Challenging Economy Offers Opportunity for Partnerships, Fresh Thinking
The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development renews in-state partnerships to supplement the tourism industry’s fight against the economic downturn.
RALEIGH, NC (Oct. 14, 2009) In an effort to meet the unprecedented economic challenges of the past year, the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development today will announce renewed core partnerships with the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB), the North Carolina Press Foundation and the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association (NCOAA). These partnerships will use new online, print, radio and outdoor board creative to encourage in-state residents to travel in North Carolina.
Today, the announcement will be made at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. at Fairway Outdoor Advertising, located at 508 Capital Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. (www.fairwayoutdoor.com) New creative will be unveiled.
After more than a year of research, the Division refocused its outreach efforts around emotional travel motivators influenced by this economy. The creative to be used in conjunction with the three organizations above features variations on the core campaign that rolled out this fall. The new marketing features the state as an outdoor playground, an urban experience where people reconnect and a place where children and families bond.
“The Division is well-positioned to lead through these times, and as marketers, we see lots of encouraging opportunities,” says Lynn Minges, Assistant Secretary for Tourism, Marketing and Global Branding in the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “We believe in leveraging all the programs at the Division of Tourism to stimulate travel and support tourism-related businesses all across North Carolina. The partnerships with the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, the North Carolina Press Foundation and the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association give us a powerful, cost-effective platform to reach our in-state residents with value-conscious travel motivators. We’re grateful for these ongoing relationships and gratified by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by these key organizations.”
Representatives from the statewide media organizations have embraced the partnership.
“We are excited to renew our partnership with the Division, and will continue to place North Carolina’s tourism ads in member newspapers and their online sites statewide,” says Beth Grace, Director of the North Carolina Press Association.
Dr. James Carson, President of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters says, “We enjoy a longstanding relationship with the Division of Tourism and have carried its television and radio message across the state’s airwaves for years. We’re so pleased to now add new radio creative advertising highlighting the unique individuals who make our state such a great place to visit. These radio spots are running now in drive markets to North Carolina. We will be the vehicle that reaches the travelers living inside the state’s boundaries.”
The North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association is part of the mix this year, as well. “We are very pleased to once again be able to work with the Division to encourage people to visit North Carolina,” says Tony Adams, Executive Director of the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association. “By the end of October we will have placed outdoor boards fluent with the overall campaign at 50 locations on all the interstates and major highways throughout N.C. in an effort to best promote the Division’s message.”
The creative below showcases the new pieces that premiered at the press conference.
Outdoor creative will appear in 50 locations across the state, beginning today, thanks to the partnership with the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association:
| Outdoor Creative |
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Print and online ads will run online and in member newspapers across the state, thanks to the North Carolina Press Foundation partnership.
| Newspaper Ads |
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Magazine print ads began appearing this fall in major travel and lifestyle magazines. In some cases, advertorial content was written to complement the new ads, highlighting fall events and North Carolina’s food, wine and beer offerings.
| Spread Ads | Page Ads |
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| Travel & Leisure, 6-page SouthEast Advertorial | |
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| Gourmet Advertorial | |
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A new radio campaign began September 14 in key drive markets. The talent for the radio campaign focuses on the unique “characters” of North Carolina and their passion for the state. All of the ads play up fall events and fall travel experiences.
Listen to Walter Royal, executive chef of The Angus Barn Steakhouse in Raleigh.
Listen to Howard Neufeld, Leaf Reporter for VisitNC.com and professor of plant physiology at Appalachian State University in Boone.
Listen to Sean Wilson, President and Co-Founder of Pop The Cap and Full Steam Brewery founder.
The state will expand its calendar of media missions to reach out to members of the press and inform them of news and travel destinations in the state under these same thematic umbrellas. This year’s targets include media in key locations of New York City, Birmingham, Ala., the Greenville/Spartanburg region in S.C. and Richmond, Va.
A new Special Offers section section on the site, accessible from the home page and www.VisitNC.com/offers, gives destinations, hotels and shops across the state a place to market deals and packages. Participation in this program is free to destinations through December 2009.
The Division is partnering with travel destinations and marketing groups to offer affordable co-op advertising. These opportunities allow destinations, attractions and accommodations the chance to appear along with the Division and other similar partners in magazines such as “Oprah” and “Southern Living.” The Division is also offering customized advertising programs on VisitNC.com with discounts based on volume.
| Spread co-op ad in Oprah magazine |
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The state’s “Fabulous Fall Fun” campaign launched on www.VisitNC.com on September 15 and offers weekly giveaways and promotes different reasons to travel in the state each week. The site gives visitors up-to-the minute fall color and fall fishing reports that began on Sept. 29. The reports will be enhanced by travel destinations that share their news and events via Twitter@VisitNC and www.facebook.com/northcarolina.
For more information, contact:
Wit Tuttell, NC Division of Tourism, (919) 733-7420,
wit@visitnc.com
Meghan Musgrave, NC Division of Tourism PR Support, (704) 936-7783,
mmusgrave@visitnc.com
Lisa Reynolds, North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, (919) 821-7300,
lreynoldsnc@bellsouth.net
Beth Grace, North Carolina Press Association, (919) 789-2090,
beth@ncpress.com
Tony L. Adams, NC Outdoor Advertising Association, (919) 821-3211,
tony.adams@ncoaa.net
