BuckeyeLine

Opportunity Knocks!

I really love the spring time! Spring means warmer weather, renewal and opportunities emerging. At the Ohio Tourism Division, our team is working hard to leverage every opportunity to “Share the Ohio Story.” Leveraging resources and opportunities yields results, and in these challenging times, we must leverage partnerships now more than ever. Let’s take a look at last year as proof of leveraged success.

Last month, I had mentioned that we would be releasing the results of our advertising evaluation study for 2008. In addition to the advertising Return on Investment, we presented a whole list of key successes that would have been impossible without leveraging resources, time, budgets and new partnerships. I wish to thank the leadership of the Ohio Tourism Roundtable and Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher for helping us share this exciting news in front of more than 130 Industry leaders and media members. Here is a snapshot of just some of what 2008 Ohio Tourism Division efforts yielded:

2008 “Too Much Fun for Just One Day” Advertising Campaign ROI:
• An estimated $437 million in visitor spending was generated by the campaign in 2008 (launched in May 2008, the campaign generated this return within about 5 months).

• For every $1 invested by the state in tourism, there was a return of $12 in state and local taxes (of those $12, approximately $7 went to state and approximately $5 to local tax coffers).

• Nearly $31 million in new tax revenues is estimated to have come to Ohio as a result of this campaign.

• Launched the new multicultural campaign, “Livin’ for the Weekend,” with events in Cleveland and Cincinnati with local partners. This is the first complete TV, radio, print and online campaign for the multicultural markets to run in at least 15 years.

• As a result of increased marketing and Web site enhancements, unique visitors to DiscoverOhio.com are up more than 7 percent, and overall page views are up about 20 percent over 2007.

2008 Media Relations Return on Investment:
• An audience of approximately 187,055,288 consumers (audience/circulation) was exposed to stories on Ohio Tourism destinations, attractions, lodging facilities, restaurants and more in 2008 – Up nearly 21 percent from 2007.

• It would have cost more than $7 million (around $7,625,782) to purchase the media coverage we received (advertising equivalency) in 2008 – up nearly 58 percent from 2007 (figures are based solely on media results directly linked to our media relations efforts).

• For the second year in a row, the Division Public Relations Program was awarded a Bronze Anvil (national award) from the Public Relations Society of America as best Government Public Relations Program in the country.

The Division is so excited about the amazing Return on Investment numbers we received! To watch the press conference, click here.

2008 Travel Industry Partnerships:
• New focus on Travel Industry Partnerships and Outreach resulted in a record number of partnership offerings (more than $2 million leveraged in additional paid advertising message and brand exposure via marketing assistance and co-op programs) and private/public partnerships.

• Leveraged resources and new marketing partnerships with State of Ohio agencies including: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Lottery Commission.
 
And the list goes on! A special thank you to all of you in the Industry who have worked with us over the past couple of years to drive more visitors to your doorstep.

The challenge is upon us to keep that momentum going, and our first quarter activities were just the tip of the iceberg! Last month saw us add a Chicago Media Mission, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week Activities and partnerships involving media and multicultural promotions (thanks to our partners at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Positively Cleveland), Film Office Music Video Challenge and an Industry press conference on top of our ongoing marketing activities.

April will have some of our new social media developments going live (stay tuned), and preparations for Ohio Tourism Month activities including a special opportunity on May 13 as we take our story on the road (see below). I am so excited about the effort our team is making to drive leisure business into Ohio that I need to stop writing now and let you get on with this BuckeyeLine!

Safe travels,

Amir

2009-10 Fall/Winter Discover Ohio Calendar of Events Deadline April 17

To have your Ohio event considered for inclusion in the printed 2009-10 Fall/Winter Ohio Calendar of Events (50,000 printed), please submit/update your information in the DiscoverOhio.com/Buckeye database by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17.
 
If your database entry is current, there is no need to re-submit. Please review your entries to ensure dates, times phone numbers, etc. are current and accurate. The calendar will cover events that take place between September 2009 and February of 2010. Due to space limitations, not all events submitted and approved will appear in the printed calendar, however, all approved events will be available on DiscoverOhio.com.
 
If you’re interested in advertising opportunities in the calendar please contact your advertising representative or Jillian LaManna, Great Lakes Publishing Advertising Coordinator, jlamanna@ohiomagazine.com or (216) 377-3655.

