Gettysburg CVB 5-Year Strategic Plan

Long-term Strategic Plan
2014-2018
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Welcome to the Destination Gettysburg Strategic Plan, which outlines the strategic marketing
direction for the organization for 2014-2019.
Established in 1955, Destination Gettysburg is the official destination marketing organization of
Adams County, Pennsylvania and is tasked with promoting tourism and its positive economic benefits
within the county. The primary function of the Destination Gettysburg is to lead the Adams County
tourism industry in presenting a positive visitor experience while preserving its rich cultural heritage;
and promoting all member tourism related businesses, throughout the County.
The Destination Gettysburg prints an annual Visitor Guide to help potential guests plan their visits to
Gettysburg and other Adams County communities, maintains the DestinationGettysburg.com website
as well as coordinating ongoing marketing communications efforts aimed at building awareness of the
tourism experience in the county.
The following strategic plan has been developed to respond to the changing marketplace; addressing
both the needs of the visitors as well as those of the key stakeholders.
This plan outlines the core elements of Destination Gettysburg’s strategic direction in guiding its
brand marketing efforts and is inclusive of and based upon stakeholder participation. It also
represents the results of focused brand and stakeholder research and is intent on increasing the
overall competitiveness of the destination.
Project Background
The destination visitation metrics* upon which Destination Gettysburg has been historically measured
have remained consistently strong between 2009 and 2012. In fact, they are up in 2012 by 6.5% over
2012. And 2013, with the various festivities and celebrations surrounding 150th Anniversary of the
Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address, is guaranteed to be a benchmark year. However,
once the summit is reached and the worldwide buzz of the anniversary celebration begins to wane,
what is the new reality of the Gettysburg marketing strategy. What market forces are acting for and
against the future of the tourism marketing effort in Adams County?
A deeper look at the key market-specific and national tourism trends reveals some early warning signs
that have spurred action. It is because of these troubling trends that the Destination Gettysburg has
embarked upon this rebranding initiative and the development of this five-year strategic plan.
The project began with a request for proposal sent to the top tourism branding organizations in the
country. After board review, the co-team of Turkel Brands and Collinson media and events was
selected to conduct the research, analyze the findings, establish the repositioned brand, test the
deliverables, and develop a long-term strategic plan.
The goal of this project has been to produce fresh thinking and applicable insight into the Destination
Gettysburg brand, audience, and business, supporting Destination Gettysburg in the creation of a
long‐term brand strategy and fodder for marketing tactics for Gettysburg, post-150th anniversary.
Destination Gettysburg Mission
It is the mission of Destination Gettysburg, the official destination marketing agency of Adams County,
to market Gettysburg and Adams County as a premier travel destination producing a positive
economic impact.
Current Marketing Efforts - Consumer
Target Market - US
Based upon our previous research and existing strategic plan, Destination Gettysburg has used paid
media, media relations, social media and direct marketing to promote tourism in Adams County.
The efforts have focused on the female decision maker considering a vacation or getaway.
Targeted visitors are 35-60 years old and educated with an annual income of $75,000-$100,000.
Both families and couples have been targeted through our variety of marketing placements,
messaging and creative.
* The annual visitation number calculated by California University of Pennsylvania
PLANNING PROCESS
Plan Development Process
At the end of the 2013 fiscal year we will be at the end of a tremendous milestone in our county’s
(and country’s) history. A time is anticipated to be a high water mark for tourism in the county and for
Destination Gettysburg and its marketing efforts in particular. As such, we felt strongly that we
needed to take a step back before crafting our ongoing strategic roadmap for 2014 and beyond. In
this process we needed to inventory whom we are as a community, what the market’s perception of
us is and to use this data along with our historical metrics as a basis for divining the appropriate path
forward.
Our Process
Research
Analysis
Strategy
Roadmap
Research
The research phase, conducted by The Human Collective under the direction of Turkel, consisted of
four distinct areas of study, that combined provide a comprehensive picture of the reality of the
marketing environment in which we will find ourselves in 2014 and beyond. These four areas are:
1. Our existing brand assets & research
2. The actual tourist experience discovered through total brand immersion
3. Our stakeholder perspectives
4. The Voice of the Customer as captured through in-person ethnographic research
Existing Brand Assets & Research Data
As part of our five-year strategic planning process we delved deep into the existing status of the brand
and the history and research that has been conducted to date. This includes a review of the following
elements:
 Current marketing materials
o Website
o Visitors Guide
o Print and Online Advertisements
 Current marketing plans
 Historical research data
o Intercept Study data - 2007‐2012
o 2009 Visitor Study - Self Complete
o 2009 Conversion Study
o 2009 Website User Study
Brand Immersion
During the Brand Immersion phase, brand research partners
came to the market, as a visitor to fully experience the
Gettysburg travel experience themselves. En route from
Washington National Airport to the Gettysburg Historical
District, they stopped along the way to pick up a fruit pie
from a local establishment. At Destination Gettysburg, they
picked up some (a lot of!) brochures to plan their activities.
With only a couple of days, they had to decide how they
were going to spend what free time they had, given all of the
options. They decided on Deb's Underground Railroad Tour,
a horseback riding tour of the Battleground, and paranormal
ghost tour (complete with ghost hunting equipment). During their downtime, they walked through
town, had meals at Dobbin House Tavern, Café Saint Amand, The Pub, and other local establishments
and generally soaked up the Gettysburg visitation experience with the critical eye of a brand
marketing research team.
Stakeholder Meetings
Critical to the successful repositioning is the understanding of perceived challenges and opportunities
from the perspective of the constituents that most directly communicate our brand to visitors.
In addition to delving into the current‐state brand and existing research, we commissioned additional
research into the perceptions and opinions of our most vital audience, our key county stakeholders.
Select county tourism partners were identified for in - depth interviews with our brand strategy
research team. These partners were representative of major segments of the Adams County tourism
industry and included Albert Penksa, County Manager, Adams County; Bob Kirby, Superintendent,
Gettysburg National Military Park; John Delozier, Practice Hospitality; Dru Anne Neil, Seminary Ridge
Museum; Kay Hollabaugh, Hollabaugh Bros. Farm Market; and Cindy Fox, Sweeet! Candy Shop.
Consumer Research
In order to effectively continue to serve our mission to market Gettysburg and Adams County as a
premier travel destination producing a positive economic impact, it is not sufficient to understand
where our brand marketing efforts are today (existing brand & research, what our actual product is
(brand immersion) and where our partners in the county
want us to be (stakeholder meetings), we must go further to
understand our target consumer. As such, we continued our
research efforts with a focus on understanding past and
prospective visitors. Our research team spent two hours or
more in the homes of prospective visitors in our target
markets and held candid discussions about history, their
relationship with/to it; vacation planning; the Civil War; and
specifically Gettysburg as a destination.
Findings & Analysis
Existing Brand Assets & Research Data
The existing research tells the story of a marketing function that does a good job of reaching its
defined market. The target audience of educated, 35-60 year old women with a household income of
$75,000-$100,000 and within driving distance is largely the audience that is currently responding.
Furthermore, the creative executions, with the prominence of the battlefield and the historical
significance of Gettysburg, seem to resonate with the historically engaged. However, there are some
emerging trends that shed some question on the long-term sustainability of the current strategy.
