greensburg tourism marketing action plan

GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN April 2012 Prepared for The City of Greensburg and The Greensburg Convention and Tourism Bureau by New Boston Creative Group, LLC Manhattan and Garden City BACKGROUND The City of Greensburg hired New Boston Creative Group, LLC (offices in Garden City and Manhattan, Kansas) in January 2012 to research and create a tourism marketing action plan for the City, leveraging three primary travel segments: • Ecotourists: people interested in learning more about Greensburg’s “green” rebuilding efforts after the tornado of May 4, 2007. (After we began our research, we felt it was more accurate to call visitors in this niche “sustainability tourists,” or STs.) • Weather tourists: people interested in learning more about Greensburg before and after the tornado; we call people in this niche WTs. • History tourists: traditional Greensburg visitors to see the Big Well, Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn, Kansas Meteorite Museum, and so forth. We call people in this niche cultural and heritage tourists, or CHTs. NBCG researched: • the separate travel markets; • the characteristics of the groups that make up the markets; • the most effective messages to appeal to each group; and • the most effective media to reach each group. Our goal was to present a variety of marketing strategies to appeal to each group, in the most efficient and manageable way. To a large extent, we believe Greensburg gets to make its own rules about how to reach out to new markets, and that the community is only limited by imagination — even budget need not be a huge hurdle, if managed with a long-­‐term view. The confluence of the tragedy of the tornado, Greensburg’s amazing response in rebuilding, and the explosion of Internet marketing and social media means that the community can — and probably must — take risks and experiment to find the best combinations of outreach. Particularly in regard to sustainability tourists (STs) and weather tourists (WTs), new forms of media will be most effective. There are no blueprints for what’s happened to Greensburg, and the very uniqueness of your community’s response means that the public will expect you to continue to be surprising and innovative. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 2 GENERAL TOURISM FACTS AND TRENDS IN KANSAS In 2011, The Kansas Travel and Tourism Division (KTTD), of the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, conducted research about tourist segments most likely to travel in Kansas. Demographics of Kansas Visitors In common with tourism marketing across the country, inquiries and visitors from within the state and from the nearest states in the region were most frequent: Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, and Arkansas. The four bordering states provide half of our current visitor count and are the primary focus for KTTD marketing efforts. The state identifies its core target audience as “visitors who make larger than average expenditures on travel, entertainment, meals and lodging.” The average age is 50.9, household income is $110,200, only 36.18% have children in the household, and 86% are homeowners. The two largest market segments are adults 45 to 54, and adults 55 to 64. In addition, Kansas has identified five travel-­‐interest segments: • Culture: performing arts, art galleries, museums, festivals • Discovery: zoos, gardens, educational attractions • Nature-­‐Based Consumptive: fishing and hunting • Nature-­‐Based Non-­‐Consumptive: hiking, biking, camping, ecotourism • History/Heritage: historical sites, architecture, military There is a relatively high level of crossover among these travel interest segments. Greensburg is well positioned to profit from these “average” Kansas o
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CHTs. Aside from the public attractions, R
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shopping venues will be attractive. In our focus group of business and community leaders, GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 3 participants mentioned that Greensburg is beginning to regain its status as a regional shopping hub, particularly for unique and original items, and of course the architecture of the buildings found on Main Street reinforces this “boutique” quality. One other characteristic that is mentioned consistently in research
about CHTs is their desire for excellent dining experiences. While this
includes tr
,” it’s not limited to that category. Highquality authentic and ethnic dining choices are crucial as well. When
we held a focus group in Greensburg on February 28, 2012, members
expressed the need for more dining choices to augment the very good
current options. We believe another restaurant offering high-quality,
traditional Kansas fare — such as steaks and other Midwest/Kansas
foods — combined with a pleasing décor, would be successful. (Of
course, opening another restaurant isn’t a marketing function, but we
agree with community members’ opinion about the need.)
State of Kansas Tourism Marketing According to data cited by the Western Kansas Regional Economic Development Association (WKREDA), the State of Kansas gets a good return on marketing dollars, all things considered. Kansas ranks 38th for direct domestic travel expenditures: Ranking 38th out of 50 states may not seem very impressive, but considering that Kansas ranks dead last in the nation in the size of its annual tourism advertising budget, it would appear that we are getting a good bang for our buck. The State of Kansas has an annual tourism advertising budget of around $300,000 a year. Compare that figure with Missouri, which has a $10 million annual budget, or Oklahoma with a $3.5 million budget. (WKREDA) KTTD advertises most in June through October, their research having shown that travelers need less lead time than in the past to plan a trip, so it makes sense to concentrate efforts in the prime travel months. This advertising is targeted at in-­‐
state and bordering state audiences. KTTD markets with both traditional and new media. Print magazine ads target women living in the Midwest who have disposable income and are likely to travel. Total exposure was just under 17 million through ads in Midwest Living; O, The Oprah Magazine; History Channel Magazine and Good Housekeeping. KTTD also participates in co-­‐op advertising with the Kansas Press Association that reaches about 450,000 Kansas households. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 4 Digital efforts include online display ads, pay-­‐per-­‐click ads (202,000 click-­‐throughs), email blasts (to 1.1 million potential travelers), blogs and social media. Requests for printed materials from the KTTD are down, but online engagement is up, following national trends. However, while we do believe KTTD will be helpful to many of Greensburg’s tourism efforts, it won't help equally with all segments. The State of Kansas is targeting tourists who already live in Kansas or in a bordering state, and primarily those that fall within the "traditional" CHT segment. We believe that Greensburg has the potential to attract visitors nationally and internationally (as it already has), mainly those interested in the tornado and its aftermath, as well as those attracted to the green rebuilding efforts. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT GREENSBURG TOURISTS AND TRAVELERS While we don’t have hard demographic information about the characteristics of current Greensburg visitors, according to the focus group held in February 2012 (public officials and business leaders), the typical visitors are retirement-­‐age people on their way to the mountains or to southwestern states. Anecdotally, their average ages are from late 50s to late 70s (which meshes with state data about typical Kansas tourists). They tend to visit multiple downtown locations and eat at least one meal in town during their stay. Most are not overnight guests. According to official State highway data, between about Tourism revenue in Kiowa County
5,000 and 6,920 non-­‐commercial vehicles travel to and from According to the 2009 Tourism Satellite
Greensburg from the east on US-­‐
Account report, Kiowa County received
54/400 each day, and about $17.3 million in tourism expenditures
5,190 arrive from the west on (visitor spending only, not including
that same highway. Northbound investment in tourism), making it the 6th
and southbound traffic on US-­‐
highest-earning county in the Southwest
183 is much lighter, with about Kansas category. The following categories
650 represent where tourist dollars were spent:
vehicles coming from the north, and about 940 arriving from the tertainment
south. Commercial (truck) traffic accounts for 23% to 33% of all food
traffic flowing through ransportation