New Date: Travel Ohio Block Party in Pittsburgh May 13

The event previously known as the Feeder Market Mash-up now has an official name, the Travel Ohio Block Party, and a new date – May 13! Please get your experiential booth and specials and packages together as we prepare to blitz the Pittsburgh market with media interviews, a consumer showcase in Market Square (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.), some special advertising and more. Pittsburgh is an important travel feeder market for Ohio, and we plan to show those potential travelers what great opportunities await them in the Buckeye State, just a short drive away.

Below are several ways for you to participate. To apply for any of these opportunities, please e-mail Donna Cotton (donna.cotton@development.ohio.gov) by Mon., April 27. Please include: your name, organization name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address.

• Consumer Travel Show on the Square -- The Division is seeking Ohio Travel Industry partners to provide hands-on, experiential booths that highlight Ohio’s exciting travel destinations/attractions and engage potential travelers. Just as important as the experience is the deal/package/special you are willing to create for the Pittsburgh market. The cost for a booth space is $135 and will be invoiced to your organization. Participation is limited. To reserve your space, please follow instructions in the previous paragraph.

• Radio Promotion Giveaways – We are looking for tickets, overnight stays, packages and specials of all types that can be given away on the radio airwaves in Pittsburgh to help drive interest and traffic for the Block Party. Please keep the consumer in mind. For example, tickets to a baseball game would be great, but tickets to a game versus the Pirates might be especially appealing to the Pittsburgh crowd. You do not have to attend the Travel Ohio Block Party to provide giveaway items.

• Special Pittsburgh Deals and Packages -- Get started assembling your best value-oriented packages and specials with special appeal to the Pittsburgh market. By providing deals and packages targeted only to the Pittsburgh market, you can help generate traffic to your tourism destination/business and help us track the success of this event. The deals and packages will be offered online via www.DiscoverOhio.com potentially via a special Pittsburgh Web address or designated coupons.

Watch for additional updates and information in an upcoming Special BuckeyeLine!

ABA 2010 Top 100 Events in North America

Nominations are officially open for the American Bus Association’s 2010 Top 100 Events in North America. Now in its 28th year, ABA's Top 100 Events in North America recognizes the best group-friendly events for the coming year. Please note that ABA-member convention and visitors bureaus and private-destination marketing organizations are eligible to submit two nominations each year. 

Ohio’s 2009 Top 100 selections were the Dublin Irish Festival and the Piqua Heritage Festival.  For the 2010 Top 100, non-ABA member DMOs can submit one nomination for a fee which is then refunded if they join the association in 2009. For more information about ABA's Top 100 nomination process, visit http://www.buses.org/top100/nominationsandjudging. For the 2010 Top 100 edition, ABA will work with Group Leaders of America (GLAMER) on special promotions. These promotions will result in leads for the winning destinations and events. The leads will be distributed to the nominating member and the winning event/festival contacts.

Please contact Celeste Krolak at celeste.krolak@development.ohio.gov if you have a group-friendly event in your area that you would like to nominate. All materials are due by April 30.

Tourism Division, Film Office Promote Rock Hall Induction Week

On March 27, the Ohio Tourism Division joined with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Positively Cleveland at the Rock Hall for a press conference that kicked off Rock Hall Induction Week. The week-long series of rock events included an announcement of the winner of the Ohio Film Office Music Video Challenge Contest and a multicultural promotion that brought 700 lucky radio listeners from around Ohio and Detroit to Cleveland for the free concert on April 2.

Rock Hall Induction Week Kick Off
During the press conference, Peggy Zone Fisher, representing Governor Ted Strickland and her husband, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, presented a proclamation declaring the week of March 28 – April 4, 2009, as “Rock and Roll Week in Ohio” to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum President and CEO Terry Stewart, Parliament Funkadelic’s Bootsy Collins and the O’Jays’ Walter Williams (see photo). Both Collins and Williams are Ohio natives and past Hall of Fame Inductees. Media attending the event were treated to a special sneak preview of the new Bruce Springsteen exhibit, tours of the Rock Hall including the recent Motown exhibit, interviews with Bootsy Collins and Walter Williams and a fam tour of Cleveland area rock and roll hotspots.