Aging Market
Since 2009 the average age of a visitor to Gettysburg has risen by six (6) years from 47 to 53 years of
age. Similar aging trends are being seen in other destinations and are in line with the overall aging of
the American population. However, the age of Gettysburg visitors is advancing more rapidly than
typical American domestic leisure traveler and has started at a higher level. These aging visitors are
not being replaced by younger visitors fast enough to maintain the overall average.
Destination Gettysburg is targeting an age range of 35-60 years old, this equates to reaching out to
visitors born between 1953 and 1978. This three-generation strategy (Young Boomer, Gen X, and Gen
Y) encompasses 64% of all leisure travelers and yet, the younger half of these generational segments
is not being reflected in the actual visitation metrics. Similarly, a divergence is apparent in the
demographics reflected by our social media audiences. 70% of the 18,341 Destination Gettysburg
Facebook fans are over the age of 35 as compared to only 27% total Facebook universe. It would
seem that the brand and messaging strategies, although marketed to a broad segment of the
population, are resonating only with the older demographics.
Repeat Visitation
All DMOs should seek to build an experience that calls people back to the destination in deeper and
more meaningful ways; so finding a large percentage of visitors as repeat visitors is not inherently a
negative. However, since 2007 the majority of visitors surveyed through Intercept Studies have been
repeat visitors. In 2012, more than 53% of visitors surveyed had been to Gettysburg before. The
median visitor was experiencing their third trip to the destination. Efforts to reach and attract new
visitors have had some success so far, increasing first time visitors’ percentage from 37% in 2008 to its
current percentage of 46.7%, but more needs to be done in this area.
Converting Daytrips
Since 2007, Destination Gettysburg has been focused on converting day trips into overnight stays and
has successfully reduced the percentage of day-trippers from 52% in 2007 to only 39% in 2012. In
that time, the average length of stay for all guests has increased from 1.07 days to 1.44 days; however
the median length of stay has not budged from 1. Compared to national percentages of overnight
guests, Destination Gettysburg statistics are remarkably well distributed between one‐night stays
(32.5% for GCVB v. 47% nationally), two-‐‐night stays (31% v. 27%) and 3+ night stays (37% v. 26%).
Efforts to increase the length of stay need to continue in order to keep pushing the needle but a focus
on converting day-‐‐ trippers into overnights and bringing in more overnights is preferable.
Focus on Families
Similar to the aging market trend described above, the disconnect between target audience and
measured visitor is apparent in the family status as well. Despite targeting a demographic segment
(educated women, 35-60) that is at the peak of family years, the Destination Gettysburg visitor trends
is showing a small and declining number of family groups (22% in 2012, down from 36% in 2010). This
figure is smaller than the estimated 30% of US travelers that qualify as ‘Family Travelers’. It would
seem that either the marketing efforts are not reaching the desired young, affluent, family audience
or that the marketing message presented (or the product offered) are not resonating with the
audience.
Stay in Gettysburg
The final startling trend from the historical research (Intercept Survey) is the declining percentage of
guests staying in Gettysburg accommodation (21% in 2012, down from 50% in 2011 and 63% in 2010).
According to the data, 70% of respondents stated that Gettysburg was their primary destination, 61%
of those surveyed were planning on staying for 1 night or more on their trip, and yet, only 21% of
survey respondents reported staying in a Gettysburg accommodation on their trip. While this data
may be anomalous or skewed by the respondent’s unwillingness to share this information, it could
also be indicative of a more pressing issue with accommodations in market. Rate, availability, and/or
perceived quality issues may be driving visitors to stay in neighboring markets and drive into town to
enjoy the attractions only to return to their out-of-market hotels in the evening.
Media Alignment
The Internet (23.6%) increased as a stated driver of travel
decisions for visitors in 2012 as did Word of Mouth (22.9%).
This is despite the continuing trend towards an older visitor
profile. Conversely, print vehicles including brochures, travel
guides, articles and advertisements in newspaper and
magazines all continued to lag behind their online
counterparts with less than 5% each in the ‘recall’ scores of
our visitors. This is not an emerging trend but one that has
continued and even accelerated in recent years and yet our
advertising budget breakdown is still very heavily weighted
towards print channels with 43% of the budget dedicated to print advertising. While we are not
advocating a complete shift away from print vehicles, especially articles and editorial coverage that
can be correlated to the high scores in the Word of Mouth category, the time has come to further
adjust our strategy to digital and refocus on reaching the younger half of our target demographic with
our marketing messages. (Chart represents 2012-2013 marketing plan)
Immersion
As described earlier, our partner research team traveled to Gettysburg donning the persona of a true
vacationer and attempted to plan their activities to make the most of their time in-market. Their
findings are outlined as follows:
Lacking Urban Amenities
From planning the trip beforehand to the experience in market, there seems to be resistance to
progressing into the 21st century from a consumer needs’ perspective. While traveling to a historic
destination is about stepping ‘back in time’ in a certain way, most emerging consumers are not willing
to do so at the expense of modern‐day conveniences.
Natural Beauty in tension with the reality of the Battlefield
Without having visited in person, it is impossible to know the natural beauty of Gettysburg and the
surrounding county. This beauty and tranquility is in stark contrast to the reality of the atrocities that
took place here. Gettysburg is forever linked to a bloody conflict and a troubling time in American
history and yet the area is a fertile fruit belt with miles of open, green space and hiking and biking
trails.
There is significantly more to do in Gettysburg than anyone would guess
Upon arriving in Gettysburg the team was presented with a wealth of opportunities for cultural
engagement and activities of all kind. This reality is completely overlooked as a factor within the
current brand expression and cultural understanding of what Gettysburg offers a potential visitor. It
isn’t until a visitor reaches the community that they are presented with an overwhelming array of
options.
Stakeholder Meetings
The stakeholder meetings were an opportunity to hear directly from our partners their perspective on
where Destination Gettysburg is today and where it needs to go in the future. While the following
points are presented as findings of the research, it is important to remember that these are
perceptions of reality and are thereby influenced by the experience and priorities of the stakeholders
interviewed.
Battlefield ≠ Brand
All stakeholders interviewed were in agreement that the current brand expression is centered almost
entirely on the battlefield and its unique experience. Furthermore, visitor demographics and metrics
such as length of stay are indicative of this trend as visitors come to market for the battlefield
experience and seldom stray from that “product” to experience all that Gettysburg and the broader
Adams County area have to offer.
The perception here is reality to some extent, Adams County has a wealth of activities and
attractions/products to offer visitors but these are seldom communicated in the marketing message
to prospective visitors and as such awareness of these opportunities is lacking in the travel planning
cycle. Packaging these additional product offerings into the marketing communications will allow
visitors to expand the scope of their plans before they get to Gettysburg.
The market has shifted
In addition to the existing research findings from the Visitor Intercept Studies that show that the
average visitor age has increased consistently over the last five years, the stakeholders interviewed all
shared their concerns with the aging trend that is apparent. Destination Gettysburg needs to begin to
diversify its audience targeting in order to reach a younger, more diverse audience, although doing so
will mean a shift in message and overall strategy as this audience does not have the same familiarity
and relationship with history in general or the Civil War in specific.
