SOUTHERN OREGON COAST Regional Network

Branding & Marketing UpdateMAY 2019

WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY:

● REGIONAL BRANDING AND REGIONAL MARKETING

TODAY’S TOPICS

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BRANDING

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Why Regional Branding?

● Helps marketing investments and relatively limited resources achieve maximum impact in the marketplace.

● Allows the Region to tell their story using latest design and content standards.

● Provides a unified story for the SOC……..grouping more than one place/experience ……. inspire target audiences to visit for overnight stays (and thereby grow your tourism economy).

● How many of you can afford to execute an impactful campaign in Denver or San Francisco on your own?

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Regional Marketing

Pool resources to make a bigger impact as a group, than individual towns might be able to do on their own = TSOC

To do this, we need a message that ties the region together.

That message is a regional brand. Otherwise, how will we communicate what our area has to offer?

REMEMBER THE FUNNEL - TO - OCVA - TSOC - SC CITIES/TOWNS 5

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SOUTHERN OREGON COAST REGIONAL

NETWORK

Reedsport$200k

Coos Bay/NB$400k

Bandon$45k

Port Orford$10k

Coquille, Myrtle Point, Powers, Lakeside,

Langlois - $2k

Brookings$40k

Gold Beach$250k

Here are best estimates of what these organizations are spending on marketing per year. We now have TSOC - an organization to market the So OR coast brand & a Network to get everyone working together.

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TRAVEL SOUTHERN OREGON COAST

(TSOC)

Where are we?

Do you think these communities can get the word out on their own?

Smokey Mountains

Napa Valley

Willamette Valley

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It’s really hard to get someone to come to just one town, especially if they are driving 6-8 hours, or paying for a flight.

Especially if that town isn’t already famous for something.

But a region…. A whole area of adventure + wild beauty + plus a true feeling of disconnecting from life + reconnecting with your partner or family

That’s a destination. PEOPLE PLAN TRIPS TO DESTINATIONS.

But you need to “package” the experience of that destination

THAT “PACKAGING” IS CALLED BRANDING

OREGON COAST BRANDING

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Revitalize The Oregon Coast Brand

For the Oregon Coast Visitor Association:

Goals:

● Breathe new life into the Oregon Coast creative approach and develop

impactful, best in class assets relevant for today’s marketing channels

● Develop extensions of the coast brand that work for the North, Central and South Coast to create an even more more powerful impression with our consumers

LOOKOUT

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WHAT IS BRANDING?

More than a logo and tagline...

• The sum total of people’s thoughts, perceptions and experiences with your product

• Not just a list of what you offer; rather, branding helps express a deeper truth of what you value and

stand for

• Establishes emotional connection

• Breaks through clutter & amplifies message through consistency

• Reflects and DRIVES destination choice!

BRANDING

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GO TO PDF new brand guide

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GOAL:

Let’s flip the image and perception of the Southern Oregon Coast

from ISOLATED & PROVINCIAL

to EXOTIC, REMOTE & FULL OF ADVENTURE

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TRAVEL SOUTHERN OREGON COAST MARKETING PLAN

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“Establish an Industry Leading Destination Marketing Plan”

is one of key pillars of Travel Southern Oregon Coast’s Strategic Plan

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Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan for the Southern Oregon Coast (implementation begins July 2019).

Goals:

● Increase tourism to the Southern Oregon Coast -- grow local economies and the bottom line of coastal businesses

● A solidified positioning and suite of recommended programs that generate demand for the South Coast as a sought-after tourism destination

● Develop a detailed, actionable marketing plan that targets audiences ripe for the type of experiences we offer and builds momentum off the great work that’s been achieved to this date

LOOKOUT

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Travel Southern Oregon Coast Development

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2018-19

MARKETING PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Review Research, Develop Marketing Objectives & Strategies, Budget, Work with Travel Oregon for enhanced web presence & measurement tools

2019-21 & BEYOND

MARKETING PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

Implement strategies outlined in Marketing Plan, including developing foundation tools, content, resource and staffing approach. Do baseline research. Measure effectiveness and adjust.

