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Home My WebLink About06-22-2022 TBID Agenda Packet - Special MeetingCity of San Luis Obispo, Agenda, Planning Commission Agenda TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD SPECIAL MEETING Wednesday, June 22, 2022 Council Hearing Room 10:00 AM 990 Palm Street Public Comment during the meeting: If you would like to provide public comment during the meeting you must attend in person. Public Comment - Public comment can be submitted in the following ways: • Mail or Email Public Comment o Received by 8:00 AM on the day of meeting - Can be submitted via email to advisorybodies@slocity.org or U.S. Mail to City Clerk at: 990 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. o Emails sent after 8:00 AM – Can be submitted via email to advisorybodies@slocity.org and will be archived/distributed to members of the Advisory Body after the meeting. Emails will not be read aloud at the meeting. • Verbal Public Comment o Received by 8:00 AM on the day of the meeting - Call (805) 781-7164; state and spell your name, the agenda item number you are calling about and leave your comment. The verbal comments must be limited to 3 minutes. All voicemails will be forwarded to Advisory Body Members and saved as Agenda Correspondence. Voicemails will not be played during the meeting. All comments submitted will be placed into the administrative record of the meeting. If you have questions, contact the office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@slocity.org or (805) 781-7100. CALL TO ORDER Chair David Smith ROLL CALL : Chair David Smith, Vice Chair Clint Pearce, Members LeBren Harris, Pragna Patel-Mueller, Lori Keller, and Megan Taylor PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, people may address the Committee about items on the agenda. Public comment about items not on the agenda will not be received. Persons wishing to speak should come forward and state their name and address. Comments are limited to three minutes per person. Items raised at this time are generally referred to staff and, if action by the Committee is necessary, may be scheduled for a future meeting. APPOINTMENT - OATH OF OFFICE Megan Taylor, appointed by the City Council on June 21, 2022, will take the oath of office to serve on the TBID Board. Tourism Business Improvement District Board Agenda for June 22, 2022 Page 2 BUSINESS ITEMS 1. 2022-24 SLO TBID MARKETING & BUSINESS PLAN APPROVAL 25 mins Staff and agency representatives will present the draft 2022-24 SLO TBID Marketing & Business Plan for Board adoption. 2. FY 22-23 PAID MEDIA PLAN 20 mins Noble Studios will present the 2022-23 Paid Media Plan for Board approval. 3. THE MIDWEEKEND SUMMER PROMOTION 30 mins Staff and agency representatives will present a proposal for a midweek summer promotion to be funded from the FY 21 fund balance for the Board’s consideration. 4. SLO TBID BRAND SENTIMENT RESEARCH FINDINGS 45 mins Noble Studios and Wiser Research will present the second phase SLO TBID Brand Sentiment research findings for the Board’s review and discussion. ADJOURNMENT The next m eeting of the Tourism Business Improvement District Board is scheduled for Wednesday , July 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. held at City Hall. The City of San Luis Obispo wishes to make all of its public meetings accessible to the public. Upon request, this agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting should direct such request to the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 781-7100 at least 48 hours before the meeting, if possible. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (805) 781-7410. Meeting audio recordings can be found at the following web a ddress: https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=152891&dbid=0&repo=CityClerk&cr=1 SLO TBID STRATEGIC MARKETING & BUSINESS PLAN FY 22-24 DRAFT Hello, there! Welcome to the SLO TBID Strategic Marketing & Business Plan - our guide for the coming two years as we look to raise consumer awareness of and interest in San Luis Obispo as a travel destination. During the 2021-22 fiscal year, we remained agile in our marketing strategies in order to navigate the rapidly- changing travel landscape throughout the course of the pandemic. As travel begins to rebound, the outlook for the year ahead is positive despite new concerns regarding inflation and rising gas prices. Agility will continue to be a guiding principle within our strategic marketing approach over the next two years as we continue to inspire travelers to come live the SLO Life. Our 2022-24 Strategic Marketing & Business Plan allows us to quickly and strategically respond to and take advantage of opportunities and ever-evolving travel trends as they arise. This approach also allows us to adjust course where necessary if new challenges present themselves. As we’ve learned, this kind of fluidity is absolutely essential to the success of a tourism organization. As you read through this plan, keep in mind that our approach is intentionally foundational, focused and flexible. It outlines our overarching marketing initiatives that support SLO TBID’s 2019-2024 Strategic Imperatives. It is used to guide the rolling 30/60/90 plan, which provides detail on channel-level marketing efforts on a quarterly and monthly basis. We’re SLO excited for what the next two years will bring as we look to continue building upon the SLO tourism brand and iterating upon successful marketing tactics in order to continuously improve tourism in the City of San Luis Obispo now and into the future. INTRODUCTION PAGE 3SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 4 SLO TBID Strategic Direction FY 19-24 ........................................................9 Brand Strategy ............................................................................13 Destination Partners .......................................................................19 Market Trends & Research .................................................................21 Travel Trends ..........................................................................23 Brand Research ........................................................................25 Brand Opportunities ....................................................................27 Visit SLO Marketing Plan FY 22-24 ...........................................................29 Target Audiences .......................................................................31 Travler’s Journey .......................................................................35 Sustainable SLO ........................................................................37 Research & Development ................................................................38 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ...........................................................39 Brand Campaign .......................................................................41 Promotional Campaign ..................................................................43 Creative Services ......................................................................44 Content Creators .......................................................................45 Paid Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Public Relations ........................................................................51 Meetings, Business & Trade Travel ........................................................52 Website Development & Maintenance .....................................................53 Search Engine Optimization .............................................................55 Owned Content ........................................................................57 Organic Social Media ...................................................................59 Strategic & Industry Partnerships .........................................................61 Events ................................................................................62 Constituent Relations ...................................................................63 Measurement ..........................................................................64 Budget ................................................................................65 CONTENTS PAGE 5SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 2019-2024 STRATEGIC DIRECTION, OBJECTIVES & BRAND STRATEGY SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 7 The SLO TBID stewards the brand of San Luis Obispo and represents its lodging partners, driving overnight stays by: • Telling the San Luis Obispo story via targeted marketing content and activities • Serving as a convener and subject matter expert for tourism conversations impacting the destination • Advancing strategic partnerships that extend the reach and influence of the SLO TBID VISION A welcoming community with a vibrant economy that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. MISSION We share the abundance of SLO, driving the lodging economy and serving as the voice of our stakeholders. VALUES • Service • Leadership • Adaptability • Collaboration IMPERATIVES • Elevate the SLO Brand and Experience • Deliver Smart Growth • Build Meaningful Partnerships • Ensure Organizational Excellence • Foster Destination Resilience VALUE PROPOSITION San Luis Obispo is an authentic and inviting California community where you can play, taste, explore, relax and recharge. SLO TBID STRATEGIC DIRECTION PAGE 9SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 SLO TBID STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES - FY 19-24 IMPERATIVE OBJECTIVES INITIATIVES Elevate the SLO Brand and Experience • Increase visitor awareness in target markets • Increase positive visitor perception PRIORITY 1: • Integrate the City’s priorities into the execution of the TBID’s marketing strategies • Identify the core SLO identity and develop a plan to market it PRIORITY 2: • Develop a TBID Destination Stewardship approach PRIORITY 3: • Identify opportunities to influence community placemaking and destination management efforts Deliver Smart Growth • Exceed California’s RevPAR growth over FY21 baseline • Year-over-year growth in ratio of weekday to weekend occupancy PRIORITY 1: • Develop an approach to monitoring local sentiment related to tourism PRIORITY 2: • Influence the SLO conference center development plan and effort • Identify structure and budget allocation for midweek and group business PRIORITY 3: • Develop a local business travel program to drive visitation Build Meaningful Partnerships • Increase average Earned Partnership Value score over 2022 baseline • Grow economic impact of tourism in SLO by 2024, over 2017 baseline PRIORITY 3: • Identify and develop BOLD partnerships that generate overnight stays • Create a partnership management plan using measurable goals that are in line with our TBID mission Ensure Organizational Excellence • Growth in member newsletter open rates • Growth in stakeholder satisfaction score on survey PRIORITY 1: • Establish and document a process to execute, evaluate and track strategic plan PRIORITY 2: • Identify opportunities to streamline governance and leverage constituency of TBID Foster Destination Resilience • Year-over-year growth in TOT over FY21 baseline PRIORITY 1: • Implement COVID-19 Response Plan PRIORITY 2: • Document lessons learned from COVID era to feed resilience assessment PRIORITY 3: • Perform a destination resilience assessment SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 11 POSITION (Distinctly stand out among competition) PROMISE (Clear messaging and identity that connects) PURPOSE + PERSONALITY + PRINCIPLES (United brand & culture) BRAND STRATEGY HEARTS IN BEDS If putting “heads in beds” is our business purpose, putting “hearts in beds” is our brand purpose. We live to share all that San Luis Obispo stands for so we can emotionally connect with and welcome