VISIT PENSACOLA
Destination 2020: The Beach is Just the Beginning
Bringing a community together to shape the future of a destination.
This project was developed during my tenure at idgroup.
Key Contributions:
- Account Service
- Research Design & Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Communication Strategy
- Public Relations
- Web & Digital Strategy
- Copywriting
- Creative Direction
- Design
THE GIST
A newly formed destination marketing organization (DMO), Visit Pensacola, was feeling the pressure of a skeptical community of constituents and businesses, and needed to quickly gain clarity and consensus from key leaders and citizen stakeholders about its purpose.
PERCEPTION
Pensacola, Florida has garnered national recognition as a choice beach destination and achieved top ranks as a best city to live in by US News & World Report, TripAdvisor, and Forbes. But it wasn't always so. The new DMO had a tall order ahead, one that necessitated public, community input regarding the future of the destination, and the organization's role in managing its marketability and reputation.
POSITION
Originally launched in 2015, the Destination 2020 campaign was developed to serve two purposes: to expedite the onboarding of the organization's new executive director (who was an out-of-towner), and to engage a community of citizens in public input. Rather than facilitate traditional civic town hall formats, the process provided an approach that embraced constructive, generative, co-creation.
After holding seven community dialogue sessions, each with an attendance ranging from 50 to 100 participants, in addition to thousands of data points from qualitative/quantitative surveys, Destination 2020 would soon become the anchor for a 5-year strategic plan, culminating in a big launch event and PR blitz.
ENGAGEMENT
MEMBERSHIPS
TOURISM
EARNED MEDIA
OUTCOMES
In addition to a packed out stadium upon the launch of the 5-year strategic plan, the campaign saw a 300% increase in engagement across web and social; a 25% increase in membership to the business partner program; and a $20k+ in earned media exposure. The Destination 2020 landing page was visited a total of 4,000 times over the course of the event (3 months), with the final report being downloaded over 2,000 times.
Following the launch of the campaign (in addition to subsequent marketing), the Pensacola area saw a 40% increase in tourism when other similar destinations across Florida were seeing decline in visitation.
As a result of the work and subsequent execution efforts, Pensacola was ranked Top 100 Best Cities in the US; Top 10 Best Places to Live in Florida by Money Inc; Ranked Best Small Cities by CondéNast; and a Top Beach Destination by TripAdvisor.
LETS GET TO WORK
Rally the troops and raise the stakes; it's time to craft a story that positions you as the category standout.
I work with bold, entrepreneurial, and impact-driven organizations seeking change. If that sounds like you, then there's someone I want you to meet. (Hint: it's me).