Greensburg. According to Big Well visitor data, since December 2007, people from all over the world have visited Greensburg. In terms of frequency, Canadians (presumably snowbirds) have visited every single month, followed by people from England, Germany and Australia. The rest of Europe is well represented. The Big Well also had visitors from Mexico, South America, Asia and Africa. In addition, each month saw visitors from a minimum of 16 different states to as many as 42. Although the Big Well is generally perceived as a historical attraction, the design and messages at the new facility will help it function ideally as the hub for all types of tourists: STs, WTs, and CHTs. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF TARGETED TOURISM GROUPS Characteristics of Sustainability Tourists (STs) With the rise of the “green” movement and interest in sustainability as both social policy and a way of life, sustainable tourism has seen a big recent surge. According to PhoCusWright's Going Green: The Business Impact of Environmental Awareness on Travel, 44% of people consider environmental impacts when planning their travel, and this number is likely to grow. Such environmental impacts include reduced consumption of electricity and water, reduction of harmful outputs such as waste water and pollutants, emissions offsets, and product procurement. Moreover, nearly a third of all travelers are willing to pay some sort of premium for green travel. Because of the sector’s growth trend and willingness to pay a premium for environmentally friendly practices, sustainability tourists (STs) have recently begun to receive attention from the tourism community. STs are an extremely diverse demographic. CMI Green Traveler Study Report, 2010-­‐
2011 surveyed 950 “eco-­‐conscious” travelers. They are largely professional, urban, Caucasian Baby Boomers, although more Millennials are joining the segment. About half were married or in a long-­‐term, committed relationship. Most of them (85%) have college degrees and many (40%) have advanced degrees. Interestingly, 83.2% of respondents to the survey indicated that they are planning on taking a “greener” vacation (“greener” being defined as either staying in an environmentally friendly hotel, having an environmentally friendly restaurant experience and/or participating in an environmentally friendly tour) in the next 12 months. A study conducted by the Arizona Office of Tourism, The Potential Power of Geotourists: Their Interests and Attitudes, indicates that these tourists can be broken down into three distinct segments: Geo-­‐Savvys, Urban Sophisticates and Good Citizens. • Geo-­‐Savvys are young affluent adults. Many live in large cities in the Pacific region. According to PGAV Destinations, a travel consulting company, “Nearly 75% of 18-­‐ to 34-­‐year olds say they are more likely to visit an attraction that is pursuing environmentally friendly practices.” • Urban Sophisticates are the most affluent segment. Many of them are highly educated and hold executive, managerial or professional occupations in urban areas. The Potential Power of Geotourists: Their Interests and Attitudes states, “The majority of Urban Sophisticates (67%) prefer high-­‐quality accommodations with excellent facilities and fine dining. They also tend to seek destinations that offer authentic historic sites (73%) and cultural/arts events or attractions (74%). Most Urban Sophisticates prefer trips where they can explore historic and charming towns and locations (86%).” This GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 7 •
segment shares many characteristics with cultural and heritage tourists (CHTs), who primarily represent Greensburg’s traditional Big Well visitors. Good Citizens represent the older demographic. They are affluent and are socially conscious travelers who are the most likely to make donations to historic, cultural and educational organizations. Sustainable Travel International, a nonprofit that provides education and outreach to travelers and travel providers, says that STs are typically interested in visiting locations that have made a commitment “to protect and enhance the destination’s socio-­‐cultural, historical, natural or built resources.” STs are looking for a destination that outwardly displays evidence of its commitment to the environment: accessible and visible recycling bins; use of energy-­‐efficient lighting; food and drink sold in biodegradable containers, and so forth. They expect museums and historical/cultural attractions to be green. To a lesser extent, they expect sightseeing tours and excursions to be green. Interestingly, STs will not necessarily perceive LEED-­‐certified architecture as essential for a destination to be “green.” According to PGAV Destinations, “Visitors are motivated to visit attractions that exercise green practices or those that provide educational offerings that show how to be green.” Only 19% of respondents indicated that they would be motivated to visit an attraction in which the facility was constructed using environmentally friendly materials. We surmise this might be due to the fact that information about the architecture of a building is not typically easily accessible as you’re walking or driving by it. However, Greensburg can make the information about its architecture accessible and interesting with guided tours, wayfinding signage, audio tours, YouTube videos and detailed data on the website, both standard and mobile versions. The more that STs can learn about Greensburg’s sustainable rebuilding efforts in advance, the more the community will serve as a real draw for this segment. Characteristics of Weather Tourists (WTs) In the case of Greensburg, we consider weather tourists (WTs) to be a subsector of cultural and heritage tourists because they are primarily interested in the post-­‐
tornado historical significance of Greensburg. This group of tourists is likely to share many characteristics of the 78% of adults who actively engage in cultural and heritage tourism annually. The difference is that WTs are particularly interested in how the storm shifted Greensburg away from what people historically perceived it to be, how the town worked to recreate and redefine itself right after the storm, and how the community has evolved since that point. They are probably not as interested in the sustainable rebuilding of the community as they are in the experiences of the people during and after the tornado. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 8 According to Tell the Story! A Strategic Tourism Plan: Greensburg + Kiowa County, KS: Visitors want to know what happened on May 7, 2007, why it happened, how the community responded, and how and why the decision to come back “green” was made. This story can be told through the Greentown tour, at a Kiowa County visitor center, and at the new Big Well Museum. (Merlin Peck’s photo essay AFTERMATH, for example, could form the basis of a dramatic gallery exhibit.) (Heberling Associates) These types of tourists are similar to those who visit locations like Gettysburg or Ground Zero in New York. They want to see what happens when an unforeseen event impacts a group of people. Moreover, they are interested in seeing how the community evolves after the event occurs. The community must decide how best to approach the subject of the tornado in marketing materials. Do we appeal to those intrigued by danger and destruction? Many people see this as exploitative. Characteristics of Cultural and Heritage Tourists (CHTs) According to a 2010 study cited in Cultural and Heritage Tourism News, “78% of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural and/or heritage activities while traveling.” This is 118.3 million adults each year, who spend an average of $994 per trip. They take an average of five trips per year. Half of their expenditures are on activities, dining and shopping. (Merchants and restaurateurs, take note!) According to this same study, CHTs search online before they take a trip, and 42% use Facebook. They like culinary-­‐related activities such as food festivals, artisan food and wine samplings, farmers’ markets, and unique dining experiences. In addition, 66% of them visit historic sites. These travelers want “authentic” experiences, which in tourism essentially means those that would already exist whether any visitors were there to experience them or not. Amish Country in Pennsylvania is an authentic visitor experience, while Disneyland is not (although it’s doing pretty well for itself anyway). PGAV Destinations did a national study on “authenticity as a social trend that influences consumer choices.” This study found that 80% of tourists like to visit places that are “authentic.” Two criteria of the best examples of authenticity are places where something “real” happened (68%) as well as “something you cannot do anywhere else” (34%). Of course, Greensburg scores well on both counts. And in this sense, Greensburg is the ultimate authentic experience. You didn’t rebuild as a tourist destination. The way you rebuilt provides the tourism potential. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 9 BRANDING MESSAGES In general, we Kansans tend to sell ourselves short, at least when it comes to believing we have anything to see or do. At New Boston, we call this the Kansas Inferiority Complex. In terms of tourism, the fact that Kansas ranks consistently near the bottom in tourism funding reflects the fact that our elected leaders have shared this view, to our state’s detriment. No one likes a braggart, but Kansans need to understand that we have something to offer and that it is fine to be proud of our stories. Because of what you’ve done in Greensburg, the effort it’s taken, and the national attention you’ve earned, you understand that by marketing yourself as a tourist destination, you can successfully draw people into your community. You don’t assume that people are just rushing through to get somewhere “better," and your citizens are already convinced that Greensburg has true tourism potential, so buy-­‐in for many new initiatives to promote tourism will be a much easier sell than in many communities. Specific messages are difficult to pinpoint, because the medium and target audience dictate those. A Facebook post updating former reality-­‐TV show Greensburg viewers about the progress the community has made will have a very different tone and purpose than will a 1/4-­‐page magazine ad in The Legend: Life in Southwest Kansas. People who are only casually informed about Greensburg have no understanding of how much you have accomplished in the last five years, and don't realize everything you have to offer now. You must get that word out with branding, images and message. On a related note, outsiders don’t know many details about your sustainability efforts, so you need to make it very, very easy for them to learn more. For example, there doesn’t seem to be much online about your Best Western being turbine-­‐
