Steal These Destination Marketing Tactics: Seven Ideas for Event Profs

Much like event professionals, destination marketers are in the business of brand-building, content creation and engaging targets face-to-face to showcase the value proposition of a particular city, state or country. And with an uptick in experiential programming hailing from the tourism industry, there are plenty of crossover lessons to be learned. So we rounded up seven ideas to add to your experiential strategy, each inspired by destination marketing tactics.

More Destination Marketing Strategies to Explore:

• Kimpton Rowan Merges Hospitality and High-end Retail with a Curated Showroom in Palm Springs
• Brand USA Tightens Up its Content Strategy

A Data-informed Strategy

When Visit Savannah set out to produce its first out-of-state pop-up experience, determining the best market to activate in wasn’t left up to chance. The organization leveraged a research study that identified New York City as its biggest market opportunity to target and drive travel to the destination. The strategy ultimately helped Visit Savannah break a single-day foot traffic record in the Big Apple.

“That study really showed that markets like Atlanta, per se, are markets that are coming to see us whether we market to them or not, so if we spend incremental funds, we aren’t necessarily seeing supplemental visitation,” says Lauren Cleland, director-marketing and data intelligence.

A Relevant Pop Culture Theme

VisitLEX offered a timely city tour and room installation inspired by “The Queen’s Gambit.”

The pandemic dealt a serious blow to the hospitality industry, but in the midst of crisis, VisitLEX, the tourism arm of Lexington, KY, was able to tap into a pop culture phenomenon that helped build back its business. The organization cleverly leaned into the country’s collective fascination with Netflix’s 2021 drama series “The Queen’s Gambit,” which largely takes place in Lexington, with a curated, series-inspired travel guide designed to attract fans and allow them to experience the city as it was depicted in the show. What’s more, VisitLEX partnered with boutique hotel 21c to create an entire “Queen’s Gambit”-themed hotel room, complete with an upside-down chess installation hanging from the ceiling.

Speaking of tapping into a cultural phenomenon, see how Santa Catalina Island Company leveraged an oft-quoted scene from “Step Brothers” to drive travel to the island.

Leading with a Fun Fact

The Alabama Tourism Department set out to activate in NYC’s Times Square to educate New Yorkers on all that the state has to offer by making a splash. So it used two little-known fun facts about Alabama to inform its approach: It’s where Mardi Gras was born, and it’s a hiker’s haven. Accordingly, the department built a pop-up Mardi Gras parade (complete with a custom float), then crafted a replica 20-foot-wide mountain of Little River Canyon in the middle of Flatiron Plaza and gave consumers VR headsets to view the destination from all angles.

A Buzz-generating Stunt

If visibility and mass engagement are the objective, thoughtfully executed stunts can generate just the right kind of buzz for a destination organization—or a brand. A prime example is the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau’s chilly outdoor activations hosted during the winter in New York City’s Flatiron Plaza and Washington Square Park. The bureau staged the ultimate “ice breaker” by planting 6-foot by 6-foot stacks of ice blocks in both locations containing accessories needed for an extended stay in Palm Springs—then invited consumers to take a crack at the prizes.

The Palm Springs Visitors Buereau invited consumers to crack open its ice blocks for a chance to win prizes, like a trip for two.

Strategic Partnerships

In today’s climate particularly, forging key partnerships can be extremely beneficial, with the opportunity to save money, expand reach and enhance the attendee experience all in one fell swoop. For the Bermuda Tourism Authority, teaming up with relevant brands gave its #BermudaSummerFridays campaign a significant boost. The program launched with a surprise-and-delight event with Uber and went on to include other strategic partnerships with companies like Daybreaker.

“We partnered with brands and communities that are connecting with people in real ways, so it is not just an ad message; it is more of a conversation that we are building,” says Victoria Isley, former chief sales and marketing officer.

A Cheeky Approach to FOMO

Sometimes the best way to promote your offerings is by demonstrating to consumers what they’re missing out on by not engaging with your organization. That’s how Experience Kissimmee, the travel arm of the Florida tourist destination, played it in frigid Chicago, setting up an outdoor zip line in the midst of winter. Consumers were invited to “escape the cold” weather for sunny Florida with a ride down the line (brrr!), which led to a warming tent where they could learn more about Kissimmee’s attractions.

Experience Kissimmee’s winter zip line in Chicago engaged potential tourists in the destination’s many excursions.

Cause-based Incentives

There’s no question that consumers are increasingly seeking out purpose-led brands, so why not reward them for getting involved in, and contributing to, a cause your brand is passionate about? Such was the case for the San Francisco Department of the Environment, which activated a street-side coffee stand that distributed free cups of joe to commuters who brought their own cup. The eco-friendly effort was part of the organization’s long-term goal to reduce waste by encouraging commuters not to import garbage, including coffee cups, into the city and to get residents to create less waste. To boot, the first 200 passersby who posted an event photo or campaign hashtag received a free reusable travel mug, created by sustainable partner Cuppow.

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