Facts get stale, stories live forever
Collectively, the stakeholders expressed a desire to communicate the stories behind the Battle and to
move beyond a retelling of the facts. Our always-connected society means that we have the facts of
history available whenever we want them, meaning there is no need to travel to get them. However,
current consumers resonate with the stories of history, to which they can relate and are drawn to
experience for themselves.
Beyond the Battlefield
The historical significance of Gettysburg cannot be forgotten or ignored, nor, however can it continue
to be the centerpiece upon which the entire county is marketed. Adams County has a wealth of
additional stories to tell and their relationship to the history and specifically to the Battle and Address
are rich in cultural significance.
Small Town Renewal
While part of the attraction of a getaway to Gettysburg is its small town feel, consumers are not
willing to give up the conveniences they have come to expect. Part of the overall repositioning of the
brand and strategic marketing effort also has to include an effort at “Product Renewal” that focuses
on delivering the ease of use expectations that our target consumers expect. This includes the
availability of credit card transactions, late night dining, and wireless connectivity among other things.
The existing culture of Gettysburg needs to be made to understand the value of embracing some of
these modern amenities and that it will not detract from the small-town charm for which we are
already known.
A Culture of Kitsch
The stakeholders interviewed all agreed that while the retail/shopping sector remains strong in
Gettysburg, there is a gap in options available to the consumer. Much of the shopping culture is based
upon t-shirts and tchotchkes and lacks options that enhance and deepen the visitors experience in the
destination. Changing this culture means a deeper assessment of the ‘display’ of existing merchandise
but also a long-term strategy to attract and support a new retail sector that expands upon the current
offerings.
Self-Promotion
While the stakeholders interviewed were all passionate supporters of Destination Gettysburg, its
mission to attract visitors and this initiative to reposition ourselves in the market, we must commit to
communicating the value of what we are attempting to accomplish to the market as a whole in order
to achieve our goals. Education and information sharing are critical to our success and as such we
must make the effort to incorporate our partners as well as those who are not currently on-board to
the best of our ability.
Consumer Ethnographic Research
The consumer research was our effort to capture the voice of the customer in a meaningful
qualitative way. Rather than simply focusing on the traditional visitor whose voice has been captured
historically via the Intercept Studies, our effort was to reach a younger, more diverse audience of
college educated adults between 30-54 with a middle household income in our target geographies of
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.
History has Lost its Relevance
For many, history has lost its relevance and there is a disconnect between the stories they’ve heard of
the past and the news and events surrounding them today. Our message needs to be reflective of the
stories of historical significance we have to offer and how it’s continuing to play out in lives of our
guests today. Capturing the imagination of our potential visitors will require us to tie our history to
their stories.
Emerging Customer Profiles
In the 30/40 age range, two distinct and significant potential visitor groups emerged from our
research group that are not adequately represented in our marketing materials and messaging.
Young Families
The emerging consumer is at a stage of ‘enlightenment’ when their travel is no longer purely
self-serving but must also deliver greater intrinsic value. In many cases, these audiences are reestablishing their lost connection with history through helping their children with homework.
Ethnically Diverse Visitors
Depending on life stage, and ethnicity, historical destinations represent very personal journeys
into a dark past that are still very real and present in some ways. For this reason, special efforts
must be made to be welcoming and engaging with these audiences.
Both emerging audiences studied expressed a desire to “see themselves” in the destination when
reviewing marketing materials, reflecting a need to be more inclusive, in a real way, with our creative.
From “What” to “Why”
For many in the younger target audiences (30-40 age range) the “What” of history is no longer a
significant factor in their consideration or even their recollection of events. This is an echo of what
was heard from the Stakeholders and their desired shift away from facts to stories. Several within our
study grouped remarked that the “why” of events helped them more personally engage with the
content. The future messaging for Gettysburg needs to tell the why of our story, not just the what.
Why did Gettysburg happen, Why was the Address so significant, Why should you visit.
“Where” is as important as “Why”
Gettysburg suffers from geographical displacement in the minds of potential visitors. Virginia owns
the Civil War in terms of awareness and top‐of‐mind recall while Pennsylvania gets drowned out. Our
marketing message must reinforce the location in Pennsylvania as well as its relative proximity to our
target audience hubs.
Planning for the Unplanned Getaways
People in our target demographic take one or two annual “big” trips but often go on multiple small or
“unplanned” trips annually. Capturing a spot in this unplanned trip category is a major part of
realizing future growth for the target markets. Since these trips are unplanned, the key is to make
planning and coordination simple by providing, for example, easy access to overnight stays or
formatted getaway itineraries based on interests. In addition, as these trips are often unplanned, the
message needs to be interruptive in nature so as to plant the seed of interest in a weekend trip.
“You’ve seen one Battlefield, you’ve seen them all”
A history-focused approach to strategic positioning automatically presupposes a short length of stay
in the mind of consumers. Visitors coming to a historic site, purely for history often feel like a day is
an adequate amount of time to dedicate to learning before they proceed to something perceived as
“more fun.” We must communicate the fun, especially to families, as well as the breadth of our
experiences.
Take the on-site experience to the consumer
Gettysburg does a great job of offering a variety of experiences to the consumer once they arrive,
however; by then it is too late to alter vacation plans and overwhelming to the average consumer.
The young-family audience is seeking a different experience than the traditional visitor and as such
cannot be persuaded, on-site, to expand their visit scope. We must provide them with the tools to
adequately plan their visit before they arrive.
History has to work harder
Because, as we’ve seen so far, history has lost much of its relevance, historic travel marketing has to
work harder. The history travel sector relies upon similar language and looks; it appears
homogeneous to the consumer and therefore interchangeable and meaningless. In order to break
though, our marketing has to be visually distinct and needs to work harder to break through the
mental clutter that surrounds us. Travel is an emotionally driven category and our marketing must
capture those emotions if it is to resonate with audiences beyond the history-buffs.
Consolidated Findings
There were a variety of themes that emerged from the findings summarized above and we have
consolidated the key findings that are driving our brand and strategic planning below.
The natural environment as an experiential asset
Gettysburg is a rich, beautifully preserved, natural environment, an asset that provides visitors with a
time and place to disconnect, reflect and unwind.
The modern relevance of the historical story
We must connect the dots from past to present for the visitor. The Gettysburg Address is an under‐
leveraged asset with modern day relevance.
Overcome perceived barriers to travel
The perception of distance between our audience and our destination must be challenged with overt
communication of our available resources and an effort to build new in-bound travel options. We
must also expand our “window” of opportunity by providing services when the visitor wants it, i.e.
extended hours, etc.
Tell the story; Deliver the story
Identifying the stories from our past that will connect us to the audience’s modern experiences and
values will increase our relevance. However, failing to deliver the audiences modern expectations will
detract from the experience and hinder our ability to connect in the future.
‘Gettysburg’ still has brand value
Even if people are confused about our location or aren’t willing to admit that they don’t know much
about the Civil War, everyone has heard of Gettysburg. The name is a gateway into delivering a
broader, inclusive destination experience.