people who will fall in love with our community in such a way that they actually become part of it, caring for it like they live here and returning time and time again. A CHANCE TO LIVE THE SLO LIFE The “SLO Life” is a deep breath that releases life’s pressures. It’s a change of pace. It’s a fresh take. It’s a warm embrace. It’s a feeling of comfort and calm in a welcoming place filled with a special energy, connection, creativity and a wholehearted spirit. You can feel the “SLO Life” wrap its arms around you and pull you close. It’s tangible. And you’ll never want to let that feeling go, so you live the “SLO Life” to its fullest while you’re here and take a piece of it with you when you head back home. HOMEBASE AWAY FROM HOME You don’t just visit SLO on vacation, you become part of our community and culture, an honorary local. The welcoming waves hello, neighborly nods and small-town California charm instantly make you feel comfortable and allow you to start living the “SLO Life.” As you immerse yourself in our city, you bond with it and start to feel a sense of belonging that blends with the beauty of life’s stresses being released because you’re away–it truly feels like a home away from home. And with the beaches, iconic sites and stunning beauty of the world-class Central Coast nearby, it’s also an incredible homebase during your vacation. SLO is the ideal homebase away from home. The Visit SLO brand supports the TBID’s initiatives to share the abundance of SLO, drive the lodging economy and serve as the voice of our stakeholders. SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 13 LAID-BACK There’s a calmness to SLO. It doesn’t walk, it strolls. It doesn’t talk, it chats. It’s not lazy or apathetic, but is chill and engaged. It’s carefree but it still cares a lot. ACTIVE SLO doesn’t hustle and bustle like a big city, but it moves. It gets out in the fresh air and sweats. It crafts and creates. YOUTHFUL ENERGY Like any university town, there’s a certain buzz of life and promise. SLO has that same spirit and sparkle in its eyes. NATURAL There is an agricultural focus, environmental awareness and love for outdoor activities in SLO. FRESH From the air to the locally grown food, the thinking and way of life, there’s freshness to SLO. BRIGHT The hills surrounding the city, the sunsets, the art, the buildings, the people and the smiles are all bright in SLO. WELCOMING Whether you’re a visitor or local, everyone is accepted and embraced in SLO. The entire city is a welcome mat that says, “Come on in and stay a while.” FRIENDLY Warm smiles, welcoming waves, neighborly nods. There’s a race in SLO to see who will say “Hi!” first. There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. CHARMING It’s hard to describe it in any other way. SLO’s historic buildings, quaint shops, rolling hills, winding trails and approachable people just make it CACB (charming as can be). CURIOUS As a university town filled with lifelong learners, creators, craftspeople and collaborators, SLO is filled with curiosity about the world. COMFORTABLE SLO has an easy way about it. It’s comfortable in its own skin, knows who it is and accepts who others are. It feels safe and secure. THOUGHTFUL SLO is a giving city filled with generosity and respect. PROGRESSIVE Not only is SLO on the leading edge of social and societal issues, its thirst for positive change and innovation is unquenchable. WHOLEHEARTED Don’t let its easygoing, laid-back ways fool you, this sincere and caring city is always 100% devoted to everything it does and says. CONNECTED There is a deep connection between the people, between the people and the place and between the people and the environment in SLO. COMMUNITY The sense of collaboration, support and encouragement between the people and businesses makes SLO more than a place-it makes it a community. BRAND PERSONALITY We know the SLO Life is a vibe. It's a way of life. If SLO was a person, here's how we'd describe our personality. PAGE 15SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 We’re San Luis Obispo But you can call us SLO. This is small-town California with charm for days. But it’s not just a place, it’s a lifestyle. Here, we live the SLO Life. The SLO Life is hard to describe. It’s a vibe. A spirit. An unspoken way of life locals live by And if you’re here, you’re a local. And once you’re here, you feel it wrapped around you. It’s comfort and calm in a welcoming place. It’s bright smiles and colorful people. A city without strangers, only people you haven’t met yet. It’s a change of pace. We don’t walk, we stroll. We don’t talk, we chat. And the only time we hurry is to see who can say “hi” first. The SLO Life is carefree But it definitely cares. It’s a whole lot of wholehearted. While it’s laidback, it always moves Gets outside and gets going Works and plays Sweats and creates There’s always a fresh take. A breath of fresh air, in the air. A buzz of progress and promise. It’s waking up every day to have the best day and live your best life. And help everyone else live theirs. Once you experience it, you know it You know there’s no life like the SLO Life And once you stay here, it stays with you For life. That’s the SLO Life. BRAND MANTRA SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 17 In 2008, San Luis Obispo established a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), allowing the hotel industry to raise funds solely dedicated to tourism marketing and promotions to attract visitors to San Luis Obispo. The TBID is inclusive of all lodging properties in the City of San Luis Obispo including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, inns and owner occupied homestays. The SLO TBID partners with organizations at the state, regional and countywide level to leverage the reach and impact of our marketing programs for our tourism businesses in San Luis Obispo. These partnerships allow the SLO TBID to maximize investments and expand awareness in ways the organization