powered. We’re sure that it gets old pointing out the same things over and over about Greensburg’s “greenness,” but really, it’s not possible to overdo this. What you take for granted is completely novel to others. Create all your pieces and write all your copy as if the reader has been living on the moon since 2006 and has no idea about Greensburg’s awesomeness! Marketing is all about being distinctive. Uniqueness and visitor-­‐ready must be the underlying message of all tourism efforts. Don’t just say you’re “friendly” or “a great place to shop and play.” Every town says those things. Visitors must understand that Greensburg is exceptional, and that the town is "open for business" and ready to welcome visitors with open arms. Therefore, we see several points to emphasize, depending on target market and venue (billboard vs. social media, for instance;): GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 10 •
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More LEED buildings per capita than any other place on Earth Green, Resilient and Friendly! Come See What We've Built! EF-­‐5 and Two Miles Wide: The Tornado Couldn’t Keep Us Down! Visit Greensburg Today! Greensburg then: 95% Destroyed. Greensburg now: 100% Back in Business! See the GREEN Buildings in Greensburg The Big Well Museum and Visitor’s Center — Bigger and Better than Ever It’s Not Your Grandpa’s Well! Come See the (New) Big Well today! The Big Well Museum and Visitor’s Center: 360° View of Greensburg Named One of the Coolest Small Towns in America! Every message should pass this test: “Could the Pratt Chamber of Commerce say the same thing?” If the answer is yes, choose a different message! Include URLs and Facebook on everything. All branding must drive people to your website and social media venues. Messages for Sustainability Tourists STs deeply value the idea that destinations should work to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and of course, it's difficult to be more environmentally friendly than Greensburg. However, STs are also skeptical about claims of “greenness.” You must use evidence-­‐based messages and images that specifically identify how the community has rebuilt in a sustainable way. Highlight and explain the turbines, the green roofs and any other easily recognizable "green" elements in the community. This means that in both your online outreach and in the town itself (through signage, the audio tour, and so on), visitors must see credible proof of Greensburg’s green cred. Document claims of being green by leveraging the many, many awards the community has received. For instance, STs will be impressed that Greensburg received the 2011 United Nations Global Green Community Award or the 2011 Siemen’s Sustainable Community Award. The claim of "most LEED-­‐certified buildings per capita" will resonate with educated American travelers (although perhaps not Europeans; LEED is a U.S. building standard). These types of recognition bring credibility and reinforce the idea that Greensburg has created a culture of sustainability. PGAV Destinations’ study suggests, however, that you must use caution and not be too boastful or inflated with this strategy. Many survey respondents said it would be helpful to have signs posted around attractions that explain how and why green practices are being used. But numerous others cautioned against signs that simply shout, “I’m green!” There is an underlying skepticism that some businesses are trying to catch the “green wave” without really doing anything meaningful to help the environment. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 11 Marketing that makes somebody roll his eyes is not good marketing. Greensburg has many legitimate green attractions; the community should guard against spurious future claims, which will only cheapen Greensburg's real accomplishments as well as Greensburg's "brand." Finally, STs make decisions based on their social groups, and based on the opinions of people they perceive as being their peers. They are unlikely to subscribe to travel magazines or look for travel information in traditional ways. Greensburg’s messages to STs should be pushed through search engines, social media channels and travel sources that promote environmentally sustainable behavior. Remember that this group relies more on peer-­‐to-­‐peer communication than on getting information from advertising. Thus, it is imperative that Greensburg be visible in a number of logical gathering points across the Internet. Messages for Weather Tourists According to Post Disaster Marketing, What Works?, there are several messages that appeal to people who are interested in how communities recover from a terrible event such as the tornado: • Business as Usual: “Open and ready for business.” • Solidarity/Empathy: “By visiting now, you are helping us.” • Community Readiness: To overcome the tourist’s concern that they may not be welcome. • Confidence Restoration: “Still going strong.” • Testimonial: Message is endorsed by someone who has visited the region at the time of, or soon after, the event. • Curiosity Enhancement: Highlight the beauty of a regenerating landscape. • Short-­‐Term Discounts: Price reductions. • Promotion of Events: Focus on scheduled festivals and events in the affected region. • Celebrity Endorsement: Message is endorsed by a well-­‐known celebrity, communicating all or some of the above themes. Greensburg initially used the strategy of confidence restoration (“Rebuilding...Stronger, Better, Greener!”) directly following the tornado and, as the community has taken shape, has leveraged business as usual themes to promote commerce. Greensburg has the opportunity to combine multiple strategies such as curiosity enhancement (“What happens when people rebuild a community after a devastating storm?”), confidence restoration (“We’re back better than ever!”), and testimonial ("BudgetTravel.com’s Coolest Small Towns in America" label) to encourage tourists to visit the community. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 12 For WTs, it is essential that the messages commemorate the history of the community and really explain how the tornado impacted citizens. There must be an emotional component to the message that celebrates the idea of what Greensburg has become while respectfully acknowledging the lives lost and the lives completely changed. During the focus group we conducted in Greensburg, we heard numerous nostalgic comments about what Greensburg was before the tornado, but also a lot of pride about what it has become through the citizens' determination to make the community a better and more sustainable place to live. Revealing these nuances provides additional richness of experience for tourists, and the Big Well Museum and Visitors Center is an excellent location to begin introducing visitors to that narrative. Ultimately, WTs will be interested in how the community overcame the tragedy and challenges created by the storm. It is essential that this narrative be constructed in such a way that it appeals to this segment’s emotions. Messages for Cultural and Heritage Tourists An interesting characteristic of travelers to Kansas is that about 42% of them are visiting friends and relatives. Therefore, one of our strategies is to remind Kansans to visit Greensburg and bring their out-­‐of-­‐state (or out-­‐of-­‐Kiowa County) guests. Many of these visitors will have been to Greensburg in the past, but haven’t returned since the tornado — and certainly haven’t seen the new Big Well Museum and Visitors Center. And, although most of what you see in Greensburg is “shiny and Targeted messages for CHTs include:
new,” as Mayor Bob Dixson said W
during the focus group, “The r y
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tornado is now a piece of our r
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history and our heritage, like The Big Well. It’s part of who r
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we are.” We believe Greensburg can capitalize on a message of “new history” or “living history” or something that conveys the idea that history is not always what happened long ago to other people. Any group of people can become part of a historic event, and their response to that event either cements the event as truly important, or as a mere footnote. Your community chose not to be a footnote. And as Mayor Dixson and others noted, The Big Well has been a beloved and long-­‐
