THE MARKETOUR

A MARKETING GUIDE FROM THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

August/September 1999

TRICKS OF THE TRADE (SHOWS)
Consumer/event trade shows are an effective marketing tool - an opportunity to showcase your travel product and at the same time, a chance to interact face-to-face with consumers. The Department attends several sports and outdoor travel shows each year, reaching more than 1 million potential visitors.

Who should exhibit at a sports show? Show participants include sporting equipment manufacturers, resort owners, county offices, chambers of commerce, visitor and convention bureaus and other state agencies, such as the Department of Natural Resources.

What is the benefit of participating in a consumer show? It can offer the one thing that advertising, the Internet and other marketing tools can't: one-on-one customer contact. People attending these consumer shows, whether a sports show, hunting and fishing expo or golf show, are predisposed to your product or service and are there to get more information about it. Many attendees are planning their vacations for the year and this is an opportunity to be seen and heard with a friendly greeting, smile, a sincere handshake and information.

Exhibitors can also use the show as a learning opportunity. It provides both the opportunities to network and to see what's new in the industry. If you are considering exhibiting at a sports show, here are a few things to think about:

* Who is your target market? What are their tastes? Will this audience be represented at the show?
* Ask the show's coordinator about the show's demographics and what the estimated attendance is. How does the coordinator track the performance of the show?

Once you've decided to exhibit, use these tips to help you make the most of a sports show:

* Staff the booth with knowledgeable people and have a representative in the booth at all times.
* Drive traffic to your booth by offering a prize drawing for a vacation package or service. The Department brings a laptop computer to expedite the promotion entry process. Each person who participates can be added to your database. Check the show's guidelines before offering a contest; there may be some restrictions.
* Stock the booth with current, eye-catching brochures and colorful photos of your business or area.
* Try to acquire a prime location - a corner, in the front, or near the food stands and restrooms.
* Look into partnership opportunities with other businesses that offer complimentary services.
* Register well in advance and read your exhibitor manual carefully. Work with the show's coordinator and ask a lot of questions. The coordinator can offer expert advice and insight about how to get the most out of the show.

The Department is scheduled to attend the following shows in 1999-2000:
* EAA AirVenture Show, July 28-Aug. 3, 1999 (1-800-564-6322)
* Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoor Festival, Aug. 27-29,1999 (920/405-1194)
* Chicago Ski Show, Nov. 4-7, 1999 (773/622-4905)
* Chicago Sport Show, Jan. 22-30, 2000 (1-800-723-2914)
* Milwaukee Sport Show, March 10-19, 2000 (1-800-472-2070)
* Minneapolis Sport Show, March 10-19, 2000 (612/827-5833)

If you have any questions about Tourism's efforts or would like more information about their 1999-2000 show schedule, please call David Spiegelberg, the Department's consumer show coordinator, at 414/279-6856.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Following is a roundup of several fundamentals to keep in mind when planning your public relations program.

Media Relations Tips: Most journalists still prefer to get stories the old-fashioned way - via a phone or mail pitch - versus e-mail. Here are several tips for pitching and overall media success:

* Writers are always looking for "what's new," fresh story ideas and unexpected angles.
* Find out the best days to reach the journalist and plan accordingly. This can be done by calling the general travel section phone number.
* Determine if the writer prefers mail, faxes or phone calls. Repeated calls become annoying, so don't leave too many messages.
* When pitching, focus on the fun aspect as well as the informative side. Treat the media as you would any customer and remember that nothing is off the record. Also, stick to key messages, say "I'll find out and call you back" rather than guessing, and be prepared.
* Many magazines determine their features a year in advance, so plan ahead.

Tracking and Evaluating Coverage: You'll want to track your media placements and evaluate coverage. Here's how:

* Build a press clipping service into your PR program. There are about 50 such companies in the United States; commonly used services include Burrelle's and Bacon's.
* Keep a chart that tracks coverage to give additional weight to your articles. Identify the location of the story and whether it was a full feature or part of a roundup. Plus, was the story accompanied by photography, a spokesperson quote or a phone number for more information? And include impressions - the circulation of the publication - along with ad values.

Promoting Promotions: Publicity is a goal of any promotion. Here are key points to help attract media attention and increase participation:

* Develop a component that is quirky or unusual;
* Build in strong visuals for photo opportunities;
* Offer a novel prize and award it in an interesting way;
* Get a celebrity involved;
* Persuade a radio personality to participate;
* Tie in with a charity and secure a media or corporate partner;
* Award something free to everyone who participates; and
* Always have more than one winner.

