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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2025-09-23_11a Tourism Marketing Report_PP PresentationArroyo Grande Tourism Business Improvement District Marketing Report FY 2024-25 9/23/2025 Assessment Report: AGMC and the Streets and Highways Code Boundaries and lodging establishments FY Financial Summaries Levy assessment Compliance 9/23/2025 Marketing Report: Performance of activities funded by AGTBID Campaigns/initiatives Marketing outcomes Partnerships/public relations Support tourism growth Alignment: FY, Reports & TOT 9/23/2025 Marketing Partner: Commune Communication Initiatives Visit Arroyo Grande Website Advertising Campaigns Social Media Email Marketing Results Increased Website Visitation Engagements through Social Media Increased reach through Paid Media Marketing FY 2024-25 9/23/2025 Receive and file the Tourism Marketing Report FY 2024-25 presented by Commune Communication Find that the recommended actions are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because these efforts have no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060 (c)(2) and (3), 15378). Recommendations Visit Arroyo Grande FY 24/25 Marketing Report CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE MARKETING OBJECTIVES Attract new visitors from top feeder markets an increase Arroyo Grande’s share of overnight stays within the broader SLO County region. COMMUNICATIONS GOAL We need to ignite a spark that makes people want to visit our area, while giving them a clear reason to choose Arroyo Grande over all the other options available STRATEGY The FY24/25 strategic plan focuses on paid media outreach optimized toward driving visitation, driving advocacy, and tapping into current travel inspiration trends. Beginning in Q2, we shifted our media mix and marketing activities to prioritize paid media investment targeted to new, potential visitors and de-prioritized marketing activities targeting known audiences and the local community. The paid media mix is now being optimized towards channels that are effective at driving visitation to Arroyo Grande as tracked by mobile device IDs. FY 2025 Organic Mix 52.5% Organic Social 8.5% E-Newsletter 39% Blog MEDIA MIX COMPARISON WHERE WILL GROWTH COME FROM? GROW High volume markets with lower per-capita visitation, suggesting opportunity for growth Los Angeles San Francisco Sacramento San Diego NURTURE Low / Mid volume markets with high per-capita visitation, suggesting a high conversion opportunity Fresno Monterey / Salinas Bakersfield LOS ANGELES SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SACRAMENTO FRESNO MONTEREY BAKERSFIELD COMPLETED INITIATIVES Spanning from strategic marketing campaigns and agency partnerships to community engagement and operational improvements, the TBID is committed to enhancing Arroyo Grande's appeal as a premier Central Coast destination. Secured ads in regional and travel publications Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Launched a talent search campaign to source local ambassadors Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Brand building with organic blog content Established a new blog workflow The Visit Arroyo Grande content library grew significantly with the launch of a new blog workflow, publishing two SEO-optimized posts per month beginning in May and June. Topics included a historical itinerary of the town, an overview of Arroyo Grande’s coastal charm, a guide for plant lovers, and tips for enjoying a farm-fresh summer. Jenn and Aaray to pull stuff Brand building with organic social content Increased our social media posting cadence We produced 18–20 pieces of organic content monthly for Instagram and Facebook, enhancing our presence and driving engagement across both platforms including event promotions, holiday celebrations, and emergency response messaging for the LA fires. Jenn and Aaray to pull stuff Slocal edition of the monopoly board game Our swinging bridge and lopez lake are featured in a custom slocal edition of the monopoly board game, which is for sale online and retailers across the region. Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Participated in an influencer partnership with cctc california gold pass Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Completed a photo and video shoot to support the “time well spent” creative campaign Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Participated in visit slo cal’s “unpacking” social media video series Jenn to pull stuff - this is the hotel advertising stuff and anything else that fits that category. Kept a city informed during bridge construction Throughout the much-needed Traffic Way bridge construction project, we kept residents and visitors up to date on local business access with a comprehensive outreach campaign. Tactics included regular social media updates, a dedicated blog page, a recurring section in the Visit Arroyo Grande newsletter, a