standing piece of Kansas history for decades. As such, it’s a generational experience that CHTs will want to see again for themselves along with their children and grandchildren. The thematic integration of The Big Well with the tornado and aftermath will work perfectly to reinforce the message that “history is now.” GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 13 In addition to The Big Well, the cool new Kiowa County Museum with its soda fountain is a draw that should be more widely publicized with images and content online. The Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn is an amazing architectural draw that both CHTs and STs should be interested in. And as more agritourism opportunities (hopefully) arise, they can and should be aggressively promoted to CHTs. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 14 BRANDING RECOMMENDATIONS Greensburg has a great logo, along with experience in outreach and consistency of message. The logo and the message are genuine and natural, arising from recent history, so they're not forced; they feel authentic to both citizens and visitors. Tourism-­‐Only Outreach. We would like to see the CTB’s marketing efforts become more appealing to the interests of tourists. The best way to do this will be to separate the CTB from the City online, on both the website and in social media. We feel this separation is a crucial step. We realize that the City is busy recruiting new businesses and residents to Greensburg and Kiowa County. The City site also has a lot of resources for current residents. It’s important not to muddy the waters between these necessary City functions and tourism marketing. The messages to a current citizen, a potential tourist, and a possible new business are completely different. Likewise, while some of Greensburg’s attributes will be attractive to both tourists and businesses (great amenities, innovative uses of technology), some of Greensburg’s assets won’t be interesting to tourists (details about the school system or labor force), so that information shouldn't be mixed in with tourism messages. Hence, the need to separate the CTB from the City online. (Having said this, we fully support coordination between economic development and tourism messages and branding, as much as possible; such consistency will only serve to reinforce Greensburg’s brand, which is a good thing. Many of the elements that make Greensburg a cool place to visit also make it an attractive place to do business.) Graphics Standards Guide. Building on the logo, all public entities should adhere to a graphics standards guide, which will enable you to maintain quality and consistency over time, and will protect you from brand dilution. Such a guide details: •
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How and where the logo and other design elements may be used — dimensions; layout; vertical and horizontal versions; black and white Which entities may — and may not — use the official city logo Approved colors for printing and design — Pantone colors and their CMYK and RGB counterparts, to be used in all applications Complementary fonts and design elements — body copy font; headline fonts; other graphical elements; use of leaf alone; use of "G" alone GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 15 •
Editorial rules — such things as capitalizing (for instance, “the Big Well” or “The Big Well”) or hyphenating (“LEED-­‐certified building” or “LEED certified building"). Tagline. "Rebuilding...Stronger, Better, Greener!" is the current tagline. We believe that for tourism purposes, the CTB should adopt a separate tagline. This tourism tag should evoke friendliness, uniqueness and that there is plenty to see and do. This tourism tagline should reflect the character of the residents of Greensburg and convey the idea that Greensburg is the primary “green” destination in Kansas, and one of the primary green destinations in the country. See Branding Messages, above, for themes to consider for a new tagline. Keep it short, and keep it distinctively Greensburg! Spokesperson. We also recommend that one organization/person continues to serve as the “gatekeeper” for all things tourism. Stacy Barnes, director of the CTB, is doing an outstanding job. Many organizations have a formal policy stating which job titles are allowed to speak to the media on behalf of the organization. If Greensburg doesn't yet have such a policy, you should implement one. Many municipal organizations, such as the League of Kansas Municipalities or even the Kansas Association of Counties (since many CTBs are county government component units) may have pre-­‐existing policies that can be modified to fit Greensburg’s needs. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 16 MARKETING STRATEGIES Like all forms of marketing, tourism marketing must be consistent and long term. It takes time to change perceptions, it takes time to change people's habits, and it takes time to crowd out all the thousands of other distractions vying for attention. We know that Greensburg isn't a large community and doesn't have a large tourism marketing budget. Many of the strategies below are recommendations for the CTB director to implement — or continue — as part of her job duties, and so carry no additional cost. Others do require a financial investment. You have invested a lot in rebuilding your community in a unique, sustainable way. Now is the time to keep the momentum going. To keep interest in Greensburg alive over time, you must keep investing in outreach and marketing, particularly for niche audiences outside of Kansas (STs and WTs). Money is always a hurdle. However, the uniqueness of your history probably opens up funding possibilities that other communities don’t have. Public-­‐private partnerships, funding through regional organizations such as Wild West County, and grants from nonprofit organizations and community foundations are all possibilities for marketing dollars. We've separated those strategies that don't have any cost (beyond the CTB director's professional efforts) from those that would be separate budget items. We call the two categories "In-­‐House Efforts and "Marketing Expenditures." In-­‐House Efforts Social Media. There is an inherent, but fixable, challenge in Greensburg’s current social media infrastructure as it relates to tourism development. Specifically, every message from all City entities is disseminated from the same social media space. Whether the communication is aimed at people interested in community activities, City of Greensburg municipality issues, emergency management, business development or visitor information, there is only one social media source, which is either confusing to existing users or is not germane to people looking for very specific information. The Greensburg CTB should develop a social media infrastructure that is separate from the city’s social media infrastructure. Specifically, Greensburg CTB should develop: • A Facebook page to build awareness and generate tourism-­‐centric information. • A Twitter feed to: GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 17 •
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o cross-­‐promote Greensburg’s story and the evolution of the community; o identify and promote attractions; and o push out deals and coupons from local businesses. A YouTube Channel (in partnership with the Kiowa County Media Center) to: o showcase the evolution of the community with photos and film taken before, during and after the tornado; o provide some context about the history of Greensburg; o highlight attractions; and o serve as a place to generate interest in the people who live and work in Greensburg, those who have created the community identity. Wikis to provide an accurate portrayal of the community’s history as well as the rebuilding efforts and the evolution of Greensburg as an eco-­‐friendly community, as well as one with a strong historical draw. Social apps to serve as a “green” map for Greensburg on sites about green travel such as www.opengreenmap.org. Other social apps could serve to enhance the travel experience of visiting Greensburg. The great thing about this technology is that it is completely flexible and highly measurable (because it must be downloaded and used in conjunction with Greensburg’s existing technologies). Please see the Appendix for more about social media strategy and content. Front-­‐Line Employee Training Program. Red Carpet Service: Linking Rural Communities to Travelers and Tourists, by Cheryl Burkhart-­‐Friesel and Connie Francis, says that one of the major problems in rural communities that are trying to build their tourism potential is that front-­‐line hospitality employees (in motels, gas stations, retail stores, restaurants, attractions) do not always know enough about the community to send people to other places they might logically be interested in. Therefore, Greensburg should build front-­‐line employees’ and volunteers’ ability to provide excellent customer service, increase tourism awareness, and help visitors in ways that will keep them in the community for a longer visit. It’s important that every front-­‐line person in Greensburg and