Showcasing Fall: To continue building Wisconsin's reputation as the fall getaway of choice for Midwesterners and to erode the exodus to New England, Department advertising and public relations will emphasize the state's special beauty and wide range of opportunities for fall travel. Here's a summary of our approach:

* Ads will be aimed at couples seeking a chance to reconnect, with families coming in second. Primary markets are Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
* From fall festivals and hiking to fine arts and heritage touring, ads will show the diverse activities that fall travelers enjoy in Wisconsin. These will include rustic roads, state and county parks, and the kickoff of the performing arts season.
* The creative will convey that it only takes a few days to enjoy a relaxing fall getaway in Wisconsin and that the state's brilliant colors rival the best of them.
* Public relations positions the state as a top national and Midwest fall destination, rivaling anywhere in the country when it comes to fall color. Again, the variety of activities is promoted, all the more enjoyable with fall color as the backdrop.
* The Wisconsin Fall Sampler, a 16-page sampling of activities to enjoy in fall, reinforces the above messages and provides the 800 number and Wisconsin's travel Web site address (travelwisconsin.com). The Department printed 2.5 million Samplers, with 2.36 million inserted directly into magazines and newspapers.
* The Department's fall color hot line provides up-to-date information about the fall color progression and intensity and offers suggested spots for peak viewing. This information is distributed to operators at the 800 number and WTIC operators and print, broadcast and interactive media. Travelers can also find this color information on the Department's Web site.

QUICK TIPS
Industry Success Story: Eight years ago, when Arlene Storeby moved to Stockholm, Wis., to open an art gallery, the town had few visitors. Today, through the dedication of Storeby and several others, the area is a strong travel destination. How did it happen? Storeby and company formed Mississippi River Partners - a group that promotes tourism in 13 towns surrounding Lake Pepin. "It would have been hard to market tiny Stockholm as a tourist destination. But together with 12 other communities, we have an abundance of opportunities to offer," Storeby said.

The volunteer group, which boasts 140 businesses and some 25 individual members, creates and distributes a travel planner, attends tourism conferences and marketing seminars, and developed a Web site (mississippi-river.org).

Here's Storeby's advice: "Identify your players and start meeting to come up with a plan. It takes the least amount of money, but the most amount of heart, energy and commitment to take ownership of your community - then share it with the world." Call Storeby for details and advice; she can be reached at 715/442-2900.

Media Leads: A new adventure travel magazine launched in April can be added to your media list. Outdoor Explorer focuses on softer adventure and is geared to adults and families who enjoy weekend activities in the out-of-doors. This bimonthly (quarterly through 1999) has a lead time of four months. Send information to Nancy Nasworthy, executive director, 2 Park Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Fax: 212/725-3836.

Take A Look: These travel Web sites are worth viewing: Preview Travel, Travelocity, Expedia and FamilyTopTripTips.com.

One-to-One Marketing: A rich database is a great source to mine for direction in one-to-one marketing. Segment consumers by lifestage and preferred activities. For example, we know from our research that young adults, ages 20-29, enjoy adventure travel and empty nesters, ages 45-59, enjoy the arts. Similarly, there are clusters of activities enjoyed by families and groups of friends. Use this information in direct mail pieces, even your Web site. This is a way to ensure that consumers get the messages that are relevant and appealing to them.

10-SECOND WRITING CLINIC
Fewer vs. Less: Use "fewer" when referring to individual items that can be counted; use "less" for a mass quantity.

Wrong: "Less people visited our destination last year." (People can be individually counted.) "We made fewer profit." (Profit refers to a bulk amount.)

Right: "He scheduled fewer trips to other states." "The drive will take less time if we choose this route."

PR'S GREATEST HITS
ESPN's "Fly Fishing America" aired a program about the Timber Coulee River near La Crosse on May 8. The program, which reaches more than 72 million households, would like to film in Wisconsin again this August.

In April, two major national magazines, Redbook and Parents, ran articles about Door County. The San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle included the state's "rails-to-trails" and a b/w photo of the Red Cedar Trail as part of May's travel roundup. The AP summer travel feature is getting great pickup across the nation. Placements to date have run in newspapers from Florida to Toronto and New York to Colorado.