Ohio Film Office Music Video Challenge
The Division was back in Cleveland on Tuesday, March 31 to announce the winner of the Ohio Film Office’s first-ever Music Video Challenge. Congratulations to director John Daugherty and the band, The Receiver, for their winning video titled, “Visitor.” The Music Video Challenge offered Ohio filmmakers and musicians the opportunity to showcase their talents to an all-star panel of Hollywood judges and vie for an outstanding prize package including tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The teams had four weeks to create a music video concept, shoot and edit the video, and post it on the official YouTube contest page. After 23 entries and nearly 30,000 views, the public voted for the Top 10 videos and a panel of professional and celebrity judges chose the winner (see all finalists in photo).

Livin’ for the Weekend at Cleveland Free Concert
On Thursday, April 2, the Tourism Division and multicultural marketing agency Singleton and Partners teamed up with WZAK-Cleveland, WDBZ/WMOJ-Cincinnati, WXMG-Columbus, WMXD-Detroit, WROU-Dayton and WIMX-Toledo to bring more than 700 listeners to Cleveland for a once-in-a-lifetime music experience. Sponsored by the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Foundation, Radio One and WEWS TV-5, everyone had a chance to enjoy the free concert at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. Performers included Rob Base, Dave Mason of Traffic, Whodini and the O’Jays, whose legendary song, “Livin’ for the Weekend,” is the theme for the Tourism Division’s multicultural tourism marketing campaign. During the O’Jays performance, Peggy Zone Fisher and Assistant State Tourism Director Alicia Reece presented the O’Jays with a special plaque (see photo) in recognition of their ongoing support of Ohio and Ohio’s tourism marketing efforts on behalf of Governor Ted Strickland and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher.

Chicago Media Hungry for Ohio Getaway Information

The Chicago Media Mission, held March 10-11, is a good indicator that consumers truly are interested in value-oriented, close-to-home travel opportunities. Ohio travel industry members were greeted with positive inquiries and requests for additional information at all of our media appointments in Chicago this year. Telling Ohio’s travel stories on this mission were: Susan Fryer, Licking County CVB; Samantha Fryberger, Positively Cleveland; Bob Ulas, Lake County CVB; and Bev Rose, Dayton/Montgomery County CVB; Ann Marcum from Fahlgren Mortine PR (the Division’s public relations agency of record); and Tammy Brown from the Ohio Tourism Division.

We had a great slate of 11 appointments with: the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald (wide-spread daily suburban newspaper), Chicagoland Tails (magazine for pet lovers), Inside (weekly newspaper serving Chicago’s north side), WVON-AM radio (first station to showcase talents of black musicians), the Chicago Defender (Chicago’s leading weekly African-American newspaper), Venus Zine (a magazine geared to women in music, particularly hip urban women between the ages of 18-36), Mary Lu Laffey (freelance writer with a syndicated travel column in 5 states and contributor to the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune), Ebony magazine, Jet magazine and Extra (Chicago’s leading Latin/bilingual newspaper).

Thank you to everyone who participated and completed questionnaires that allowed us to represent all of Ohio to the media in this important feeder market. We’ll be in touch with many of you as we continue to follow up with the media on their specific interests.

Partner Days 2009

Many Industry members have inquired about partner days with the travel counselor at 1-800-BUCKEYE for 2009. Our Buckeye counselors at Teleperformance USA will be moving this spring, however, a firm date for the move has not been set. Tentatively, we have been told mid- to late April. Once a move date is confirmed, we hope to be able to offer this educational opportunity in the late spring and early summer months. Stay tuned for additional details.

Fulfillment Center Manager Andy Doty Recognized by Ohio Senate

The Division’s Andy Doty was recently recognized by the 33 members of the Ohio Senate for receiving the 2009 Individual Appreciation Award from the Madison County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Andy, who mentors a talented crew of developmentally disabled workers, continuously devotes his time and service to help those around him. While it is not in Andy’s job description, he is always there to provide lunch for a worker who doesn’t have one on a given day, to plan cookouts for the workers in the summer and to make sure the crew has something special on holidays. We know Andy has made working on the Tourism Team a coveted job among the MATCO employees thanks to his caring and respectful demeanor with the workers. We are truly honored to know him both as a co-worker and a friend. We invite you to join us in congratulating Andy!