Kiowa County — in the restaurants and stores, hotels, Kiowa Commons, Kiowa County Museum, The Big Well Museum, Kansas Meteorite Museum, Greentown, and so forth — be as good an ambassador as the people we’ve met on our trips to town. (And we consider people who answer questions over the phone to be front-­‐line employees as well. A friendly tone and helpful attitude are absolutely critical on the phone!) GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 18 A front-­‐line employee program will give these workers and volunteers the information they need to help tourists and provide a hospitable experience. This program should include: • A fact sheet to give to visitors about the storm and the impact it had on the community; • A map of Greensburg, Kiowa County and the primary attractions such as the Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn, the Kiowa County Museum, the Kansas Meteorite Museum, the M.T. Ligget Sculptures, any agritourism opportunities and so forth; • A system to capture information about visitors such as names, hometowns and emails; • Reminders about how important it is to smile, and say "please" and "thank you"; • Conversation starters (“Is this your first time in Greensburg?” “Do you have any questions I can answer?”); • A list of other businesses or attractions that may interest visitors; • Directions around the city and county, probably corresponding to the audio tour; • Contact information to set up tours with either the CTB or Greentown. You could even incentivize local hospitality businesses in some manner, perhaps through a “secret tourist” program in which front-­‐line workers are “caught” doing a good job interacting with visitors. Exemplary front-­‐line workers could be rewarded with a cash prize. Dodge City has a similar program. Garden City Regional Airport (GCK). As happened in Manhattan when the airport there began to offer American Airlines/American Eagle service to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW), we expect that the Garden City Regional Airport (GCK) will see a sharp upswing in air traffic. (Manhattan went from 11,000 enplanements in 2008 to 55,000 enplanements in 2011.) We spoke to the director of GCK, and she has indicated that she would willingly consider a cross-­‐promotional advertising effort between GCK and the City of Greensburg CTB. In exchange for an advertising opportunity in the GCK terminal, Greensburg would promote GCK on its website or some other highly trafficked e-­‐
space. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 19 We envision a banner stand display, a wall-­‐mounted display in the GCK terminal, or a digital video spot that would loop continuously on a TV monitor. While this would require a small initial cost to design and produce, there would be no ongoing costs for space rental. Below are some photos for possible placement locations. There is quite a bit of space to work with, and a lot of possibilities. Lounge GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 20 Terminal We strongly encourage this advertising opportunity. Arriving passengers would see a Greensburg ad as soon as they stepped off the plane, and Greensburg is an easy day-­‐trip by car from GCK. There are two car-­‐rental agencies at the airport. Right now, there are two flights each day between GCK and DFW. With this kind of flexibility, a person could easily make a trip to Greensburg and be back in plenty of time for his or her flight. Contact Rachelle Powell at (620) 276-­‐1190. Travelksindustry.com. Lisa Weigt, travel consultant to KTTD, strongly urged ongoing, repeated communication with KTTD through the travelksindustry.com site, emphasizing and detailing what the tourist's experience will be in Greensburg. We're sure that Stacy is already well aware of these opportunities, but we want to emphasize the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with KTTD. KTTD is Kansas' primary outlet for tourism information to the rest of the world. Travel writers, trip planners and event organizers rely on KTTD for accurate information about tourism in our state. If it's not on KTTD, it may be hard for these professionals to find it, and they may feel that information they can't verify on KTTD isn't reliable. Whether it's advertising in KANSAS! Magazine, gaining a greater understanding of how to market Greensburg internationally, or simply being able to gain access to information from the state that will enable more effective tourist targeting, a strong relationship with KTTD will allow Greensburg to continue building momentum as it GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 21 brands itself as a tourist destination in Kansas. The key will be ongoing, repeated, positive communication with KTTD, emphasizing the uniqueness of Greensburg and its readiness to receive visitors. The adage that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is certainly applicable here! Wild West Country. Greensburg, as part of only the second regional tourism effort in the state (the Flint Hills being the first), is in an excellent position to leverage its membership in WWC. The entire 22-­‐county Southwest Kansas region is considering travel and tourism in a whole new way, thanks to the infusion of money from the Boot Hill Casino through the Mariah Fund. Stacy Barnes is already an active member of WWC, and Greensburg has been voted one of the top-­‐ten tourist attractions in Southwest Kansas by the group, the only entire city to be so designated. Greensburg’s distinctiveness from all other Southwest Kansas communities is both a strength and challenge in regional marketing. As an outlier as far as infrastructure and attractions go, Greensburg will need to leverage all opportunities for visibility in future WWC efforts, while still telling the story of why and how the community became so distinctive. A very encouraging fact is that tourism professionals throughout Southwest Kansas see Greensburg as a draw for the entire region and consequently should be open to joint or reciprocal marketing outreach, for instance, banner ads on each other’s sites. Bus Tour Outreach. TourTrackerPro is a company that keeps tabs on coach tour companies, their cities of origin, their routes, their schedules and their itineraries. Contact information for these coach tour companies is included. Greensburg CTB can use this publication to reach out to these companies and let them know what Greensburg has to offer. The publication is offered in sections, and the price varies from $100 to $250 per section, with the cost being higher closer to the date of initial release, usually in May or June each year. (This is an expense, but a nominal one, which is why we include it in this part of the report.) Using this data in partnership with the Best Western could help the community attract more overnight stays, particularly if the Best Western can guarantee accommodations for passengers. (And the Best Western may already have access to this data.) Public Relations. Earned media is a very effective form of marketing. Keeping Greensburg in front of travel writers, those who write about sustainability issues, and weather junkies will probably be a mandatory part of Stacy Barnes’ ongoing activities, as it has been in the past. Press releases to targeted audiences can also build awareness of Greensburg. Even if they don’t trigger a response right then, they keep you present and visible. The entire community has gained a tremendous amount of PR experience, which will stand you in good stead in the future. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 22 Television. Of course, the community has a following on TV, particularly among STs and WTs, due to the cable reality series Greensburg. In order to build upon this presence, Greensburg can reconnect itself with the viewers of that series to promote itself within the ST and WT segments. This connection will remind people why Greensburg is significant and why they cared about the community (and the residents) in the first place. (We know some residents found the series intrusive and disruptive. However, it just seems like common sense to now leverage all the free publicity you can get out of it.) • Facebook. Greensburg attracted a base of users who became your Facebook friends thanks to the series. You can purposefully reach out to this group by analyzing these followers and then targeting them for blasts. This group should also be messaged when significant events occur. Through strategic outreach on social media, Greensburg can reintroduce itself to those former audience members and build a stronger search presence online because of the additional interest the reintroduction creates. • Updates. You should also assume that friends/followers want to know what's happening today to people featured in the series. You could produce short video updates (with the Kiowa County Media Center) of residents who are interested in doing this. Show the new buildings that have been finished. Talk to some young families who’ve moved to town. Post these clips on the CTB website. • Episodes. Hulu and Netflix between them offer webisodes, excerpts and full episodes of Greensburg. Link to these sites to help regenerate interest. Other E-­‐Communication and Newsletter. We interviewed Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, who said that Greensburg should make it very easy for potential visitors to sign up to receive updates about the community. She emphasized the importance of dependable, regular, tourism-­‐oriented communication so CHTs can stay informed and make their travel plans. She also recommended e-­‐blasts when “something cool” is about to happen. CHTs, in particular, rely on more “traditional” e-­‐communication methods, as opposed to social media (although they are certainly active there as well). Greensburg CTB should: • Keep an online calendar updated with all upcoming events, as far ahead as possible. Expired events should drop off, to avoid clutter. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 23 •
