Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
Monterey County in California is comprised of 12 regions, from Big Sur with its leading luxury hotels like Post Ranch Inn and Alila Ventana, to Pebble Beach, world-famous for its oceanfront golf courses. The region is known for its ritzy towns (where Clint Eastwood just might be the mayor), celebrity home hideaways, and exclusive resorts, restaurants and golf clubs. Like so many coastal California towns, the Monterey Peninsula connotes wealth and is written off as an aspirational getaway for the rich and famous, as seen in Big Little Lies credits and headlines about Brad Pitt’s new $40 million Carmel Highlands mansion.
But the 3,300-square-miles of Monterey County also includes Salinas, Moss Landing, Monterey proper, and Pacific Grove, nicknamed "America's Last Hometown." There’s a plethora of budget lodging, inns and hostels, restaurants and dive bars, and uninhibited and free access to some of the world’s most incredible natural wonders, all intertwined and complimentary to luxe experiences Monterey is well known for.
See Monterey had high ambitions to go big with an educational consumer piece and pursue the holy grail of budget travel – Elaine Glusac’s Frugal Traveler column in The New York Times – to drive positioning that Monterey County can and absolutely should be a destination accessible to yes, even the budget conscious traveler. And as a secondary goal, See Monterey wanted to spread love to other lesser-known jurisdictions that have rich travel experiences, history, good food and engaging communities worth exploring. See Monterey desired to shine a national spotlight showcasing Monterey as an accessible, approachable destination worth exploration beyond Highway 1.
Results: Which of your original goals did you achieve and how? How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)
After Elaine heard the foreign concept that Monterey could be experienced on a budget, she was quickly hooked, particularly as the suggestion came from a trusted colleague with an established professional relationship dating back more than a decade.
Several inspirational mock itineraries were researched and developed factoring in starting rates, seasonality, history, relevancy and a county-wide audit of the best complimentary and low-cost experiences, lodging, restaurants and recreation to get the most bang for the buck while still delivering an authentic, inspirational coastal California experience that Monterey is known for. Elaine considered suggestions and then made her own way to Monterey, connecting with community members and local businesses touching wine, food, nature pursuits, attractions and more, and what resulted was an ode to Monterey that paid unanticipated returns.
In a lengthy perception bending ballad to the county, Elaine narrated her thrifty three-day visit, name dropping local businesses and natural area attractions throughout Monterey County's jurisdictions including Monterey, Salinas, Pacific Grove, Moss Landing, and even Big Sur and Carmel... but on a budget. Elaine effectively broadened understanding for the vast experiences to be had from wildlife pursuits to historical exploration, featuring See Monterey partners including Monterey Bay Aquarium in its 40th anniversary year, the iconic Cannery Row steeped in John Steinbeck history, eateries like Jeju Kitchen and Alvarado Street Brewery, Monterey Bay Eco Tours, up and coming wineries like Rustique, and more.
The story published online reaching 136.6 million readers with an advertising value equivalency of $78,579. Elaine also published the piece on her personal social media channels, where she is widely followed by 3,000+ of the world’s top editors, publishing houses and industry professionals. The feature story earned a perfect media score and rating using Barcelona Principles.
Return on Investment: How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?
Not only did this piece drive widespread national awareness shifting consumer travel perceptions to reconsider Monterey County as a vacation destination, it also alerted other media to reconsider the editorial narrative around Monterey, reframing it as an accessible destination warranting more than a day trip.
Several local media picked up the national news with a sense of hometown pride, either republishing and syndicating Elaine’s piece, or noting Monterey’s national spotlight with appreciation for a unique perspective that encompassed the whole region and its off the beaten path experiences.
25% of the local businesses featured in Elaine’s piece reflected an uptick of business calls and website inquiries from consumers outside of their typical demographic, which they attributed to The New York Times piece.
There was no financial investment and so See Monterey saw the complete 78,579:1 return on investment.
Entry Title
The New York Times Captures A Cheapskate in Monterey
Division
Public Relations/Communications - Feature Placement Online or Print - Consumer Magazine or Newspaper
Category
Public Relations/Communications