Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?In recent years, many destinations felt the pain of crises, natural disasters and the global pandemic, but perhaps no other destination felt the gravity of multiple crises in succession like Sonoma County, California. Since 2017, the destination has faced natural and climate-induced disasters including devastating wildfires, damaging floods and extreme droughts that threatened the foundation of the regional economy. Eager to welcome visitors back to the destination, Sonoma County Tourism (SCT) challenged Fahlgren Mortine to create an integrated recovery campaign using paid, digital, and earned media to awaken the spirit of travel and remind visitors of the laid-back, luxurious experiences the destination provides. A recent Vrbo Trend Report revealed key insights that helped inspire the campaign strategy for Sonoma County: 82% of families had travel plans in mind and wanted safe and easy experiences as the pandemic continued to ease. 61% of U.S. families said they are more likely to visit an outdoorsy destination than an urban one. 31% of travelers say the main reason they want to go on vacation is to spend quality time with family. 22% of travelers said a vacation would improve mental health and self-care. These insights prompted Fahlgren Mortine to strategize how to communicate and evolve the recovery narrative and position Sonoma County as THE destination for the restorative, wellbeing experiences consumers were craving to reconnect with loved ones. Sonoma County Tourism is also the first "Destination Stewardship Organization," so this piece perfectly delivered on a mission-critical objective of highlighting lesser-known partners and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to preserving the Sonoma County ecosystem (Mine + Farm).

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)The coverage secured was considered a homerun against all campaign objectives, as our campaign was squarely focused on positioning Sonoma County as an ideal getaway for those seeing renewal and restoration - and a getaway for the connection travelers were craving post pandemic. The partner location (Mine + Farm) featured in this piece experienced a significant increase in site traffic, inquiries and bookings, (specific figures were not provided). Driving awareness, conversion and visitation were primary goals of the campaign – but the program also needed to balance the critical issue of upholding resident trust and continue to energize the local economy through promoting responsible tourism. This Good Morning America/Travel + Leisure feature represented just one component in an integrated marketing strategy and campaign, but the overall program results are worth highlighting: According to a third-party ROI study conducted by Longwoods, the campaign, including earned efforts, generated 1.5M incremental trips to Sonoma County that otherwise would not have materialized in the absence of marketing promotion. The vast majority of the incremental trips were from those markets that Sonoma County Tourism targeted. Campaign ROI was an impressive $203:$1; with an additional $21 collected in taxes for every ad dollar spent.

Budget: Please include total budget vs. total actual cost. How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?To secure exposure of this caliber through paid dollars would have be a six-figure endeavor if working through paid channels, but earned coverage is often the result of relationships and trust built over the course of years. When Jacqui Giffort, the influential editor of Travel + Leisure, was asked to appear on Good Morning America to make endorsed recommendations about an ideal getaway, she thought of Sonoma County due to years of a cultivated relationship. She engaged our team for story shaping and we immediately provided helpful information, images and support, and additional resources at the ready. Otherwise, this story would not have been possible. While earned media is difficult to quantify, our third-party tools estimate the value of this coverage as $200,000 (and climbing). The article also continues to deliver significant website traffic and inbound activity to Sonoma County - as evidenced by key phrasing used in search terms and queries. While the real work that led to this coverage took place over the course of years, the specific time investment in making this feature a reality was a mere 4-5 hours of time and zero hard costs.

Objective(s): What problems did the sales, marketing & guest satisfaction, or revenue optimization technology aim to solve?

Innovative use of technology: The extent to which new directions are charted or old challenges are resolved by using the technology in a new way.

Implementation & creativity: How was the technology implemented so that it was easy to use, solved a manpower problem, streamlined a function, or fueled recovery?

Results & Evaluation: How did the technology move the department or business forward to achieve goals, revenue or otherwise?

Goal: How did you demonstrate that you are committed to advancing diversity in your organization through your marketing?

Initiatives: Describe the promotion. What was your organization’s message and how does it foster diversity? How was the target audience channel developed/pursued?

Results: Please describe how your organization was purposeful in advancing diversity through this initiative. Please describe the metrics you used to judge success. What were the forecasted and actual outcomes described in your Key Performance Indicators (KPI)? What impact did the initiative have on your organization and for your customers?

Entry Title“Life Opens Up” in Sonoma County: Good Morning America and Travel + Leisure Spotlight

DivisionPublic Relations/Communications - FEATURE PLACEMENT ONLINE - Consumer Media

CategoryPublic Relations/Communications