your Market
§ Geographic markets
§ Local
§ Instate
§ Region of the U.S.
§ Entire U.S.
§ International – specific countries
§ Demographic, Psychographic Research
§ Demographics (age and income, education)
§ Psychographics (lifestyles, behaviors, interests)
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87. Understanding Your Market
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88. Understanding Your Market
Overnight Travel Study
• Where visitors come from and how many
• What visitors look like – age, sex, party size, education,
employed, income, etc.
• How they plan their trips to Oregon – timing, info
sources, web use, etc.
• What they do on their trips
• How they rate their experiences
• Trends over time
• Sometimes called the Longwoods Study
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89. Understanding Your Market
A Regional Version of the Oregon Overnight Travel Study
is Available
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90. Overnight Visitor Profile
Highlights (Oregon Coast)
Origin of Overnight Visitors
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Source: 2009 Longwoods Overnight Visitor Study (Oregon Coast)

91. Overnight Visitor Profile
Highlights (Oregon Coast)
Other Places Visited
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Source: 2009 Longwoods Overnight Visitor Study (Oregon Coast)

92. Overnight Visitor Profile
Highlights (Oregon Coast)
Main Purpose of Marketable Trip
Source: 2009 Longwoods Overnight Visitor Study (Oregon Coast)

93. Understanding Your Market
Examples of Other Research
• Tourism & Hospitality Indicators
• Lodging Tax Survey
• Oregon Travel Impacts
• Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing and Shellfishing
• Oregon Cyclist Visitor Analysis
• Oregon Bounty
• Importance of Cultural Tourism
• Go to website: www.industry.traveloregon.com
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94. Travel Oregon’s Target Audience
Travel Oregon’s advertising campaigns primarily target’s the
following high-yield consumers:
Primary
• Adults 25-64
• who spend at least $1,000 per year on travel
• and live in Oregon, Washington, Northern California, and Idaho
Secondary
• Southern California and New York
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95. Understanding Your Market
Who are your target markets? – Page 12
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96. Marketing Strategies
& Action
Page 13 GDS

97. Marketing Strategies & Action
Marketing Objective – A goal that your
organization or business attempts to achieve,
usually focused on a target market.
Marketing objectives should be:
– Results oriented
– Target market specific
– Quantitative/measurable
– Time specific
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98. Marketing Strategies & Action
Examples of Marketing Objectives (Page 13):
For an attraction: “To increase the number of trips
sold(result) to RV visitors(target market specific) by 100
(quantified) during the summer season 2012 (time
specific).”
For a small lodging establishment: “To increase the
number of room nights (result) generated from the
bicycle touring market (target market specific) by 100
(quantified) during the spring and summer of 2012 (time
specific).
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99. Marketing Strategies & Action
Marketing Strategy - A course of action selected from the
marketing mix to communicate to various target markets.
Marketing Mix – Activities to communicate your brand, market
position, product/service features and benefits to the
customer. For example:
Website
Social networks
Brochures
Press releases
FAM trips
Other
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100. Marketing Strategies & Action
Example of a marketing strategy and action plan:
(Page 14)
Strategy for an attraction or tour: “Use printed
brochures (collateral material) to communicate our
brand, market position, product/service features,
benefits to customer and pricing.”
Action plan for collateral attraction or tour: “Create
4” X 9” rack brochures to be distributed to visitor
information centers throughout the county.”
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101. Marketing Strategies & Action
Key Shoestring Strategies
• Cooperative Marketing Activities
• Interactive
• Collateral
• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Travel Trade
• International
• Special Opportunities
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102. Marketing Strategies & Action
1. Interactive Marketing
Page 17 GDS

103. Interactive
Travel Oregon’s Interactive Strategy:
Goal: ENGAGE in a conversation with consumers and
provide them INSPIRATION, INFORMATION and
TOOLS for their OREGON vacation experience.
1. Showcase the Oregon experience
2. Engage at every stage of the trip
3. Improve connectivity & partnerships
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104. Interactive
How do you do create and Interactive Strategy?
• Creating a website
• Using social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.
• Developing e-marketing newsletters and e-blasts
• Creating a blog, RSS feeds
• Developing YouTube, Vimeo videos
• Using co-op opportunities with DMO, RDMO, TO
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105. Interactive
Your Website – 8 Rules:
• Hire someone to help build the website structure.
• Content is more important than design.
• Design for easy navigation, not for art.
• Home page is critical – leads to other pages.
• Understand the importance of key words.
• Use a title tag on each page that is different. This is what
shows up in searches.
• Links and images need descriptive tags too!
• Make a site map of your website and give it to Google.

106. Interactive
How Does Your Website Get Noticed?
• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing – Keyword Ads
• Banner Ads
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107. Interactive
Search Engine Market Share – 2012
Source: comScore
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108. Interactive
Key word ads >> SEM
SEM Key Word Ads
<< SEO listings
SEO
<< Listings

109. Interactive
Advertising on Google, Yahoo, Bing
1. Banner ads and SEM keyword ads.
2. Budgets are flexible by day.
3. Experiment with key words.
4. Pay only for visits to your site.
5. Try different ad copy.
6. Ask how visitors found you.
7. Use ANALYTICS.
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110. Interactive
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111. Interactive
Social Media – Where Do I Start???
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112. Interactive
First of all – Why?
• Because marketing has changed
from a one-way message to a two-way
conversation.
• And there is no going back!!
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113. Interactive
You need to think about a full social
media strategy. Start Here:
1. Observe how it works
2. Look at competition
3. Become active
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114. Interactive
Most Important:
1. Tell your story. It’s about the
experience.
2. Focus on relevant social networks.
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115. Interactive
= 900 million users and counting
= timely information; conversation; 300
million users
= telling your story
= listing and reviews
= reviews
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116. Interactive
http://business.twitter.com
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117. Interactive
A word about BLOGGING:
• Opportunity to TELL YOUR STORY
• Readers can comment, creates conversation
• Builds additional web traffic
BUT:
• Can be time-consuming (but it’s free!)
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118. Interactive
Usability
Content (navigation, search visibility,
accessibility etc.)
Creative
Sweet
Spot
Balanced Communications GDS