Feature Article: Why Consumer Reviews Matter the Most, from MediaPost.com

According to a new study from Bazaarvoice and richrelevance, 48 percent of all online shoppers plan to spend less this year, but 61 percent of those reluctant to make certain purchases can be positively influenced by online shopping resources. The study shows that consumers are finding significant value in online content tools that connect them to the opinions and behaviors of other shoppers. These tools are particularly relevant to shoppers who are cutting back, as those affected by economic conditions seek more validation for their purchase decisions. According to the report, online shoppers will be more reluctant to make purchases in the next 12 months primarily in the automotive sector, the travel industry and consumer electronics.

Planned Spending Reductions in Next 12 Months by Online Shoppers
Consumers looking to reduce their spend are shopping around; 42 percent visited three or more sites to research their last purchase, and nearly all consumers are spending more time online prior to purchase.

Shoppers who research their purchases online look to content sources that help inspire, discover and confirm their choices, including:
• User ratings and reviews
• Recommendations based on other consumers' purchasing behaviors
• Recommendations based on others' browsing behavior
• Multiple Sources Used by Online Shoppers To Find Products

In the 2008 Retail Consumer survey, Jupiter Research found that only 33 percent of online shoppers had made up their minds about the price they were willing to pay for their purchase in advance of going online to research. Even fewer began their research having made up their minds on:
• Which item or title to choose (31 percent)
• Which brand to buy (23 percent)
• Which store they would use (16 percent)
• When to make their purchase (13 percent)

This shift in behavior provides retailers with an opportunity to engage shoppers through content that connects them to products and builds their confidence in these carefully researched purchases.

For the full version of the article above, please visit http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=102158.

Best Practices: How to Market in a Downturn, from the Harvard Business Review

In every recession, marketers and businesses alike find themselves in poorly charted waters because no two downturns are exactly the same. However, in studying the marketing successes and failures of dozens of companies as they’ve navigated recessions from the 1970s onward, patterns in consumers’ behavior and firms’ strategies that either propel or undermine performance are identified. Companies need to understand the evolving consumption patterns and fine-tune their strategies accordingly.

During recessions, consumers set stricter priorities and reduce their spending. As sales start to drop, businesses typically cut costs, reduce prices and postpone new investments. Marketing expenditures in areas from communications to research are often slashed across the board—but such indiscriminate cost cutting is a mistake.

Although it’s wise to contain costs, failing to support brands or examine core customers’ changing needs can jeopardize performance over the long term. Companies that put customer needs under the microscope, take a scalpel rather than a cleaver to the marketing budget and nimbly adjust strategies, tactics and product offerings in response to shifting demand are more likely than others to flourish both during and after a recession.

Managing Marketing Investments
During recessions, it’s more important than ever to remember that loyal customers are the primary, enduring source of cash flow and organic growth. Marketing isn’t optional—it’s a “good cost,” essential to bringing in revenues from these key customers and others.

Still, company budget cuts often affect marketing disproportionately. Marketing communication costs can be trimmed more quickly than production costs—and without letting people go. In managing their marketing expenses, however, businesses must take care to distinguish between the necessary and the wasteful.

Surgically trimming the budget is easier to do during a downturn than in prosperous times. Tough times provide an imperative to cut loose poor performers and eliminate low-yield tactics. When survival is at stake, it is easier to get company-wide buy-in for revising marketing strategies and re-allocating investments. Managers can defy old mind-sets and creatively search for superior solutions to customer needs instead of relying on the next line extension. The challenge is to make well-defended, case-by-case recommendations about where to cut spending, where to hold it steady, and even where to increase it.

Balance the communications budget
During recessions, cash-strapped marketing departments are under pressure to do more with less and demonstrate high returns on investment. Typically, the share of the advertising budget devoted to broadcast media shrinks, whereas the share that goes toward efforts with more-measurable results, such as direct marketing campaigns and online ads, grows.
 
Internet advertising in particular is targeted and relatively cheap, and its performance is easily measured. Despite a deepening recession, marketers spent 14 percent more on online ads over the first three quarters of 2008 than they did over the same time frame in the previous year. Another factor driving this growth in digital-ad spending is consumers’ migration to online social media such as MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn (see our article on Twitter below), which help people intensify networking efforts amid layoffs and a tough job market. The new-member sign-up rate at LinkedIn, a site that focuses on professional networking, has doubled in the past year.
That said, broadcast media still remain important for building mass-market consumer brands.

Check out how to manage marketing expenses for your tourism destination by reading the extended version of the article above. The complete version can be found by clicking here.

Tech Corner: Do You Twitter?