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Send out e-­‐blast reminders 3 or 4 times a year as a further reminder of interesting events. Send a regular newsletter as both a print publication (ideally printed on recycled paper, noted as such in the newsletter) and as a PDF attachment, which should also be posted on the Greensburg tourism website/section. Set up an easy way for people to sign up to receive the e-­‐newsletter and e-­‐
blasts. Agritourism. Encouraging the establishment of more agritourism opportunities such as B&Bs or ranch vacations in Greensburg is like the recommendation on page 4 about providing more dining opportunities in Kiowa County: it’s outside the scope of a marketing strategy, and definitely seems like a good idea. However, there may be more agritourism businesses in Kiowa County that we just can’t find online. (For instance, Green Acres B&B, greenacresbb.com, is an expired URL and we’re not sure they’re still in business, although they’re listed on agritourism sites.) As more agritourism businesses are started, the CTB could certainly help publicize these companies. Contact Jan Jantzen, 620-­‐794-­‐6647, who consults across the state on agritourism. Marketing Expenditures As we said above, we know Greensburg has a limited budget. We hope that some of the following action items can be considered and phased in over time. They are important to build tourism efforts, and we are sure they will be a good investment. Billboards. Sometimes, simpler is better. A 2005 KTTD study of interstate travelers, conducted by ETC Institute and Artemis Consulting, showed that good, old-­‐
fashioned billboards “were the most frequently cited source of tourism information, followed by information received at truck stops or from friends and relatives.” Notwithstanding the explosion of mobile sites and apps since 2005, billboards are passive forms of media and are therefore effective — people don’t have to seek them out, and it’s virtually impossible for a person who sees a billboard to not read a billboard. (As long as it’s properly designed, that is.) No matter whether the tourists are CHTs, STs or WTs, they will arrive by car, so billboards will affirm that they're heading in the right direction and that they will be welcome when they arrive. A billboard must pass the 80-­‐mile-­‐per-­‐hour test: Can you read and understand everything on it as you zip by at 80 miles per hour? Billboards fail when someone puts too much on them — too many photos, complicated images, small type and, the worst and most common offense, too much copy! One beautiful color; one large, beautiful, iconic image; one short call to action (or directions/distance to Greensburg); and (perhaps) one short, easy-­‐to-­‐remember URL— that's it! GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 24 We recommend that Greensburg CTB undertake a two-­‐phase billboard strategy. 1. Aggressively look for billboard space on Hwy 50 eastbound from Garden City, Hwy 400 eastbound from Dodge City, and Hwy 54 westbound from Pratt. 2. Plan to expand in future years up to interstate highways: On I-­‐70, at exits for 83, 183 or 283 On I-­‐70, before I-­‐135, westbound, east of Salina On I-­‐70, at exit for 156, westbound On I-­‐35, southbound, east of Wichita On I-­‐35, northbound, south of Wichita Billboard space in agricultural areas is difficult to secure and therefore scarce, due to zoning regulations. We recommend strong, ongoing relationships with Luminous Neon (Nathan Haskell, [email protected], 620-­‐227-­‐2307) and other outdoor/environmental vendors. Only by keeping in close contact with them will you be able to monitor billboard availability. Another strategy is to pinpoint billboards in locations you'd like to have and see whether the current renter would let Greensburg share some time or space on the board. Would the current renter let Greensburg have the space for one or two months during heavy tourist seasons? Website. Potential visitors need to see their own interests reflected in Greensburg's online content. The current design and structure of Greensburg’s website is limited for tourism purposes in the same way its social media infrastructure is challenged, in that the website is shared with the City. Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, said in a phone interview that it’s difficult to find any kind of narrative about the tornado and rebuilding, which is vital information for tourists. Greensburg has been so steeped in all the phases and nuances of rebuilding that these gaps in relating the town's history aren’t obvious to residents, which is only natural. However, as outsiders looking in, we agree with Marci’s assessment — that it's hard to learn the story of the tornado and rebuilding on the website — and we suggest either a separate site (preferred) or a separate URL (that ends up back in the Visitors section of the City site) that is dedicated solely to visitor and tourism information. Functionally, we would suggest that the new tourism site: • Incorporate more, large images to better showcase The Big Well, the new architecture, the other Kiowa County attractions and the friendly people. A larger header with simple rotating images would be attractive. • Use more tourist-­‐friendly copy with the key messages; GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 25 •
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Incorporate a booking engine to make it more convenient for travelers to book hotel rooms, tours, meetings, and so forth; Have the ability to create a travel itinerary; Have a mobile version so travelers can use it easily; Provide a comprehensive event calendar (everything that is happening in Kiowa Co. that may interest tourists); Links to Hulu and Netflix for webisodes and episodes (see Television, above); and Provide a geo-­‐coded page with destinations in Greensburg and Kiowa County with o a narrative description of the attraction; o an e-­‐mail address where the contact person can be reached; and o a web address, among other features. Content and images will be crucial, and both should offer something for all three targeted tourism segments (STs, WTs and CHTs). Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Along with the web design revision, the CTB must ensure that the site is search engine optimized. Obviously, “Greensburg, Kansas” has been searched online by members of all of the tourism segments, primarily because of the Discovery Channel series and news coverage. Greensburg can continue to use this publicity to drive search traffic for tourism purposes. It will be crucial to use tools such as Google AdWords, Yelp.com, Searchalliance.com (a paid search option for business locations and tourist destinations), and so forth to build SEO. Digital Advertising. Banner ads on niche websites or social spaces are a natural choice for Greensburg. However, many logical banner ad choices are very expensive; for instance, weather.com requires a minimum monthly buy of $10,000. Pay-­‐per-­‐clicks can be risky (although you can minimize the risk by setting daily or weekly limits), but it’s probably worth the investment on some sites, particularly those targeted at eco-­‐ and sustainability tourists, as well as weather tourists and storm chasers. These ads should promote Greensburg as the primary sustainable destination in the Midwest. Commit to trying pay-­‐per-­‐clicks for a three-­‐ to six-­‐
month period and evaluate after that. Wayfinding Signage. Once people are in town, wayfinding signage for attractions is crucial. Ulysses is an excellent model. Attractions and public amenities such as parks GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 26 and public buildings are listed on stoplights and street signs (where drivers automatically look anyway). The signs repeat in logical places until drivers reach the destination. Signs are all green so drivers are quickly trained where to look. Being oriented to the community makes visitors feel welcome and confident that they can find what they want to see. These signs can be coordinated with the audio tour. (More KDOT highway signage is already on its way, which is a very positive development.) Wichita Mid-­‐Continent Airport (ICT). This airport has a variety of advertising options through their media agency, ClearChannel Airports. Greensburg is about two hours from Wichita, and advertising at ICT could prompt people who are already in Kansas to make a stop or a detour in Greensburg, or consider it for a future trip. While some options (very large, very prominent placement) are outside Greensburg’s budget, others are more affordable. For instance, as of April 2012, a small, lighted display at the Reservations and Information kiosk can be rented for $190/month, for a one-­‐year contract; longer terms have even better rates. A Community Gridwall Display can be rented for $125/month. Space in a brochure rack is available for $45/month. Contact Lorraine Wilson, [email protected], 1.800.648.8437 x277. Brochure/Rack Card. The content in the current tri-­‐fold brochure could probably be pared back a bit and the fonts, colors and other design elements should adhere to the new Graphics Standards Guide for consistency, incorporating general key messages and driving the reader to online sites for more information. International Advertising/Outreach. Kansas Travel and Tourism Division, in a partnership with the Oklahoma Tourism Department, promotes trips to these two states for European visitors. Considering the number of Europeans who already visit Greensburg and The Big Well, this is a natural opportunity for Greensburg. We conducted a phone interview with Lisa Weigt, of Destinations by Design, who serves as an international travel consultant with KTTD. She said that The Big Well, on its own, would not be a destination driver for international tourists, but the sustainable architecture, green theme and international recognition as an eco-­‐
