Visitors Bureau Stays Ahead of Travel Trends
Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau works tirelessly to promote travel to the Mahoning Valley – a tough feat for an area that has long suffered from Rust Belt stigmas. In order to successfully entice visitors to the Youngstown area, the Bureau needed to not only develop an eye-catching brand, but also capitalize on the trends of the travel industry. For this, they turned to McConnell Marketing.
Visitors Bureau Stays Ahead of Travel Trends
Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau works tirelessly to promote travel to the Mahoning Valley – a tough feat for an area that has long suffered from Rust Belt stigmas. In order to successfully entice visitors to the Youngstown area, the Bureau needed to not only develop an eye-catching brand, but also capitalize on the trends of the travel industry. For this, they turned to McConnell Marketing.
Client Goals
Established and achieved together
1
Increase travel to the Youngstown and Mahoning County area.
2
Position the Youngstown area as an exciting travel destination.
3
Stay ahead of emerging tourism trends with forward-thinking, strategic marketing initiatives.
Establishing a Brand
Our first and most important mission with the visitor’s bureau was to establish and implement a brand design that captured the true essence and persona of the Youngstown area. Colors and fonts needed to be instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of warmth and hospitality. In collaboration with the visitor’s bureau, we developed this brand design using a colorful, energetic palette, cohesive font treatments, bright photographs and ample white space. Splashed across years of visitor guides, digital ad campaigns, billboards, tradeshow banners and more, the CVB’s brand evolved into a noticeable and eye-catching entity.
Establishing a Brand
Our first and most important mission with the visitor’s bureau was to establish and implement a brand design that captured the true essence and persona of the Youngstown area. Colors and fonts needed to be instantly recognizable and evoke a sense of warmth and hospitality. In collaboration with the visitor’s bureau, we developed this brand design using a colorful, energetic palette, cohesive font treatments, bright photographs and ample white space. Splashed across years of visitor guides, digital ad campaigns, billboards, tradeshow banners and more, the CVB’s brand evolved into a noticeable and eye-catching entity.
Award-winning Trails
With the boom of the edible tourism trend taking hold of the travel industry, the visitor’s bureau didn’t miss the opportunity to showcase some of its own local businesses. In 2017, the Joe in the YO coffee trail formed as a way to not only support local coffee shops, but also promote some of their unique offerings. Armed with a passport and love for delicious wine, participants from all over the U.S. were drawn to Mahoning County to earn stamps and custom wine charms at each of the listed winery locations. The Wines of the Valley Wine Trail saw great success, receiving The Ohio Travel Association award for best marketing campaign.
Award-winning Trails
With the boom of the edible tourism trend taking hold of the travel industry, the visitor’s bureau didn’t miss the opportunity to showcase some of its own local businesses. In 2017, the Joe in the YO coffee trail formed as a way to not only support local coffee shops, but also promote some of their unique offerings. Armed with a passport and love for delicious wine, participants from all over the U.S. were drawn to Mahoning County to earn stamps and custom wine charms at each of the listed winery locations. The Wines of the Valley Wine Trail saw great success, receiving The Ohio Travel Association award for best marketing campaign.
Blogging
To further encourage tourism to the Youngstown area, we we assist with content creation with the research, writing, posting and sharing of monthly blogs. Each post tells its own authentic story, distributing the relevant information people seek in a creative and tasteful way. These blogs not only increase SEO optimization for the Youngstown area, but they also position the visitor’s bureau as a thought leader in the travel and tourism industry.
Blogging
To further encourage tourism to the Youngstown area, we we assist with content creation with the research, writing, posting and sharing of monthly blogs. Each post tells its own authentic story, distributing the relevant information people seek in a creative and tasteful way. These blogs not only increase SEO optimization for the Youngstown area, but they also position the visitor’s bureau as a thought leader in the travel and tourism industry.
Social Media Management
Digital marketing for the visitor’s bureau also extends to social media management. Organized monthly content calendars, custom graphics and strategic hashtag usage all contribute to positioning the Youngstown area at the forefront of regional travel conversations. In partnership with McConnell Marketing, the visitor’s bureau sees an annual 19.7% increase in Facebook followers, compared to the industry average 11.75%.
Social Media Management
Digital marketing for the visitor’s bureau also extends to social media management. Organized monthly content calendars, custom graphics and strategic hashtag usage all contribute to positioning the Youngstown area at the forefront of regional travel conversations. In partnership with McConnell Marketing, the visitor’s bureau sees an annual 19.7% increase in Facebook followers, compared to the industry average 11.75%.
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