119. Marketing Strategies & Action
Collateral
Page 19 GDS

120. Collateral
What is Collateral? – A collateral marketing strategy involves the
use of various printed and online materials that communicate
your brand, market position, product/service features, benefits
to the customer and pricing if you are a business.
Collateral marketing strategies can include the following activities:
• Creating attractive brochures and rack cards
• Creating posters, bookmarks and other printed materials
• Utilizing cooperative opportunities – local DMOs, RDMO, and
Travel Oregon
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121. Collateral
Key Tips:
• Lead with the best, leave the rest
• Tell the story, don’t just provide lists
• Give the details
• Photos should be large and compelling, not amateur hour
• Always have people in the photos, your target audience
• State the benefit to the visitor – it is not about you.
• Use good maps and detailed instructions on how to find
you.
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122. Collateral
Collateral Usability
• Collateral – make it easy to carry
• Fit into brochure racks.
• Use quality paper especially if you use a lot of photos
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123. Collateral
Ways to Distribute Collateral
• Visitor information centers
• Kiosks
• Online
• Direct mailing
• Trade shows
• Fulfillment of requests from interactive, PR, advertising
• Other
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124. Marketing Strategies & Action
Public Relations
Page 22 GDS

125. Public Relations
Public Relations – Activities designed to generate
and maintain awareness of your product, service or
destination among your target markets and other
organizations through nonpaid communication and
information about what you have to offer.
Why Public Relations?
• Important because it is “third party” coverage but
more controlled than social media.
• More credible than paid advertising.
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126. Public Relations
Public Relations Activities
• Develop a website media or press area
• Develop a hard copy press kit, press information,
photo library
• Create and distribute press releases
• Provide media assistance for story writers and editors
• Utilize cooperative opportunities – Local DMO,
RDMO and Travel Oregon
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127. Marketing Strategies & Action
Advertising
Page 23 GDS

128. Advertising
Advertising – Any paid form of promotion of your
product, service or destination.
Types of Media
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Broadcast
• Direct mail
• Outdoor
• Internet
• Coop opportunities
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129. Marketing Strategies & Action
Travel Trade
Page 24 GDS

130. Travel Trade
Travel Trade – Travel agents, tour wholesalers and
operators, corporate travel managers, incentive travel
planners, and convention/meeting planners.
Travel Trade Marketing Activities:
• Advertising in travel trade publications
• Attending travel trade shows
• Providing Familiarization (FAM) trips
• Brochure distribution
• Public Relations
• Cooperative opportunities GDS

131. Marketing Strategies & Action
International
Opportunities
Page 25 GDS

132. International
International Opportunities – The key
international markets for Oregon:
– Germany, U.K. France, Benelux
– Japan, Korea, China
– Canada, Mexico
– Scandinavian Countries
– Australia
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133. International
International Marketing Activities:
• Media & Travel Trade Research Trips
• Trade Shows
• Sales Missions
• Partnering With Regions
• In-country Marketing Reps
• Printed Media
• Social Media – Twitter, Facebook
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134. Budgets & Timelines
Page 26 GDS

135. Establishing Budgets & Timelines
Budgeting Methods
1. Historical – spending is same as previous years.
2. Percentage of sales – industry average % of total
revenues.
3. Competitive – match spending of your competitors.
4. Task-oriented – consider each activity and what needs
to be spent to meet marketing objectives.
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136. Establishing Budgets & Timelines
The Reality of Budgeting
1. Allocate a tentative, overall budget for marketing.
2. Determine your marketing objectives and strategies.
3. Tentatively split the budget between strategies.
4. Then split the budget between actions within the
strategies.
5. Develop and refine the activities.
6. Reallocate budget to determine final budget
allocations.
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137. Establishing Budgets & Timelines
Establishing Realistic Timelines
1. Establish a full-year marketing calendar cycle.
2. Understand steps and time involved in producing
collateral and advertising material.
3. Research key deadlines for advertising insertion dates.
4. Work closely with partners and service providers.
5. Stay connected to your local DMO, RDMO, and
Travel Oregon.
6. Create and overall TO DO list that covers the
marketing cycle and includes details of who needs to
do what and when.
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138. Measuring Your Success
Page 27 GDS

139. Measuring Your Success
How to you measure your success?
• Establish your measurement criteria.
• Establish marketing controls – monitoring and adjust
activities.
• Analyze the results of efforts – both at the activity
level and the overall objective level.
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140. Measuring Your Success
Overall Evaluation
• Ask visitors how they heard about you.
• Total number of room nights for the year/season
• Total income for the year/season
• Total visitors and/or visitors by target market
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141. Measuring Your Success
Examples of Specific Measures
• Website – unique visitors, page views, origin of traffic, time
spent on site, engagement
• Collateral – number of brochures distributed, bookings
generated from brochures
• Public relations – number of stories generated through press
releases, FAM trips
• Advertising – number of impressions, responses, bookings from
specific ads or ad campaigns
• Travel trade and International – number of leads/bookings
generated though various activities
• Special promotions – number of inquiries/bookings generated
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142. Sharing
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143. Evaluation & Wrap-up
Thank you !
from the teams at