5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
The current Gettysburg brand successfully engages an older, more affluent audience that is highly
engaged with the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg specifically. To grow the brand and fuel
future growth, it is imperative that we embark upon the following strategic growth plan that will
position us for the future and act as our overall roadmap for tactical implementation.
The following ‘Strategic Objectives’ and ‘5-Year Roadmaps’ are designed to be the foundation upon
which annual plans are developed. These roadmaps are not inclusive of specific media plans,
comprehensive project scopes or completed work plans. Those elements will be developed annually
or on a per-project basis, in line with these strategic outlines.
Objective 1: Brand
The overwhelming findings of the research indicate that the existing tourism brand of Gettysburg and
Adams County require an overhaul in order to effectively position us for the future. The primary
objective of this undertaking and as a whole for the immediate future is to capture the brand research
findings and communicate the aspirational message of Gettysburg to the marketplace through a
variety of marketing channels. This process includes defining the essential Brand Truths, Rationale, a
Creative Concept, and a series of Brand Executions for use across a variety of media platforms.
Brand Truths
The Battlefield will always stand at the center of the brand.
Gettysburg would not be on the map, would not have global recognition and a loyal following if a
pivotal battle had not been fought on the grounds, in the town and community of Gettysburg. The
Battle defined the place and imbued it with meaning that will, with the careful evolution of the brand,
endure for generations to come.
The local community is part and parcel of the brand.
The local community (business owners and residents of the immediate surrounding area) greatly
contributes to the personality of the Gettysburg brand and to the experience that visitors have when
encountering and coming in contact with the brand. They have their own stories to tell and share;
they add unique flavor and provide a welcome contrast to “a day at the Battlefield.”
The meaningful stories of Gettysburg have and always will be the connective thread - the people, the
place, the Battle, the circumstances, race, struggles, overcoming obstacles, endurance and
perseverance, love and betrayal, justice and equality.
Gettysburg is more than a Battle. It is a pivotal point in the history of our country that began a
journey toward unification.
Gettysburg acknowledges the ugly realities of history but believes in the strength of the human spirit
to overcome adversities and help one another.
Brand Rationale
The brand should always ask itself: What is going on today that is made possible by or is a direct result
of what occurred at Gettysburg – on the Battlefield, from the stories and lives of civilians, through the
Gettysburg Address?
Don’t lose sight of the core of the brand: the Battle
The events that preceded the Battle, what happened on the Battlefield and the subsequent
Gettysburg Address are what make Gettysburg distinct. They are what people in the present need to
be linked back to, reminded of so that past mistakes are not repeated.
But, be inclusive of the surrounding brand assets that have a tether to the Battle – pre, during and
post.
The evolved Gettysburg brand
At the end of that research, what we saw was what Gettysburg stands for:
At the core Gettysburg is a UNIFIER. It is a place for which disparate truths can be explored and
brought together through individual and collective stories and events.
Through UNIFICATION, the possibilities that exist for us as individuals, as a community and as a nation can be
realized.
It is an American brand with roots in the United States but anchored in values that are universal.
This is not just the public face of the brand, but also the internal face of the brand. It serves as a
platform for local engagement (among the community and community stakeholders), as well as
external engagement (extending an invitation to visitors).
Brand Concept
Currently being tested for final decision
Brand Position
Brand Pillars
Brand Personality
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Respectful
Inclusive
Neighborly
Leading
Accepting
Active
Transformative
Mind-Opening
Objective 2: Audience
The research has clearly indicated that it is necessary to reach out to a younger and more diverse
demographic group. The following tactics have been identified as means by which we can adjust
Destination Gettysburg’s strategic marketing efforts to reach a new audience and create a connection
with the repositioned Gettysburg brand.
Adjust Demographic Targeting
The brand communication effort should focus on families as its core opportunity target. As such, paid
media selections will continue to emphasize reaching a predominantly female audience but will adjust
the traditional three‐generation, 35-60 age range, to focus more directly on a younger generational
set, ages 25 to 45. Our household income target will expand slightly from our current focus on
$75,000-$100,000 to be more inclusive on the low-end of the spectrum - $50,000-$100,000. This shift
will increase our reach into both younger families and greater diverse audiences. The geographic
target will remain unchanged focusing on our drive markets - 300-mile radius in the Mid-Atlantic
region.
Adjust Media Channel Strategy - Consumer
While specific media channel changes will necessarily occur as a result of the demographic target shift
outlined above, the proposed media changes are not undertaken lightly and without strategic review
of each vehicle’s history of performance and specific success measures.
Paid Media - Digital Shift
Over the next several years Destination Gettysburg paid media budget allocation will shift even more
digital in nature and away from some of the more ‘mass market’ print publications that have been
used in the past, this will allow us to more accurately target our desired audience as outlined above,
but will also provide us with a greater ability to track the direct impact of our marketing efforts on our
online traffic through our various site resources.
Areas for additional tactical investment in digital media include:
 Pay‐per‐Click - We will be increasing our investment in pay-for-performance search engine and
social media advertisement channels to the digital marketing plan. These components are
designed to increase initial awareness of Destination Gettysburg product offerings among our
target audience by positioning Gettysburg in relation to things they are already interested in –
either via search keyword or via social network like-action.
 Video - As branded video assets are compiled, future digital media plans will also take
advantage of the additional engagement and high‐level of interactivity delivered by digital
video advertising opportunities.
Stretching the Print Investment
As our investment in digital media channels expands, our print media investment will need to decline
in proportion unless the overall annual marketing budget increases. As the budget for print decreases
decisions will need to be made as to what vehicles will be retained and what will be allowed to expire.
The print channels that are maintained will be those that are proven to deliver the strongest results
(among our target audiences) as well as the greatest total brand exposure for our marketing dollar. In
order to continue to stretch the value of our print marketing budgets, the selected media partners will
be asked to provide new and innovative solutions to our needs.
Potential solutions could include:
 Print Co‐Ops - Cooperative print advertising programs in which Destination Gettysburg
provides a moderate investment in exchange for co-branded exposure alongside
advertisements from select Gettysburg industry partners.
 Custom Editorial Features/Placements - Those print publications that are willing and able to
provide additional feature editorial coverage, distinct from our print ad placement, will be
considered in preference over those without the possibility of editorial content features.
 Increase Digital Added Value - Many of our traditional print media partners have significant
digital media assets they maintain in support of their print brands. These assets are often
included in print buys as added value components to increase the overall value of the
purchase or contract. During media purchases these added value components are on the
highly negotiable as part of the overall package and increases in digital components can be
sought from select partners where their digital assets align with our overall strategy, often at
no additional cost.
Interruption/Experiential Marketing
As we found in the research, the travel industry vertical is a crowded landscape in which to compete
in communicating marketing messages. Because of this truth, we will focus on identifying places and
opportunities by which Destination Gettysburg can position
components of the in ‐ market Gettysburg visitor experience
and signal markers of the stories inherent to the Gettysburg
brand in front of potential visitors where they live, work and
play. In this out-of‐home environment our messages will be
unique and unencumbered by competitive messaging. A
great example of successful interruption marketing at work is
pictured at right - Visit Ft. Lauderdale’s “Defrost your
swimsuit” campaign (http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/southflorida-travel/2011/01/25/defrost-your-swimsuit-lauderdaletells-new-yorkers/).