2015/16

RURAL TOURISM STUDIOSouthern Oregon CoastHosted by Travel Oregon

2016 onward

TSOC + REGIONAL NETWORK ESTABLISHED + PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Marketing Plan - ProcessTSOC engaged with Lookout to work with TSOC leadership, a marketing advisory committee & Regional Network & other experts to develop a 2 year marketing plan. Lookout:

● Presented to the Regional Network Meeting in November on:○ The power of regional branding & marketing○ Gathered network input group in a regional marketing planning exercise

● Facilitated input session with Marketing Advisory Committee:○ What unique experiences can we own as a region?○ What challenges will this plan help address?○ How will we know we’re successful?

● Met with Travel Oregon marketing & research teams to review ideas, best practices, approach, metrics and research; met with Dennett Research Group

● Worked with Jon Paul Bowles and Julie Miller throughout plan development to brainstorm, gather input, including presentations/input from the TSOC board, and with Andrew Grossman/Travel Oregon

● Concurrent with this project; Lookout developed a refreshed brand style guide for the OCVA○ Jon Paul Bowles & Janice Langlinais sat on the OCVA brand advisory committee

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What challenges does this marketing plan need to help address?

● Help stakeholders understand the power of investing in and aligning under regional marketing & branding

● People feel only the “big guys/towns” get the love● Inland communities feel they are not part of the coast● People don’t know what the south coast is! What it has and why should I

care?● Muddled brands within South Coast - “Adventure Coast, Wild Rivers Coast”

etc.● Need to differentiate South Coast from Central and North Coasts● Lack of awareness and REGIONAL IDENTITY as a destination

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What do we want visitors to do?

Spend money on experiences and guides

Stay multiple nights

Visit responsibly, respect environment & local culture

Go to multiple towns - spread out/spend widely

Share their experiences

Spend time inland

Visit mostly in the shoulder season

Visit for our great niche experiences - outdoor recreation and local foods

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TRAVEL PATTERNS

39% arrive via I-5 and the vast majority of those travel from Grants Pass via Highway 199

61% are traveling Highway 101 - 31% south to north, 30% north to south.

● Travel distances from Northern California are essentially same as Portland.

● Californians from culturally diverse & crowded urban environments find the quaint towns, welcoming rural spirit, and easy access to natural and uncrowded attractions appealing.

● South Coast is the first Oregon beach destination they come to, not the farthest away (as it is for Portlanders). (Dennett)

● Portlanders have beautiful beaches with hip amenities close to home. BUT, Portland’s “coast towns” are getting VERY crowded.

● The uncrowded, remote nature of South Coast works to our advantage with this audience. Note: Portland is closest big market to south coast (esp Northern end).

What we know about our visitors1. Most current visitors are couples or group of 4. Majority not travelling with kids.

2. Majority are Generation X and Baby Boomers - age 36 to 58.

3. Seeing significant rise in visitation by Millennial couples in past 5 years.

4. Majority earn over $75,000 annually. (Over 25% make $100,000 +).

5. Growth opportunities: March, April, May and October.

6. Spend 2-3 nights in the region.

7. Over half of all visitors (51%) report that on average, they visit the area annually. A surprising number (15%) have visited 12 or more times in the past five years.

Visitor Intercept Survey 2014 - 1500 participants - conducted for Wild Rivers Coast Alliance by Dennett Research

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Growth Opportunity

YOUNGER SEGMENT / ADVENTURERS / EXPLORERS

Research showed visitors want:

1. More bicycle routes with maps, signage and shuttle services; 2. More accessible water adventures supported by more guide services; 3. Farm tours with dining on-site and fresh produce for sale.

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Approach

1. WHO?: a. Gen X + VFR (Visiting Friends + Relatives) b. Millennials (fewer coming now, but it’s on the rise) - more adventure

focusedi. Value the whole ecosystem of experiences - respect the places they travelii. Upwardly mobile... iii. but also people who will spend $$ on experiences that align with their values

c. Baby Boomers2. WHERE?