friendly city definitely would be. International tourists will be looking for authenticity and will rely on prestigious, credible recognition that Greensburg is a truly eco-­‐friendly community, such as the 2011 United Nations Global Green Community Award. International travelers will also be drawn to eco-­‐friendly overnight accommodations, so the Best Western with its turbines and green features will be attractive. (This eco-­‐friendliness will appeal to domestic STs as well.) The hotel's green features aren't immediately evident upon visiting the website; we had to read down into the comments to learn about the (according to guests, surprisingly quiet!) turbines, for instance. The hotel should make its eco-­‐friendly features much more GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 27 prominent in its website content. Lisa Weigt also urged Greensburg to leverage other eco-­‐friendly tourism opportunities in Kansas such as the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, Quivira National Wildlife Area, Cimarron National Grasslands, Monument Rocks and Big Basin Prairie Preserve, as well as those in the Panhandles, northern Oklahoma, and to the southwest. People will travel through or near these places to reach Greensburg, and leveraging these opportunities makes a lot of sense. Dodge City is a big international tourism draw, so Greensburg should definitely leverage its proximity to urge travelers to take day trips. We think that the theme for these day trips could be along these lines: "Savor the Old West in Dodge City. Enjoy the New West in Greensburg!" Lisa agreed that Garden City Regional Airport's new twice-­‐daily flights back and forth to DFW could remove a huge potential barrier for international tourism: Now it's possible to fly from many European cities straight to DFW, then hop another jet to GCK. According to Weigt, the flight schedules seem to work well with the arrivals of many international flights at DFW, which means those tourists won’t have a lengthy layover in Dallas. And if Greensburg and GCK can work out a reciprocal promotion arrangement, both entities will benefit and hopefully see increased international traffic. Finally, we would also urge Greensburg CTB to keep Canadian visitors uppermost when considering the international (but not overseas) market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, of 62 million foreign visitors to the U.S. last year, 21 million were Canadians. Canadians have visited Greensburg every month since the tornado. One promising online avenue to pursue is the Canadian Snowbird Association, www.snowbirds.org. This site has lots of informational links and small banner ads. Contact Lisa Weigt at [email protected] or 480-­‐664-­‐3076 to discuss other international tourism opportunities available through KTTD. Tourism Site Participation. When we Google “Vacation in Greensburg, KS,” here are the links we get: • www.golflink.com/golf...resorts/resort-­‐city.aspx?to=Greensburg+KS • www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-­‐g38752-­‐Greensburg_Kansas-­‐Vacations.html • www.triptrivia.com/KS/Greensburg • www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?CityID=105 This relative obscurity on travel sites is problematic because many tourists use sites like Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com and TripAdvisor.com. From a perspective of search engine optimization and placement on premier travel sites, Greensburg has GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 28 relatively few “advocates” in the travel site industry, and this is a problem in attracting out-­‐of-­‐state and international visitors. CMI Green Marketing Green Traveler Study 2010-­‐11 Report says, “Nearly half of all respondents used peer reviews on LonelyPlanet.com, TripAdvisor.com and other Web 2.0 travel sites to validate claims of environmentally friendly travel services. 29% of respondents cited peer-­‐review-­‐powered, third-­‐party travel websites when evaluating a hotel’s green ‘cred’ this year, a 7% jump over last year’s study. Eco-­‐
travelers looked first to each other, rather than travel providers themselves, as a resource in their travel decisions.” Advertising packages on sites such as Travelocity and TripAdvisor can be very expensive, starting at $10,000/year. However, an active social media campaign (see above) can help build Greensburg’s presence on these sites, and some sort of presence is crucial. Often, it’s a matter of leveraging relationships that residents have developed with visitors. These individuals, provided they had a satisfactory experience, would carry Greensburg’s message into their social spheres. Then, it’s simply a matter of networking through identified social spaces and reinforcing the idea that Greensburg is a legitimate tourism destination. Print Ads. Most national print advertising is well outside Greensburg’s budget. KTTD places ads (Midwest Living; O, the Oprah Magazine; History Channel Magazine and so forth) to reach national print readers, primarily CHTs. Their ads drive traffic to the KTTD site travelks.com, making an active collaboration between Greensburg and KTTD imperative. Maintain a strong presence on the KTTD site — see Travelksindustry.com, above. Greensburg should continue its current in-­‐state and in-­‐region print advertising (The Legend: Life in Southwest Kansas, High-­‐Plains Journal) in order to stay in front of Kansas CHTs, as well as Kansans who entertain guests from other states. We would recommend measuring the effectiveness of this advertising with a series of QR codes or unique URLs that link to information about Greensburg, coupons, or some other type of incentive. Evaluate and reallocate print ad funding as appropriate. Other advertising opportunities can arise with little notice. We believe that with a few pre-­‐designed, tourist-­‐targeted ads ready to go, Greensburg can respond quickly. As much as possible, the ads should be easily scalable for different dimension requirements (1/4 page, 1/2 page, etc.). All print ads should direct the reader to the Internet to learn more about the town and how to plan a trip. We recommend one “generic” tourist ad that quickly tells the story of Greensburg and what makes it unique. As budget allows, a more “Big Well-­‐oriented” piece would make sense, for CHT-­‐oriented publications. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 29 Radio. We don’t recommend radio ads except for the short term, when there is a specific event that it makes sense to advertise regionally, within about a 50-­‐mile radius. App Innovation. Greensburg’s CTB should consider identifying a map (or app) that highlights the history of the community prior to the storm (historical fact sheet, former buildings, interesting trivia) and details the evolution of the community over time (LEED-­‐certified buildings, how the new architecture meshes with the identity of the community). For example, the Joplin, Missouri, CVB developed several tools to allow visitors to learn about how community members are dealing with the aftermath of their tornado. Other examples could include: • A "Greensburg Shopper" application that will provide incentives for visitors to shop at various businesses in the community; • An augmented reality app that uses QR codes or Google goggles as a platform to view the site as it looked before the tornado; or • An app to get feedback from tourists so that the experience of future visitors could be enhanced. GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 30 BIBLIOGRAPHY 2005 Kansas Interstate Tourist Travel Flow Survey, by Kansas Travel and Tourism Division, Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism: webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QXJ2nTcKmvAJ:travelksindustry
.com/DocumentView.asp%3FDID%3D32+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=fire
fox-­‐a 2011 Kansas Tourism Industry Annual Report, by Kansas Travel and Tourism Division, Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism travelksindustry.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=203 2011 Sustainable Community Awards, by Business Civic Leadership Center bclc.uschamber.com/article/2011-­‐sustainable-­‐community-­‐awards Bureau’s tornado map creates Facebook flap, by Debby Woodin, The Joplin Globe www.joplinglobe.com/local/x2019124014/Bureau-­‐s-­‐tornado-­‐map-­‐creates-­‐