Broadcast/Online/Mobile Radio
The spring and fall media campaigns in the 2012-2013 Marketing Plan included a significant
investment in broadcast media via both traditional and online radio (Pandora) channels. In the
coming years this investment will continue but will similarly shift more to online and mobile broadcast
exposure as these channels more directly reach our target demographics and deliver increased
exposure for our marketing dollar.
International
Our budget does not currently allow for significant direct marketing and media efforts in international
publications and thus our efforts to date have largely been in coordination with state and national coops and direct sales opportunities such as the IPW conference. We intend to continue these efforts
and where possible tie our brand and exposure more closely to other internationally known historical
destinations such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA.
Over time, as the newly founded Brand USA’s co-op marketing opportunities mature and are vetted
for effectiveness by destinations with larger budgets we will selectively partner with Brand USA more
to leverage their efforts internationally to benefit Gettysburg and Adams County as a whole.
In addition, we will look to dedicate a portion of our online marketing spend via low-cost pay-per-click
channels such as search engine marketing, on international channels in our target growth markets.
Owned Media
Website
As part of the brand execution, the website will require a facelift in order to incorporate a design skin
that reflects the look & feel of the new brand imagery, messaging and tone. In addition, functionality
enhancements will be necessary on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that our website continues to
deliver the experience that our adjusted target audience will expect from a world-class destination
brand’s tourism website experience.
Priorities for website enhancement include:
 Vanity URL – Based on follow-up testing, we will capitalize on the proposed brand
repositioning by acquiring the tagline URL destinationgettysburg.com as a redirect landing
page for the tourism website. While the URL will resolve to our current Gettysburg.travel
website we are not currently planning on moving our website content fully to this new URL
because we do not want to lose the historical relevance our domain has garnered with the
search engines and needlessly hamper our SEO efforts by making a complete domain change.
 Tell the Brand Story – As we’ve seen, the facts of history are no longer the compelling driver of
visitation and engagement, the redesigned website needs to preview and deliver the brand
story through engaging messaging, content and imagery. This could include the integration of
social media streams where the brand story is communicated through images and content, a
blog where industry partners are engaged to tell their own stories through guest posts, or
even a feed from travel review sites where current visitors and guests are encouraged to
communicate their own version of the story based on their experience.
 Represent members of the target audience – The new website should depict members of the
target demographic segments enjoying a cross section of products destination through
engaging imagery and video content. This could even include the integration of social
channels such as Instagram by which visitors in the destination can share their own
experiences directly via the website.
 Relevant Content – In addition to depicting the target audience throughout the site, the site


must contain information of importance to the audience, in the instance of young families, this
is especially important as the needs of those with young children are so acute that without
specific criteria being met, a trip is not feasible. We will determine what content elements
these are and ensure that they are readily available through the site
Location – As the primary resource for initial trip planning, the website needs to deliver
transportation information as a prominent and central function. This could include the
positioning of a map function on the homepage and prominent depictions of the routes to
Gettysburg from select major drive markets, among other things
International Language Welcome Pages – The current website is delivered exclusively in
English. In order to be more welcoming to our growing international traveler segment the
website will need to include at minimum, appropriate language welcome pages and core travel
information such as transportation options and visitor center services in native languages –
German and French-Canadian to start. As new markets mature, additional languages may
need to be added.
Visitor’s Guide
The Visitor’s Guide is a central part of our visitor‐marketing program and will continue to be for the
foreseeable future. As both an interactive ‘flip-book’ and a printed piece available to be sent by mail
upon request via the website, the visitors guide is an opportunity to communicate our story to a prequalified audience of potential visitors and to deliver a more in-depth picture of who we are in Adams
County. Historically, the guide has prominently featured the battleground and has aligned closely
with our overall brand imagery.
As the brand execution changes, similar changes will be reflected in future iterations of the visitors
guide, including:
 Shifting from the depiction of history, to a focus on the stories of Gettysburg
 Diversifying the depicted visitors and selected experience visuals
 Positioning packages and multi-night offerings
 Leveraging new technologies to engage more technology savvy Visitors Guide users in a
deeper online or mobile experience
 Digital native-language versions of the visitors guide should be provided in French Canadian
and German to accommodate our international visitors
Social Media
Destination Gettysburg has invested significant time and effort in building a best-in-class social media
footprint across the outlets that resonate best with our historical target audience. As we begin to
shift our audience focus to a younger and more diverse group, some changes in our platform selection
may be necessary but the core tools - Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will still be the dominant
platforms that drive our overall strategy.
Additional tools for consideration potentially include:
 Instagram – photo/video sharing
 Pinterest – curated photo content management
 Vine – video sharing


Google+ – Emerging social platform,
FourSquare – Mobile/Local marketing platform
Beyond expanding the overall footprint of tools in Destination Gettysburg’s social media arsenal,
some basic changes in the overall social strategy are also necessary in order to achieve our audience
targeting objectives. These changes include:
 Our social media efforts will begin to shift to focus on the unique stories of Gettysburg’s past
and how that relates to our current society and the environment we live in now
 Facebook and the identified set of social channels will be leveraged more intentionally to
provide fan’s with new opportunities to engage with Destination Gettysburg through contests
and interactive posts that request feedback
 A targeted social advertising strategy will be employed to attract a new, younger and more
diverse, audience of fans to the Facebook and potentially twitter accounts
 Via the website, the social media platforms we use will be significantly more prominently
displayed to the site visitor giving them an easy access point to connect via multiple channels.
Email Marketing Newsletters
The current email marketing strategy includes 6 annual email newsletters distributed to the
aggregated database of opt‐in email subscribers. This level of communication to opt-in subscribers is
considered the minimum level of engagement to keep the list ‘warm’, but is an opportunity whereby
we can push additional engagement with a more strategic approach to the channel. Opportunities for
future strategic improvement in leveraging email marketing to reach a new audience include:
Elevating the positioning of the registration on the website - currently a visitor can register to receive
the eNewsletter via the website but the placement of this connection point is buried in the bottom
site navigation (alongside the links to social media channels)
Media Relations/Earned Media
Capitalizing on the relationships developed over the course of the 150th anniversary celebrations and
the national and international media attention we were able to garner is a top priority for the coming
years. In addition to maintaining traditional activities like media marketplace attendance, site visits
and release distribution, the media relations team will continue to build upon our success in the
following ways:


Refresh existing 150th anniversary media materials with imagery and messaging relevant to the
new brand look & feel and redistribute
Expand the media content available on the website to feature photos, story ideas and content
relevant to our adjusted audience segment and our emphasis on relating the stories of
Gettysburg to the reality of modern American culture
Media Channel Strategy – Group Tour / Meetings
The overall research scope focused almost exclusively on the attitudes and perceptions of the U.S.based consumer market segment, however; the shift in brand marketing emphasis will have an impact
on efforts within the Group Tour and Meetings segment messaging as well. We believe that the
revised brand positioning will resonate with these audiences and specific marketing messages should
be executed targeting Group and meeting audiences. We anticipate only the following minor changes
to the current marketing tactics for our Group Tour and Meetings efforts.