• Northern Cal: Begin by marketing to zip codes/areas we know already show great interest in coming

• Year 2-3 - add Portland + possibly one additional fly city (Denver?)• So. Or Coast/I-5: Get our message out at businesses along travel

routes to influence itineraries & local residents25

Overall Marketing Objective:

Build the image and reputation of the Southern Oregon Coast as a world class adventure destination experience,

increasing visibility, visitation & positive economic impact to the area over the next 2 years and beyond

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Essentially, this plan is building the marketing function of the TSOC DMO from scratch

(but with a lot of great partners & resources to tap into)

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Objective 1: Develop Detailed Brand Positioning & Key Messages for Southern Oregon Coast as sub-region of overall Coast Brand

● Southern Oregon Coast brand guide, copy lines, key messages● Build creative approach & templates for enews, etc.

Objective 2: Activate Critical Research to Establish Baseline Perception of Region & Identify Target Audiences

● Possible baseline perception study● Visitor Zip Code Analysis

Objective 3: Establish Key Communications Channels & Tools

● Work with Travel Oregon to set up: analytics, South Coast email opt-in, track IP addresses for retargeting campaign

● Build consumer database● Print / digital collateral: adventure map, more itineraries

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Objective 4: Develop Southern Oregon Coast Stories & Content that Support Brand Positioning & Key Messages

● Build 12 month content plan covering the WHOLE South Coast

● Develop critical mass of content/stories and photos for itineraries, PR pitches, social media posts Identify content vendor & partners to develop quarterly emails

● Develop social content & harness user-generated content for up Instagram & Facebook

Objective 5: Build Awareness for Region through Paid & Earned Media Plans

● Visiting Friends & Relative program● Spring 2020 - hire PR team & build plan for Fams, Influencers, Desksides, In market events● Possible small paid media campaign in spring 2020

Objective 6: Galvanize Industry Support & Engagement through Industry Communications Plan

● Presentation to industry, government; power of South Coast travel collateral● Quarterly industry enews

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GROUP EXERCISE - BUILD A VISITING FRIENDS & RELATIVES PROGRAM/PROMOTION

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Big Opportunity to increase spend in destinationAverage spend per person – North/Central/South - Important VFR strategies

Visitors spend 21% less in South Coast than in Central Coast

Source Longwoods Visitor Profile31

Workshop - Visiting Family & Friends Campaign

Goals (brainstorm goals with whole team)

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Workshop - Visiting Family & Friends Campaign

Goals (brainstorm goals with whole team)

-leverage low hanging fruit to grow local visitor economies

-increase dollars VFRs spend when visiting F&F

- spread people along multiple communities not just the one they are staying in

-increase $$ they spend on paid experiences: what are those?

-make locals aware of all the great experiences in their own backyard / local pride

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Who is our audience

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What experiences do we have / most economic impact

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Thank you!holly@lookoutco.com

503.830.6191

THE SOUTHERN OREGON COAST….

...needs to coalesce around a regional brand idea and regional marketing that will introduce it to people who have never experienced the region, and for those who have, remind them why it’s so special.

Unfortunately:

Destination advertising is a sea of sameness…

In an effort to cast the net as wide as possible, most “destination” communications offer very few differentiating points of view for consumers to truly connect with…

The result: travel “wallpaper” that seems to bombard all of us during the vacation season.

The good news:

Our diversity is our strength!

WE HAVE THE GOODS!

….the coves, the rock formations, the lighthouses, the small towns, the gob-smackingly beautiful scenic drives, the fishing and kayaking and surfing, the farms, the interesting original personalities, the bird watching, the history, the seafood, the adventure!, the hikes and on and on and on..

Southern Oregon Coast has a lot of what people seem to desperately be looking for in travel right now.

The freedom to be exposed to a vast range of experiences, to disconnect and take a deep breath, to RECREATE—all in one place!

The Southern Oregon Coast has a whole lot of what other places simply won’t ever have.

It’s our job to bring that to life. Together.