Facebook-­‐flap CMI Green Traveler Study Report, 2010-­‐11, by CMI Green www.greenbook.org/Content/CMI/cmigreen2010_11.pdf New study reveals popularity of U.S. cultural and heritage travel, in Cultural Heritage Tourism News www.culturalheritagetourism.org/documents/FINALWinter2010.pdf Marci Penner, director, Kansas Sampler Foundation. Personal interview, April, 2012. PGAV Destinations www.pgavdestinations.com PhoCusWright's Going Green: The Business Impact of Environmental Awareness on Travel, by Carroll Reem www.travelgreen.org/files/PhocusWright.pdf Post Disaster Tourism, What Works?, by Dr. Gabby Walters and Dr Judith Mair: http://tourism.uq.edu.au/docs/Disaster.pdf The Potential Power of Geotourists: Their Interests and Attitudes, by Arizona Office of Tourism www.azot.gov/documents/geotourism_2b.pdf Red Carpet Service: Linking Rural Communities to Travelers and Tourists, by Cheryl Burkhart-­‐Kriesel and Connie Francis, The Journal of Extension: www.joe.org/joe/2007december/a7.php GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 31 Sustainable Tourism International sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/sustainabletourismcertification.html Tell the Story! A Strategic Tourism Plan: Greensburg + Kiowa County, KS, by Heberling Associates greensburgks.org/visitors/tourism-­‐strategic-­‐plan/view Lisa Weigt, Destinations by Design. Personal interview, April, 2012. Western Kansas Regional Economic Development Association www.wkreda.com GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 32 APPENDIX Greensburg Social Media Strategy Two posts per day, five days per week = 520 posts per year (starting with Google+, Facebook and Twitter) o Usually one post each day that is Greensburg business-­‐ or attraction-­‐
based — promotion of local products, stores, restaurants, lodging and visitor opportunities. Local businesses will be responsible for sending Stacy information about upcoming specials and events. (They need to understand this will be the deal…she can’t spend all her time calling merchants, restaurants, and lodging!) o Usually one post each day that tells a story, or is a tip/piece of trivia • Posts could be just text, or they could include a photo or video — the more images, the better. • Don’t underestimate the attractiveness and charm of local events. Remember that many people don’t live the way we live in Kansas, and they’ll pay to experience it! This builds the “authenticity factor,” crucial for many tourists. • Shoot for several original short videos per month, produced by the Kiowa County Media Center: o Feature a tourist-­‐centric business or an attraction. Highlight something timely. o Follow a few personable/quirky/funny people over the course of the year, or longer, as they talk about the town, the tornado, rebuilding, what’s going on now, etc. Could be very engaging. o Film visitor comments from all over the world and post their impressions. o Follow-­‐up pieces about people featured in Greensburg, the TV series. o These do NOT have to be perfect. Just get them out there! • Remember that no one will parachute into Greensburg! Make it easy for people to imagine how they will travel to and from town, as well as what they can see, what they can do, where they can eat, and where they can sleep along the way. • Give Greensburg’s “bearings” as often as possible: “We’re only an hour and a half from Garden City, so be sure to pop over here the next time you’re in Garden!” “We’re just about an hour from Dodge City, so once you’ve toured the terrific Old West experience of Boot Hill, come see us in The New West!” GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 •
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Comments from visitors — both video and written. Testimonials are HUGE! Highlight the international nature of the visitors to city — people probably have no idea how many countries Big Well visitors come from! Photos of visitors Community photos (people, Main Street buildings, turbines, The Big Well, green roofs, Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn) Stories about visitors — the honeymoon couple and the 21st-­‐anniversary couple; why people want to stop and see Greensburg; impressions after their visits Features about volunteers who visitors are likely to meet around town: o “Mary has lived in Greensburg all her life, and she won’t tell you EXACTLY how long that’s been, but she sure knows where to find the best piece of apple pie in Kiowa County. And be sure to ask her about some of the crazy things people have dropped in The Big Well!” Link to video clip Do a step-­‐on of a tour bus and take video of the group (with permission) Reminders (or retweets) about special events or extended hours downtown Links to Kiowa County Museum, Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn info, Meteorite Museum Featured news and events at Kiowa County Museum, Fromme-­‐Birney Round Barn, Meteorite Museum Reminders (holiday events, community events, significant dates for Greensburg history, weather events, Southwest Kansas events, or things happening around the state) Sports events such as tournaments Live tweets during events Holiday or seasonal events (Christmas events, shopping specials, tree-­‐
lighting; community Thanksgiving or Easter dinner; hayrack rides; corn GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 34 •
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mazes, trick-­‐or-­‐treating; Easter egg hunt) Rebuilding and historical milestones/anniversaries: o May 4 o Founding of Greensburg o Cannonball Railroad o Reopening of schools o Reopening of businesses o Reopening of public entities o Groundbreakings o Other milestones Harvest information, photos, videos — many people (even in Kansas!) know nothing about harvest, so some relevant info would be very interesting—
tonnage of wheat, the cool features in combines like GPS (link to BTI), the long hours, where custom cutters come from, where wheat is shipped to, etc. Requests for retweets, likes, links, blog posts about city Announce new staff or volunteers Profile and thank a repeat visitor — someone who’s visited regularly to check on rebuilding progress (with their permission, of course) Profile and thank a supporting institution — an organization that’s been a good partner to Greensburg during rebuilding such as K-­‐State, KU, state agencies, Greentown, nonprofits and other entities Stories about how Greensburg has helped other communities with tornado-­‐
rebuilding efforts Voting! Get people voting, either silly or serious o Favorite green building in town o Top 10 (or 5) lists of favorite things in Greensburg Weekly/monthly specials at local businesses, especially hospitality-­‐related ones. Links to all local hospitality-­‐related businesses (lodging, dining, attractions, specialty shops) Emphasize how affordable a trip to Greensburg is — lodging prices and specials, average meal prices and specials GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 35 •
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Coupons for local businesses; gives people incentive to follow you; could also use it to track social media vs. traditional ads, or Facebook vs. Twitter Info about places to hold or stage events such as weddings, reunions, receptions (new auditorium, The Big Well, Arts Center, hospital, Best Western, churches) Links to local non-­‐hospitality related businesses, if they’re holding an event the public can attend Church schedules School events Fundraisers/dinners at local churches and civic organizations What’s going on in Kansas/Southwest Kansas/Panhandle — great opportunity to pick up followers and retweets What’s going on at the Garden City Regional Airport Links to other SWK attractions: Liberal, Dodge City, Garden City, Meade — remember, they’re driving through THERE to get HERE! Environmental and historical holidays (2012; opportunities for tie-­‐ins with other regional attractions) o January 1: New Year's Day: Make a Green New Year's Resolution o January 29: Kansas Day o February 2: World Wetlands Day (shout-­‐out to Quivira National Refuge) o February: Anniversary of Frank and Eliza Kimberly (meteorite hunters) homestead claim o March 20: Spring (Vernal) Equinox o March 21: World Forestry Day o March 22: World Water Day o March 23: World Meteorological Day o Last Saturday of March (3/31/2012): Earth Hour o April 22: Earth Day o Last Friday in April (4/27/2012): Arbor Day o Second Saturday in May (5/12/2012): International Migratory Bird Day (shout-­‐out to Quivira National Refuge and Cimarron National Grasslands) o May 22: International Day for Biological Diversity GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 36 o First Saturday of June (6/2/2012): National Trails Day (shout-­‐out to Cimarron National Grasslands) o June 5: World Environment Day o June 15: Global Wind Day (shout-­‐out to hospital, BTI, school district, 5.4.7. Arts Center, and wind farm) o June 20: Summer Solstice o September 4: National Wildlife Day o September 22: Fall (Autumnal) Equinox o November 15: America Recycles Day o December 21: Winter Solstice GREENSBURG TOURISM MARKETING ACTION PLAN, 2012 37