Website Content – The current Meetings and Group Tour information available on the website
represents a minimum effort to communicate all that we have to offer in Adams County. It is a
functional vehicle for requests for information but does not meet our objectives for outbound
communications. As such we intend to expand the content featured in these sections beyond
simple listings and request for information forms to more adequately tell the story of
Gettysburg.
Product Development – Within Adams County and Gettysburg specifically we have tremendous
resources that we can leverage in the corporate-meetings market and the sports events
markets. We need to package these resources effectively and deliver that message to the
appropriate decision makers via our direct sales efforts and marketing channels.
Sales Tools & Accountability – Our Group Tour and Meetings direct sales efforts will be aided
by the implementation of an effective sales CRM platform. There are various platforms
available but one that meets our basic sales activity tracking and measures performance
against our target sales objectives should be a low-cost and feasible solution for
implementation in the next 12-24 months.
Objective 3: Engagement
The existing brand and concurrent marketing efforts have developed a loyal following of Civil War and
History enthusiasts as evidenced by the high frequency of repeat visitors encountered in the Intercept
Studies. The research also shows that these visitors typically limit their in-market activities to specific
Battlefield and Battlefield-related experiences. In order to continue to grow as a destination as the
‘History-engaged demographic’ begins to age out of the active leisure travel population, we must
invite new audiences to experience Gettysburg. The strategies to achieve this goal were outlined at a
high-level in Objective 2. This is not the only growth opportunity however. There is also significant
opportunity for growth in expanding our existing relationship with previous visitors and other brand
‘familiars’ to increase both the depth and breadth of their experience with Gettysburg. The following
strategies are the means by which we intend to accomplish this objective.
Remarketing Strategies
The current Destination Gettysburg audience, including website visitors, eNewsletter recipients and
social media followers are assumed to be affiliated with Destination Gettysburg because of some level
of familiarity with and exposure to the legacy brand marketing efforts. These visitors and potential
visitors represent our most immediate audience for marketing of the expanded Destination
Gettysburg brand communications, as they are already somewhat positively disposed to the
destination. By expanding the awareness of legacy brand ‘familiars’ to include products and
attractions ‘beyond the Battlefield’ we can encourage them to spend more time in-destination and to
experience more of what Adams County has to offer, resulting in longer stays and a more distributed
visitor spend. Remarketing represents an opportunity to follow-up on a previous expression of
interest in Gettysburg and to further engage the connection with information about the
comprehensive brand pillars (Nature - Peace/Relaxation/Outdoor Activities, The Fruit Belt,
Entertainment, The Historic Downtown, and the Present Day).
Media Retargeting
We will continue to place ‘retargeting pixels’ on the website to capture the unique identifiers for all
site visitors throughout the early days of the brand execution. Then as digital marketing materials are
developed to support the diverse brand pillars, we will deliver this specific messaging back to these
previous site visitors. This messaging will be designed to expand the visitor’s awareness of Gettysburg
offerings ‘beyond the Battlefield’ during their planning stages, when they still have flexibility in their
travel plans.
Email Relationship Marketing Segmentation & Remarketing
ENewsletters and the email-marketing database represent a tremendously valuable asset to
Destination Gettysburg; these individuals have sought us out and asked that information on tourism
be sent to them via their personal email address a regular basis. This is a tremendous act of trust and
advocacy on behalf of the user and one that we take very seriously. Currently, our eNewsletter
database opt-in form is extremely basic and only requires the entry of an email address in order to
register. Unfortunately, this does not provide us with much in terms of interest information to then
structure our communications in return.
The following tactics once implemented will allow us to be much more targeted in our content
strategy and targeted marketing/remarketing efforts:


Opt-in list segmentation - By adding interest fields to the eNewsletter opt-in form we can
begin to categorize new registrants according to their interests and then can structure our
email content calendar and send schedule by interest area. This can be required up-front or
can be built into progressive forms that add incremental detail each time a site visitor returns
to the website in order to minimize intrusion on any one site visit
ENewsletter action segmentation - In addition to requesting the user to provide insights into
their areas of interest during the opt‐in phase, email‐marketing platforms have the capability
of segmenting lists by interest based on the actions a user takes in response to each email.
We will use this to garner insights into the interests of our existing “General Interest”
eNewsletter recipient database and begin to segment them based on the content links that
they have interacted with previously.
Website
In addition to the Website optimization steps outlined in Objective 2 that are designed to improve the
website’s ability to deliver upon the expectations of new visitors, there are several changes that can
be implemented on the website to improve its functionality and content relevance for previous site
and destination visitors. These changes would serve the purpose of expanding the visitor’s
experience with the brand and exposing them to aspects of the destination that they might previously
not have been aware.
 Social Sign-in - In addition to more prominently featuring our social platforms throughout the
site, the available social graph API from Facebook (or, should we choose to engage the
platform - LinkedIn) gives us the ability to customize the website experience based upon
unique profile information identifiers such as gender, age, relationship status, hometown,
interests, group membership, location check-‐‐ins, interests, and friends/connections. Using
this solution we can determine a great deal about the site visitor and deliver a customized
experience highlighting items that are deemed pertinent based on the user’s specific profile
data. For example, an African-American, married female, mother of two residing in
Philadelphia can be served a homepage experience that delivers one-click access to directions
from Philadelphia to Gettysburg, a short‐list of customized itineraries including Kid-‐‐friendly
activities, and a package/special offering for a three-‐‐night stay for four people at an area Bed
and Breakfast stay. Conversely, a 24-year-old, single woman from Baltimore, visiting the site
while logged into Facebook would see directions and an estimated trip duration from
Baltimore to Gettysburg and customized activity offerings focused more on shopping and
wineries in the area.
 Pre‐Populated Itineraries - The current website includes a customizable “My Gettysburg Trip”
itinerary builder but the interface requires you to login prior to building your plan. This
inhibits participation, as users have not gotten to see what it is they are building until after
they are asked to create a profile/account. Using basic IP address caching the login is not a
requirement for the itinerary builder so that can be moved to later in the process if we decide
that it must be kept at all. In addition, once logged in, the user then has to go and begin to
build their itinerary from scratch. The site should have pre-loaded itineraries for different
visitor segments that include a cross section of what we have to offer. Sample itineraries
would be modifiable and intended to provide users with a basis from which to begin their
planning. Providing these pre-populated travel plans would expose last minute travel planners
to more that we have to offer throughout the county and allow them to see the diversity and
breadth of opportunities for engagement in Gettysburg ‘beyond the Battlefield’.
Loyalty “Frequent Visitor” Program
Destination loyalty is an aspiration for many DMOs that Gettysburg has already accomplished due to
the richness of our travel experience and the wealth of available activities for visitors of all ages.
Strategically leveraging this brand loyalty with a proactive rewards program could help Gettysburg
better understand this audience’s unique motivations and travel habits and, if done properly, could
significantly increase the potential revenue generated by each returning visitor by increasing the
frequency with which they visit or elevating the level of their in-market engagement.