Key Messages/Differentiators - that we can market now

❖ Epic water experiences

Coquille River Water Trail

Umqua, Coos, Chetco, Rogue Paddle Guides (collateral)

Sea kayaking amongst the xx of xx

World class salmon, xx and xx fishing and crabbing with expert guides on sea & rivers

Surfing

Scuba diving - world class - marine reserve off coast in Port Orford)

https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/bicycling/wild-rivers-coast-scenic-bikeway/

❖ Climate (2-8 degrees warmer than rest of coast)

❖ Remote nature/uncrowded “Not a soul on the beach”

❖ Wild/Rugged Beauty

❖ Oregon Dunes Natl Rec Area - geologically one of kind

❖ Bandon Dunes

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Key Messages/Differentiators - that we can market now

❖ World class Mtn Biking trail being developed (Whiskey Run) (need to clarify what we can market now) Will be the Oregon

Coast's first 30+ world class single track mountain biking trail. Video here. password: whiskey

❖ Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway

❖ The most beautiful stretch of the Oregon Coast (Port Orford to Brookings)

❖ Adventure playground for soft and hard core adventure

❖ Great local foods - farms, cranberries, foraging, “shop off the dock” Wild Rivers Coast Food Trail

❖ Wildlife watching - elk, whales, seabirds, tidepools - 7 wildlife refuges in xx miles

❖ Scenic, friendly small towns and ports

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A LOGO IS PART OF A BRAND. BUT IT ISN’T THE BRAND.Logo - tells a story (oar, shape of raft, earthy palette of colors, old parks sign, mountains and water)

Additional graphic elements provide “ambiance” and story points

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Then you pull it all together with visuals and copy that make the brand come to life

HOW CAN REGIONAL BRANDING REFLECT YOUR COMMUNITIES?

● What if every south coast community gave us their top 3 nuggets/insights on their indivual brands -- what makes each place special

● AND we used those to build the regional brand messaging in creative materials

● That way, the regional brand would reflect, and in fact AMPLIFY the community brands

BRANDING

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What if we took a 30,000 foot view and convened all the marketing plans of each community in a “summit”. We looked at where (geography) and when each of

these towns was doing their marketing in a given place.

And we sought some alignment

E.g.,

TSOC Marketing Buy in San Francisco ….. Aligned with when Coos Bay and Brooking were doing their campaigns! Individual messages and regional

messages.

BOOM!!47

It’s really hard to get someone to come to just one town, especially if they are driving 6-8 hours, or paying for a flight.

Especially if that town isn’t already famous for something.

But a region…. A whole area of adventure + wild beauty + plus a true feeling of disconnecting from life + reconnecting with your partner or family

That’s a destination. PEOPLE PLAN TRIPS TO DESTINATIONS.

But you need to “package” the experience of that destination

THAT “PACKAGING” IS CALLED BRANDING

WHAT DOES IT COST TO EFFECTIVELY DEPLOY A DESTINATION’S BRAND IN A MARKET?

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1. Goals -

(I’ll facilitate brainstorming goals with whole group at first) - for example (I’ll have these in my back pocket):

-leverage low hanging fruit to grow local visitor economies

-increase dollars visitors spend when visiting F&R

- spread people along multiple communities -- not just the ones they are staying in

-increase $$ they spend on paid experiences

-make locals aware of all the great experiences in their own backyard / local pride

-engage influential city government etc. about the positive impact of tourism in our communities

-other big wins?

2. Who are we targeting? (whole group brainstorm) 3 min

-Residents

-VFR of local residents / ages

-others (govt. etc)

3. What experiences do we have on south coast that will have the most economic impact on our communities. AKA, what can we get our visitors to do that will make the most money for us! ( e.g., guided experiences, events, dining….) BE SPECIFIC

Workshop - Build Visiting Family & Friends -5 groups (2 tables combine) / assign a notetaker / give your team a name

Who are we targeting?:

-Residents

-VFR of local residents:

-What are the experiences that will have most economic impact on our communities (e.g., guided experiences, events, dining….)

What tools / collateral do we need to most effectively inspire our audience to take action

What could a local campaign look like? Can we incentivize the behavior we want?

-How will we measure if this effort worked?

