Iowa's Ocean

IntroductionRLVB Destination Marketing Plan

• Rathbun Lake Visitors Bureau (RLVB) is a non-profit economic development agency responsible for competitively marketing the Rathbun Lake area as a destination for conventions, tour groups and individual travelers.

• The RLVB will use the Iowa’s Ocean brand to promote the economic well being of the surrounding communities through the development and execution of well-planned tourism sales and marketing strategies and provide visitors with comprehensive and objective local and regional information.

• The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. Our members benefit from the RLVB’s marketing programs and gain direct access to the visitor market.

ObjectivesEconomic Expansion

• Generate Economic Impact.

• Building a Better Business, Entertainment, & Cultural District.

• Investing in the Future.

• Competing Head to Head.

ObjectivesRegional Prosperity

• Partnering Locally.

• Marketing Globally.

Packaged Leisure TravelTourism Development

Packaged travel - for both individuals and groups - is a significant component of a destination’s tourism, as well as an efficient and cost-effective means of travel during slow economic times. Professional travel planners offer complete group or individual packages that may combine transportation, accommodations, meals, attractions and professional escorts, or any combination of the above, all for one price that often costs 30-40 percent less than self-planned travel.

North American Market Trends

Generational trips, culinary and wine, family travel, women-only, men-only, cultural travel, voluntourism, garden trips, soft adventure, spectator sports, customized product, experiential itineraries, demand for value, and travel professionals buying from one another.

Packaged Leisure TravelTourism Development Key Initiatives

• Develop and grow the adult and student tour markets.

• Track and target top tour operators for business growth in 2010.

• Implement a communications plan that targets top travel agents, tour operators and other clients.

• Maintain a sales trip and conference schedule that maximizes exposure to top group travel clients.

• Cultivate destination news/features messaging for travel trade media in partnership with the RLVB PR team.

• Increase destination visibility among Iowa travel trade professionals.

• Work collaboratively with local hotels to increase business.

Arts & Heritage MarketingCultural Tourism

A community’s culture is unique and intrinsic and offers a meaningful way in which to positively differentiate a destination. Southern Iowa is full of towns and communities each culturally diverse, vibrant and creative, boasting regionally acclaimed cultural institutions and events that distinguish them as a popular destination for cultural travel. Non-local audiences spend 50 percent more on average than local audiences in event-related spending. Cultural travelers stay longer and spend more, helping to increase the lodging tax receipts that in turn support additional economic opportunities in the surrounding counties.

Arts & Heritage MarketingCultural Tourism Key Initiatives

• Enhance user interface and usability of RLVB cultural events calendar, establishing it as a primary RLVB web site attraction.

• Expand the RLVB sponsorship role with key regional cultural events, creating advertising and promotional campaigns in key markets and selling cultural packages via the Iowa’s Ocean Passport Program and partner organizations.

• Create national client events that promote Southern Iowa’s cultural product. Integrate supportive programs for the Arts & Culture.

• Continue successful cultural marketing tools and develop programs geared towards the RLVB regional marketing initiative.

Brand StrategyMarketing & Creative Services

The RLVB’s marketing & creative services supports all divisions within the bureau in their marketing efforts through web development, advertising, collateral materials and brand strategy.

Initiatives communicate key RLVB messages to customers and clients in various market segments through innovative advertising campaigns, electronic marketing and consistent brand execution.

Brand StrategyMarketing & Creative Services Key Initiatives

• Design a new RLVB search optimized web site, iowasocean.com.

• Develop a new destination advertising campaign to increase short-term room night revenue during traditional and newly identified need periods.

• Create new destination collateral, including a new Iowa’s Ocean promotional video and other promotional materials.

Brand StrategyMarketing Campaigns & Web Site Development

RLVB

Launch the new iowasocean.com in conjunction with the bureau’s newly upgraded Customer Relationship Manager. The new site will feature new tools for travelers and meeting planners as well as real-time member and calendar of events information. In addition, a new graphic layout will be introduced, providing easier navigation and enhanced functionality.

New Media

Diversify Rathbun Lake’s presence in the digital world through participation in new media channels such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.


Going Green

Develop a new green lure brochure, e-mail marketing campaign to meeting planners and a new microsite for both RLVB and the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance (RLWA). RLVB’s collateral will be entirely reproduced in recycled material by the end of 2010.

Voluntourism

Launch a new voluntourism web site targeted to meeting planners in need of new options for attendee programs. Serve as a resource and liaison between local charitable organizations and meeting planners.


‘This Is What You Came For’ Campaign

RLVB will further distinguish Rathbun Lake as a premier destination for leisure and convention travelers with the continuation of its ‘This Is What You Came For’ advertising campaign. New ads in the series will be created for convention and travel trade audiences as well as leisure travelers. A diversified advertising schedule will have a more prolific online presence and include new, creative channels such as direct mail and targeted e-mail marketing.

CommunicationsPublic Relations

Destination media coverage generated approximately __________ impressions of Rathbun Lake in 2008, as tabulated by a print media monitoring service. The equivalent advertising cost for these impressions would be $__________. Competing year-round in a competitive marketplace, the RLVB destination publicity program strengthens Rathbun Lake’s image while specifically driving travelers to member web sites and reservation lines and stimulating economic impact throughout the region.

RLVB’s local and regional communications program will continue to grow, supporting convention center expansion, the ‘This is what you came for’ campaign and RLVB’s proactive advocacy and issues management initiatives.

CommunicationsPublic Relations

Destination Publicity

RLVB publicity supports destination markets and initiatives by employing a wide range of strategies throughout the year:

• Media blitzes in key geographic markets

• Media hosting program that brings qualified journalists to Rathbun Lake

• Aggressive news distribution to top travel, features, lifestyle and business media

• Leveraging new media channels

• Collaborative publicity initiatives with RLVB members and partners

CommunicationsPublic Relations Key Initiatives

• Offset 2010 short-term business drop-off through all publicity campaigns.

• Further explore and exploit new and social media channels to expand destination publicity and engage key audiences with RLVB issues and initiatives.

• Build on the success of local communications, advocacy and public affairs.

• Increase the frequency, timeliness and value of RLVB member news; improve and expand distribution and develop new electronic message mediums.

• Update RLVB communications planning and synchronize with local and regional public and private sector organizations

Member OpportunitiesServices and Support

The Rathbun Lake Visitors Bureau is a member-driven marketing organization and its members are the second-largest contributors to its revenue stream. RLVB connects the products and services of more than 100 member businesses around Rathbun Lake with the $__________ visitor market, which includes tourists, convention delegates, meeting planners, professional travel planners and travel media. The RLVB Membership team also offers professional development events, orientations and a variety of networking tools throughout the year.

Member OpportunitiesServices and Support Key Initiatives

• Increase member value in a slowing economy.

• Plan relevant professional development and signature events based on membership surveys.

• Employ new CRM technology to track member opportunities and identify opportunities to enhance member business success.

• Inaugurate a new RLVB sponsorship program, offering a new platform for member promotion.

• Continue to add new member promotional opportunities on the RLVB web site.

• Continue to improve and enhance the membership content on the RLVB site.

Member OpportunitiesLiveHive Communications

RLVB, in partnership with LiveHive, facilitates a growing range of advertising opportunities that reach directly to domestic leisure travelers, business travelers, travel trade professionals and meeting planners.

Opened in 2007, LiveHive is a virtual creative shop encompassing talents that excel in Consumer-to-Consumer Communications helping companies fine tune their brands and positioning by carefully planing each move - online and offline - through the integration of Word of Mouth Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Public Relations, Experiential Marketing, Social Media Optimization, and Influencer Marketing.