Objective 4: Product
Adams County has a tremendous amount of viable tourism product to offer potential visitors of all
ages, demographics, and interests. However, the product is not without its challenges as well. As
such, the final strategic objective identified for proactive action is product development. This is not to
say that Destination Gettysburg needs to directly impact the creation of new product, however;
through our role with our member organizations and in the county as a whole, we will seek to help
promote the evolution of the current product mix to effectively deliver upon our identified brand
promise. This includes helping the community to create opportunities for visitor engagement beyond
the battlefield, potentially with new programs, or simply by helping connect potential visitors more
efficiently with existing programs. Also included in this objective is taking on the role of advocate for
enhanced product offerings to meet the expectations of a new generation of visitor.
Product Development
Product Inventory, Segmentation & Gap Analysis
Knowing the direction outlined in the Brand Repositioning under Objective 1, the Adjusted Audience
profile identified and targeted under Objective 2, and now having outlined a proactive effort to drive
deeper visitor Engagement under Objective 3, we must now take an impartial and comprehensive
inventory of our current tourism products. Having this comprehensive list of all of the activities,
attractions, shops, events, and restaurants, etc. that are available (expanded beyond member
organizations, to include as many county businesses as possible) will allow us to objectively conduct a
product assessment and gap analysis to identify potential growth areas. In addition, it will allow us to
segment our available offerings by primary interest audience, which will be a key factor in allowing us
to deliver upon the advanced dynamic content functions described in earlier areas as well.
Product Segmentation
Segmenting our available products by primary and secondary audiences will allow us to better serve
our visitors by providing proactive recommendations based upon their unique identifiers. This
process is required if we are to implement the advanced solutions for deeper engagement planned in
Objective 3, including creating dynamic website content based on site visitor social profiles.
Product Assessment & Gap Analysis
Once the inventory and segmentation are complete, we can conduct a thorough assessment of the
relative quality of the product to determine how and if it should be recommended to visitors. Within
each identified segment, the goal is to develop a list of the highest quality tourism product offerings
available that can be delivered routinely to visitors. Steering visitors to quality businesses will improve
the overall word of mouth and build upon our overall brand awareness. In addition to conducting the
quality assessment, the inventory process should clearly point to any gaps that exist within the
product portfolio. For instance, we may find that we have excellent Family Friendly activities available
including: horseback riding, ghost tours, miniature golf, and family picnics but that we do not have
quality available babysitting services to allow the parents to go out for a dinner date at night. These
gaps in the product portfolio limit our visitors’ ability to enjoy the destination to its fullest and thus
contribute to shorter stays. These gaps are not only limited to segments where a specific offering is
not available but may also include offerings that exist but fail to live up to our target audience’s brand
expectations. While the core Gettysburg product (rich, authentic, credible experiences) is extremely
solid, there are product gaps in the portfolio – i.e. undeserving the affluent who want a more
luxurious base camp when traveling, retail shifting from tchotchke to meaningful, activities and
experiences that are young-kid- friendly, etc. identifying these gaps is the first step to finding ways to
fill them.
Member Education Program
In an effort to work with members and the community at large we intend to increase the scope of our
current member communications efforts, to include all local tourism related businesses interested in
participating and receiving our eNewsletter. The focus on the newsletter will also shift slightly from a
report on Destination Gettysburg and its performance on behalf of the industry to also include
economic development and business educational content. The goal of this communication plan is to
educate retailers on what steps they can take to improve their visibility within the tourism community
and to optimize their opportunity to capitalize their business based on trends and desires of the
changing audience segments that our brand efforts will be reaching. For example: educating retailers
about the importance of seasonal store hours.
Targeted Economic Development Initiatives
In addition to working with the existing business community to push for more flexibility and
innovation through education and proactive communications we will work with the county and local
business leaders to identify opportunities for economic development within the tourism sector
including, but not limited to:
• Helping to facilitate the process of founding new tourism related businesses
• Providing marketing cooperative opportunities to tourism related businesses in the county at a
reduced cost to what could be achieved independently
• Providing coordination and contact assistance for local and national tourism businesses
seeking to expand or add locations within the county
• Working with transportation entities to define and promote public and private transportation
to and from our major inbound markets
Partnerships
In addition to working with our community businesses and Destination Gettysburg Members, we
intend to identify and work toward developing partnerships with non‐travel brands to broaden the
association (and create deeper engagement and relevance) with the overall Gettysburg Experience.
Be mindful of the fact that, generally speaking, non-history buffs aren’t necessarily seeking out
historical destinations. In order to get on their radar, it is important to consider ways to infiltrate their
lives and establish relevance by aligning with and borrowing equity from brands and organizations
that represent meaningful experiences and the hooks of the Gettysburg brand. Potential examples
include:
 Transportation (ex: Uber, Enterprise Ride Share)
 Finance (ex: American Express)
 Toys (ex: American Girl, LEGO)
 Technology (ex: Google)
Product Development M anager
In order to effectively deliver upon the strategies outlined under Objective 4, it is anticipated that a
product development manager with the specialized skills necessary will be required, at least in part,
to be dedicated to the tasks identified in developing our available product mix and advocating for
specific economic development initiatives to fill gaps in the available tourism product be considered.
The GCVB will determine if this is an internal position, or one that is best supported by the
organization but employed within a more appropriate community organization. The basic
requirements that have been identified for this role are as follows:
 Responsible for conducting the countywide, tourism asset analysis of all available products in
the marketplace, including a quality assessment and gap analysis
 Drives the development and maintenance of member directory and database up- to-date for
website, mailings, communications, publications and other usage
 Assists new tourism-oriented businesses and organizations, providing information on tourism
office services
 Assists in developing targeted e‐newsletters and other communication for member education
efforts
 Advocates on behalf of Destination Gettysburg within the community in an effort to drive
additional Destination Gettysburg memberships
 Promotes Destination Gettysburg sanctioned cooperative marketing opportunities for
members and non-member tourism businesses
 Works with county representatives and Destination Gettysburg leadership to identify and
pursue partnerships with regional and national brands to garner exposure of the Gettysburg
brand
OBJECTIVE ROADMAPS
Year One strategic goals
Touris
m
Indust
ry/GC
VB
Product
Marketing
Start
Define Brand –conduct research, analyze and
propose brand, creative and new market
develop a marketing plan that expands on growing
digital
 Target new audience shifting age from 35-60 to
25-45 expanding our income to include $50100,000
 establish monthly themes to use for years 1-3
Develop Creative – test & launch
Expand creative across all markets and platforms –
i.e. meetings, group tour, member
recruitment/retention
Develop & launch new website and social identity
Develop PR and Social Media editorial calendar
based on events and themes
Develop brand tools for members
Develop ENewsletters segments – history and family
fun - Segment subscribers