special construction update landing page, and printed flyers distributed locally. Jenn and Aaray to pull stuff SUPPORTED SPONSORS FOR THE HOLIDAYS This year, our budget included sponsorships for residents and experiences making spirits brighter during the holiday season, including $3,500 for Santa’s Magical Village and $5,000 for Christmas Lights in the Village. Developed first-ever billboard campaign To promote mid-week stays and hotel specials, we developed a suite of custom collateral—flyers, coasters, and table tents—featuring clever copy and an elevated visual style tailored to each participating property. Tested new campaign creative We launched over half a dozen new digital ad creatives, testing variations in copy, visuals, and featured attractions. Through a data-driven approach, we evaluated performance based on metrics like click-through rate, cost per click, and engagement. The top-performing concept—“That’s Arroyo Grande”—is set to launch early in the new fiscal year. Developed new campaign concept In an effort to further differentiate Arroyo Grande from other regional destinations, Commune developed a fresh, distinctive tourism campaign concept. With the help of local talent recruited via social channels to model in the ads themselves, the campaign captured the unique, authentic charm of Arroyo Grande—breaking the common conventions of tourism advertising to make Arroyo Grande stand out in the region. Commune tested campaign visuals and creative copy headlines to uncover the highest-performing assets, leading to our winning “That’s Arroyo Grande” campaign, slated for launch later this year. Arroyo Grande TBID engaged Commune Communication as their new agency of record for marketing communications Launched new paid media strategy and attribution model Participated in the Co-Op marketing test with Sojern to measure the economic impact of marketing activity Collaborated with Visit SLO CAL and Visit California, covering topics including “What’s New in 2025”, “New Year’s Eve Celebrations”, and the “CA Calendar.” Additional completed initiatives Participated in Visit SLO CAL Travel & Tourism Customer Service Training Supported the CCTC Fam Trip Influencer with Discover California. Supported the CCTC Fam Trip Influencer with Discover California. Secured ad placement in Edible Magazine (Winter Digital Issue) with an illustrated holiday map Hosted Lisa Gipson from San Diego Family Magazine helping generate coverage with the important family traveler demographic. Partnering with Visit SLO CAL on the Turns Well Taken campaign, contributing to pre-production planning for a 30-second TV commercial RESULTS TO DATE The AGTBID initiated a new attribution model for paid media, tracking the incremental impact of paid placements on visitation to Arroyo Grande and our member hotels. This data, along with occupancy and TOT reporting provides a more complete picture of Arroyo Grande TBID’s performance. The City of Arroyo Grande experienced an increase in YOY TOT revenue (1.07%). The region was significantly impacted by international tensions with Canada during Q1, with Visit California reporting a -16% YOY decline in Canadian arrivals to the state, which may have slowed potential growth in TOT revenue. It should be noted that organizations like Visit California have recognized this issue and have launched a host of marketing campaigns to help bring Canadian tourists back to the region. BUSINESS RESULTS Built a proprietary AG data/measurement model demonstrating how advertising activities are impacting area and hotel visits +20.79% increase in CTR [click through rate] for paid media [1.21%CTR] +36.69% increase in followers on Instagram [6,315 followers] +365.2% increase in followers on TikTok [1,057 followers] Match with IP Address Message Target Audience at Home & Across Devices Pixels on Website For Web Traffic Retarget Cross-Devices Trackable Visits to Hotels + the Village Capture Device IDs / Addresses Message Them On Device IMPROVEMENTS YoY ESTABLISHED BENCHMARKS Along with increased visitation and exposure, campaign return on investment has steadily improved with June cost / visit coming in at a very efficient $7.77 per visit. ROI + MEDIA EFFICIENCY Better ROI and more efficiency out of our media buy the longer we’re in market. These are people who are exposed to our ads. Incremental lift in visitation. There is a strong correlation between LVR advertising activity and TOT revenue, suggesting that consistent advertising pressure in market helps support occupancy and TOT goals. LVR IMPRESSIONS VS. TOT REVENUE When we advertising we generate TOT - the correlation is strong between having ads in market and positive fluctuations in TOT Revenue. In June, because of seasonal trends, we reduced our ad spend so we don’t waste money in the high season. We ramed up heavily at the beginning of the campaign so we could generate data and exposure. The benefit of that came in the following months.