Twitter is a term popping up more and more in conversations lately. If you aren't already using it yourself, you've probably heard of others in our Industry who are doing so. We'll take a few minutes for a general overview of this rapidly growing social media tool and discuss how you can use it to market your Ohio tourism destination.

Basically, Twitter (www.twitter.com) allows you to create an account, connect with other Twitter users by "following" them, then post updates about what's going on in your life using short messages of 140 characters or less.

You may ask yourself, “How is this going to help my business?” The most important part of the answer is to remember the whole point of social media is to become a part of the conversation. Rather than just building a great Web site and expecting thousands of people to visit, you need to actively insert yourself in the areas where people are talking and make sure they're talking about you and saying the right things. This is where Twitter excels!

Following are some tips on getting started, and where to go from there.

1. Set up your Twitter account. Go to www.Twitter.com to create your account. There are a few different opinions regarding setting up a "personal" account or an "official" account for your business. This is where Twitter differs a little from other social media tools. The idea behind Twitter is to engage your followers in "personal conversations." So rather than just the name of your business, try personalizing it a bit. For example, my name on Twitter is Roger_OHTourism.

2. Create your Bio. When setting up your account, you'll be asked to add a Bio. This is a very short description of yourself that others will read to determine if they want to follow your updates. Certainly include your business, but add some other fun, interesting facts that will help people identify with you.

3. Post your first "tweet." You'll want something up here for people to read when they start following you. It can be as simple as "I'm setting up my first Twitter account" or you may want to be a little more creative than that.

4. Find people on Twitter. On your Twitter home page, you'll see a navigation bar in the top right of your screen. Click on "Find People" to get started. In the search field, you can enter a person's Twitter username, first or last name. Try it—you'll be amazed how many people out there are already Twittering!

5. Start building your network. Once you find a person you want to follow, you have two choices. You can simply click on the "Follow" icon to the right of their name and you'll automatically start receiving their updates. If you'd like more information about them first, just click on the username to see their personal page.

6. See who is talking about you. At http://search.twitter.com, you can enter the name of your business (or just about any other word/term) for a list of all "tweets" containing the term. This is a great way to join in that conversation you keep hearing about. You can reply to a recent tweet, click on a username to see if this is someone you should follow, etc.

7. Follow writers/bloggers. You'll be amazed how easy it is to follow someone, and how often they'll follow you in return. Look for members of the media who write about tourism—especially those who specialize in your niche—and follow them. It could lead to a very valuable relationship.

8. Announce specials/deals. While you don't want to use Twitter just to promote your specials—this is the equivalent of "spam" in the Twitter world—do feel free to announce great deals you're offering. Once you have a loyal following and they see you as a valuable resource, they'll often "re-tweet" your message, meaning they pass it on to others. It can truly spread like wildfire.

9. Live updates on special events/happenings. Twitter followers want to be a part of what's happening. When you are at a conference, attending a meeting or even if you've just read something really useful that you'd like to share, don't forget about your Twitter friends.

10. Link to other sites. With only 140 characters to work with, it may seem impossible to include a Web address in a tweet. Check out www.TinyURL.com. This is a tool used by many people on Twitter. Just enter any URL and the site will provide a smaller link you can use in its place.

Don't be afraid to start using Twitter. It's actually one of the simplest of the social media tools available. The most important thing to remember is to post at least a couple of messages every day, even if it's as simple as "Great day here in Ohio for winning hockey games!" With only 140 characters to work with, how hard could it be?

NOTE: Over the next few months, we'll provide information on the evolving use of social media in marketing with a special emphasis on its applicability to tourism. If you have questions or if there's a specific topic you'd like us to cover, please contact Roger Barker at roger.barker@development.ohio.gov or Eric Herzog at eric.herzog@development.ohio.gov.

Where in the World

April 2: Amir Eylon, Alicia Reece, Tammy Brown, Joe Vargo and Jessie Wagner at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center for the free concert during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s week of Induction Ceremony celebrations
April 7: Amir speaking at Adventures in Northeast Ohio meeting
April 16: Amir speaking at Park Managers Conference in Hocking Hills State Park
April 16-18: Christina Grozik at Association of Film Commissioners International Locations Trade Show in Santa Monica, CA.
April 18: Amir speaking to Athens County Historical Society & Museum
April 29: Amir speaking to Young Professionals Network in Chillicothe