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What’s the campaign / promotional idea/hook?

Looking at our goals, what campaign/promotion ideas come to mind that achieve those goals

What season are we trying to promote?

What tools / collateral or other do we need to most effectively inspire our audience to take action?

What could a local campaign look like? Can we incentivize the behavior we want?

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How can we get our message in front of LOCAL residents about all there is to see and do?

-Please list all local communications resources by name & town

-What are predominant media outlets that all Southern Coast towns receive/view

-Other?

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Who would be great local champions of this effort?:

-is there a prominent south coast figure known by all? A celebrity, a local influencer? Names please and what they do!

-Mayor of each town?

-Who else? School kids?

How do we get the word out about this campaign in each of the towns?

-City council meetings, etc.

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Thank you!holly@lookoutco.com

503.830.6191

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There are 4 core human factors that lead to brand affinity:

1. Cognitive – the concepts that a consumer associates with your brand2. Emotional – the feelings that a consumer associates with your brand3. Language – how a consumer describes your brand4. Action – the experiences a consumer has with your brand

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Elevator speech exercise

o : Everyone create an elevator speech in your own words about what we’re doing with regional marketing and branding

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JON-PAUL THOUGHTS

IT’S THE SHOLE whole ecosytem. We need to go after a type of person instead of a geography. What’s going to motivate someone to drive to the most remote place? There needs to be a destination driver, something epic they love. Go after niche interests like mtn bikers….to ride this amazing trail. And by the way there’s this, that and the other thing.

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Know who you are.

Tell the truth.

Make it interesting.

- Dan Wieden

BRANDING

MAKING GREAT BRANDS

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What if we took a 30,000 foot view and convened all the marketing plans of each community in a “summit”. We looked at where (geography) and when each of

these towns was doing their marketing in a given place.

And we sought some alignment

E.g.,

TSOC Marketing Buy in San Francisco ….. Aligned with when Coos Bay and Brooking were doing their campaigns! Individual messages and regional

messages.

BOOM!!60

COAST BRANDING & TSOC MARKETING PLAN - 35 MINUTES

-Holly/Katera roll out refreshed coast brand & south coast elements - 15 min

-Holly Marketing Plan: 20 min

-Reminding them of how we got here / process

-Bring back some slides from my first presentation to network in November: That a regional brand does not take away from each community brand - only strengthens it. Show the slide of Maine again. “We all felt that was powerful in getting the point across.”

-Holly share high level marketing plan for TSOC - about 5-7 slides with the objectives & strategies

Total breakout right now is 1h10 minutes.

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What marketing costs:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/130so1bSKQYj4Tq5erwOdvpGW2QrD_dWuu2xwziY5AOY/edit?usp=sharing

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Opportunity1. It’s hard to motivate first timers who don’t know the destination to come in the off season.

2. Portland is an untapped, strong potential audience for South Coast as the beaches are getting extremely crowded in the North

● Our selling point is the slow down-ness and remoteness of the destination; having the place to yourself; the journey is part of the experience

● You need to communicate what you get for investing in the 6+ hour drive● RDMOs can’t market in PDX because of restrictions on how RCTP dollars can be spent

3. GROWTH OPPORTUNITY: YOUNGER SEGMENT / ADVENTURERS / EXPLORERS

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What do we as the South Coast region struggle most to communicate?

● How SOC is different from the REST of the Oregon Coast● That we have great weather in the winter ● That the SOC is a bit stopped in time - nostalgic, idyllic, small ● Perception that SOC is a deprived area with much hardship● We need to change perception it’s too remote / difficult to get here● Give people a reason to come for longer ● The media focuses on Haystack Rock. We have SO MANY SEASTACKS!!!● The value of regional marketing/branding

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What would be big wins for Southern Oregon Coast marketing over the next 5 years?