Utilize itineraries to better tell the larger experience
story
Promote packages through social, PR and paid
marketing opportunities
establish asset inventory (member & non-member)
 define holes in asset inventory
 determine growth areas for membership based
on existing inventory
identify regional partner opportunities
Work with members to establish packages based on
themes
Categorize product into potential itineraries for
placement on web (minimum of 3 itineraries)
Develop new training program to help tell the story
of the repositioned brand/destination offering
o Establish schedule for staff outings to member
businesses within theme areas
Restructure staff/organizational chart
Addition of position – Sales Manager to break out
current three market efforts (group tour, meetings,
Completion
Staff
P/VP
VP
VP
VP/DoS
VP
MRM
VP
VP
VP/MRM
VP/DM
VP
P
P/VP
and international)
Establish new staff evaluation process based on
strategic plan
Determine corporate identity – will there be a name
change
o If name change is determined, development of
all new corporate materials
o If name remains, develop new corporate
materials based on destination logo/brand
Update CalU research program to include questions
that will allow us to track our progress with the
repositioned brand and new target market
Work with community partners to establish an
educational program schedule
Develop industry story
Develop GCVB presentation and audience list
o Schedule presentations
Evaluate CTA and ACE Training
Develop presentations/tools to share repositioning
story with members
o Include themes and ideas on being an extension
of the brand
Incorporate secret shop program to evaluate
frontline staff
Evaluate actions and results of Year one – update plan for years 2 and 3
P
P/VP
VP
DM
P/VP/MRM
P/MRM
VP/DM
VP/MRM
P/DM
Marketing
Year two strategic goals
refine creative
evaluate repositioned brand to refine message
shift marketing mix to match target audience
optimize pay-per-click campaigns; reduce social paid
marketing
Develop roadshow marketing – establish a plan to
take the brand into our key markets utilizing
partnerships and our own efforts
Grow brand through digital platforms such as
TravelZoo, TripAdvisor and other opportunities
Review current digital/mobile opportunities that
have developed
Better align owned media (visitor guide, attraction &
dining guide) with refined brand creative
Establish two additional ENewsletters segments
based on interest levels identified during year one
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
Product
Tourism
Industry/GCVB
Update website materials to reflect current themes,
itineraries and packages
Promote packages through social, PR and paid
marketing opportunities
Retool website to incorporate personal profiles
based on current technologies
Asses Brand USA co-op opportunities and state
opportunities
Integrate augmented reality into printed visitor
guide
launch plan to recruit new assets for mix
working with community partners, determine
infrastructure needs for industry
Work with regional partners to educate members on
ways to extend our county brand into these regional
programs
Update itineraries to be inclusive of current
members – should be based on themes established
(minimum 3 new itineraries added)
determine growth areas for membership based on
existing inventory
Research options and survey members regarding a
loyalty program
Expand staff fam trips to members
Conduct CalU Research to evaluate metrics of
programs
Communicate with area partners/governments
results of year one of repositioned brand, future
efforts and economic impact of destination
Create tools to assist our members in telling the
industry story
Review and recommend updates to dues structure
(current idea is to establish a base rate with
increased investment based on benefits provided
Work with community partners to update an
educational program schedule
 Develop sponsor program to increase the
level of educational offerings
Evaluate CTA and ACE Training
Visit other destinations in the region to experience
visitor services
Evaluate actions and results of Year Two – update plan for years 3 and 4
VP
VP/MRM
VP
VP/DOS
VP
P/DM
VP
DM
DM
DM
VP
P/MRM
MRM
P/VP/DM
DM
DM
DM/VS
Tourism
Industry/
GCVB
Product
Marketing
Year three strategic goals
Continue to optimize and measure brand awareness
and perceptions via intercept and online studies.
Continue to test creative via online A/B testing
Assess impact of demographic shift and adjust
strategy accordingly based on results
shift marketing mix to match target audience
incorporating more video and mobile, continue to
reduce reliance on print media
explore options for experiential/outdoor marketing
initiate internationally targeted SEM campaign
partner on international opportunities with regional
and national entities
review opportunities for specialized visitor guides
Update itineraries to be inclusive of current
members – should be based on themes established
(minimum of 3 new itineraries added)
Launch loyalty program based on year 2
ideas/feedback
Help educate non-members about their role in
tourism
Evaluate staff structure – consider new positions –
digital manager, media buyer, graphic designer
Evaluate actions and results of Year Three – update plan for years 4 and 5
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
MRM/DM
P/VP
Marketing
Year four strategic goals
Product
Continue to optimize and measure brand awareness
and perceptions via intercept and online studies.
Continue to test creative via online A/B testing
Assess impact of demographic shift and adjust
strategy accordingly based on results
shift marketing mix to match target audience based
on available marketing channels, continue to reduce
reliance on print media
consider shift of budget from underperforming
media segments to experiential/outdoor based on
results of year three efforts
partner on international opportunities with regional
and national entities
consider opportunities for native language guides
Development of Product Development Manager
update asset inventory (member & non-member)
VP
VP
VP
VP
VP
DOS/VP
VP/DOS
P
P/DM
Tourism
Industry
/GCVB
VP/DM
evaluate loyalty program, update based on findings
Identify and connect with iconic brands that share
brand attributes for potential partnerships
Continue to increase our leadership role in the
community especially business/economic
development
VP
P
Evaluate actions and results of Year Four – update plan for year 5
Marketing
Year five strategic goals
Product
Tourism
Industry/
GCVB
VP
Continue to optimize and measure brand awareness
and perceptions via intercept and online studies.
Continue to test creative via online A/B testing
Assess impact of demographic shift and adjust
strategy accordingly based on results
shift marketing mix to match target audience based
on available marketing channels, continue to reduce
reliance on print media
partner on international opportunities with regional
and national entities
review visitor guide, consider moving to digital only
guide
Evaluate loyalty program, update based on findings
Identify gaps in product inventory
Launch brand partnerships
Continue to increase our leadership role in the
community especially business/economic
development
VP
VP
VP
DOS
VP
DM
DM
VP
P
Measureable Success - The success of the plan will be based in measurable results
(baseline numbers based on 2012)
Convert day trips to overnights base on CalU research results
Benchmark: 61%
Increase number of visitors
Benchmark: 3.4M
Reduced age of visitor
Benchmark: 53
Year 1 goal
Year 2 goal
Year 3 goal
Year 1 goal
Year 2 goal
Year 3 goal
Year one goal –
maintain 2013
average age
Year two goal
Year three goal
63%
64%
65%
3.4M
3.5M
3.6M
53
52
51
Increase family travel
Increase open rate of communications
Benchmark: 37%
Improve member
engagement
Increase number of member activities
Benchmark: 8
# of Sales Calls per year
Meetings
# of Leads generated per year
# of RFPs distributed per year
# of Sales Calls per year
Group Tour
# of Leads generated per year
# of Sales Mission per year
Increase # of Unique Visits
Benchmark: 465,624
Digital Touch
Increase # of Electronic Communications
Establish additional newsletters
Destination News Pitched per Month
Media Relations
Industry News Pitched per Month
Year one goal – establish
baseline – question to be
added to CalU Research
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
38%
Year two goal
39%
Year three goal 41%
Year one goal
10
Year two goal
12
Year three goal Increase
attendance
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
520
535
550
236
240
250
37
40
45
520
535
550
617
625
635
4
5
6
10%
15%
20%
6
8
12
2
3
TBD
1
2
3
1
2
Journalist Fams per Year
Social Media
Rebrand existing social sites
Launch Pinterest
Launch new Blog
Reduce age of reader
Shift in interest categories where
applicable
Establish based on relevant social sites
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
Year one goal
Year one goal
Year one goal
Year two goal
Year two goal
Year three goal
3
30
32
34