Measurable ROI Wins: Quantifiable results that show ROI on marketing investment (& how can we measure these?)● Increase visitor counts on South Coast in shoulder season - Dean Runyan Travel Impacts (see slide 16)● Increase spend per visitor - Dean Runyan Travel Impacts (see slide 16)

(esp. Relative to North and Central) ● Increase hotel / rental occupancy - we can possibly measure a sample from Smith Travel Reports or Runyan?● Increase product with Tour Operators - baseline of tour operator catalogues now/goal for increase● Increase air traffic to region

Marketing Wins:● The idea of the Southern Oregon Coast - is an “understood” destination - key messaging easy to communicate by

all partners● SOC named as a “bucket list/top” destination in a major media outlet ● Establish a robust database of SOC visitor leads we can re-market to● Establish robust marketing channels - social, enews, web, content

Alignment & Adoption Wins:● Regional partners are aligned with our marketing efforts and buying into our programs● Regional partners are easily “on message” about South Coast● Plan leverages Oregon Coast Visitor Association and Travel Oregon marketing

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RESEARCHA Few Interesting Highlights

On What We Know

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Experiences - Dennett ResearchThree new experiences were rated highest for visitor interest and the belief that they would entice a longer visit:

1. More bicycle routes with maps, signage and shuttle services; 2. More accessible water adventures supported by more guide services; 3. Farm tours with dining on-site and fresh produce for sale.

When DCG looked at local residents (that had visitors in the past 12-months), two experiences were mentioned most often: 1. More accessible water adventures supported by more guide services; 2. Farm tours with dining on-site and fresh produce for sale.

THIS IS GREAT INFORMATION -- AS IT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE REGION HAS BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP IN THE PAST 4 YEARS

Visitor Intercept Survey 2014 - 1500 participants - conducted for Wild Rivers Coast Alliance by Dennett Research 67

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TRAVEL PATTERNS

39% arrive via I-5 and the vast majority of those travel from Grants Pass via Highway 199

61% are traveling Highway 101 - 31% south to north, 30% north to south.

● South Coast is a drive market, but it is difficult to drive to from almost everywhere. Distance is not a real factor, expectations are. Travel distances from Northern California are the same as Portland. But cultural attitudes about the South Coast and the area’s appeal are very different north and south. (Dennett)

● Californians from culturally diverse and crowded urban environments find the quaint towns, welcoming rural spirit, and easy access to natural and uncrowded attractions appealing. They are not looking for dining or shopping sophistication (if they were, they would stay home). Finally, the South Coast is the first Oregon beach destination they come to, not the farthest away (as it is for Portlanders). (Dennett)

● Portlanders have beautiful beaches with hip amenities close to home. BUT, Portland’s “coast towns” are getting VERY crowded. The uncrowded, remote nature of South Coast could work to our advantage.

Recommendation:The data from Dennett research is invaluable, but it’s missing one key thing: WHERE are these people from?

1. In order to better understand WHERE we should be focusing our marketing efforts, Lookout recommends TSOC help fund a visitor zip code analysis; Dennett Consulting has 3 studies to pull from conducted on South Coast in past 4 years.

2. Note, we could also do a baseline Image and Perception Study in those markets identified above, to then have a benchmark to track our progress; those run about $15,000.

Tillamook County did an Image & Perception Study from the outset, and has found this data incredibly valuable in evaluating the effectiveness of their marketing efforts, & especially in sharing results with skeptical community and business leaders that influence funding.

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Dean Runyan Travel Impacts - One of the metrics we can track for measuring our effortshttp://www.deanrunyan.com/ORTravelImpacts/ORTravelImpacts.html

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Marketing Plan Update

●● Phase I of plan development has focused on reviewing research, proposing

marketing approaches & setting up metrics capabilities:○ Wild Rivers Coast Visitor Intercept Survey 2014 - 1500 participants○ South Coast DMO Website visitors Research (visitor profile and travel patterns)○ Dean Runyan Travel Impacts○ Longwoods Visitor Profile, Oregon Coast○ Several calls with Dennett research to dig deeper on data○ Meeting with Travel Oregon Marketing team to discuss best approach for marketing region

(seasonality, building consumer database, etc.)○ Setting up analytics & audience tracking tools through TO.com discussion with TO

development team (since majority of our marketing will end there as call to action)●

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