would not be able to do alone. DESTINATION PARTNERS VISIT CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST TOURISM COUNCIL VISIT SLO CAL SLO TBID SLO LODGING + TOURISM BUSINESSES SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 19 MARKET TRENDS & RESEARCH SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 21 After more than two years since the global COVID-19 pandemic brought the travel industry to a screeching halt, we are now emerging from the pandemic and preparing for a resurgence of domestic travel. In order to capitalize on pent-up consumer demand for meaningful travel experiences, it will be imperative that we continue to stay ahead of emerging travel trends and market indicators to inform our agile marketing efforts. THE RESURGENCE OF TRAVEL As the pandemic continues to retreat, Americans are showing signs that they are more motivated to travel now than ever to make up for lost time and enjoy new experiences. As concerns about the effects of inflation and rising gas prices may impact trip volume, travelers are carefully planning trips and considering road trips closer to home. Research shows that travelers are making travel a high budget priority as they continue to plan trips that will allow them to indulge in the luxurious experiences they’ve been craving. FAMILY FUN After two years of cancelled trips and postponed celebrations, a rise in family reunion-style vacations is expected. Families are looking to make up for lost time by planning family vacations centered around spending time together and fun outdoor activities that the whole family can enjoy. Family travelers will prioritize destinations that offer outdoor activities such as beaches, amusement parks, zoos or scenic hiking trails. AN EMPHASIS ON WELLNESS Traveler behaviors and priorities have shifted as a result of the pandemic. Many travelers are searching for a sense of contentment and mental wellbeing on their next trip and nearly a quarter plan to spend less time on their devices. When planning trips, travelers are likely to pursue wellness experiences that allow them to stay present and mindful such as enjoying nature, relaxation, spending time with family and immersing themselves in new cultures. SUSTAINABILITY The pandemic served as the tipping point for travelers to understand the importance of sustainable traveling and we expect to see a continued focus on and desire for sustainable tourism. Recent research suggests that now more than ever, travelers wish to travel more sustainably and take this into consideration when planning their trips. When visiting a new destination, travelers will look to buy local, visit local restaurants and seek out eco-friendly accommodations. TRAVEL TRENDS PAGE 23SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 Over the past two years, the TBID has made significant investments in a variety of brand research programs through self-directed and co-op commitments. These studies helped to increase the TBID’s knowledge and ability to have specific data and valuable insights to help further guide our efforts to develop program actions. Over the next two years, we will look to leverage the insights and data we’ve gathered in order to positively impact progress and performance towards our tourism marketing initiatives and strategies. BRAND HEALTH & EQUITY RESEARCH (FALL 2021) • This study was an analysis of the San Luis Obispo destination brand from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. • These insights and takeaways continue to guide our marketing efforts. SLO CAL DEI RESEARCH (SUMMER 2021) • Through this co-op with Visit SLO CAL, the TBID was able to gain essential DEI insights that helped us to implement new strategies and expand diversity within TBID-owned assets. BRAND TRACKER & LOCAL SENTIMENT (WINTER 2021/SPRING 2022) • This Brand Tracker research has allowed us to set a baseline and trackable measure of sentiment towards SLO as a branded destination, among locals and prospective visitors. • We will continually use these baselines in order to measure progress in key areas. BRAND RESEARCH INITIATIVES SLO has a lot of opportunity to position itself in the competitive set, since it has low levels of brand awareness. The lack of an emotional connection through advertising has resulted in a familiarity, tria and conversion issue for overnight stays. Takeaway: The newly established brand platform provides a successful foundation we can continue to improve upon in order to create emotional connections through the “Live the SLO Life” brand. SLO as an activities hub for a weekend getaway (or longer) is a strong message that resonates with our audience. Takeaway: The “Homebase Away from Home” positioning, which focuses on SLO being an activities hub, is a strong messaging strategy that resonates with travelers. SLO embodies what people love about California, while avoiding much of what people dislike about it. Takeaway: The “small-town California” positioning provides a great opportunity to highlight the variety of boutique shops, history, art, culture, restaurants, the outdoors and more that SLO has to offer within our messaging strategies. SLO has an opportunity to own the following destination features: Food & Beverage; A Happy Feel Good Community; Ultra-convenient hiking/biking. Takeaway: By continuing to focus on these three destination features, we can work to establish a stronger brand awareness tied to SLO’s unique destination offerings. We’ll want to emphasize Food & Beverage especially as SLO has a real opportunity to truly own this destination feature by highlighting the Farmer’s Market, the abundance of great farm-to-table restaurants and impressive wineries. BRAND RESEARCH FINDINGS & TAKEAWAYS SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 25 In order to inspire potential travelers, we need to show those who have never been to SLO, why it’s a special place and more than a pit stop, and we can do this by giving them the view someone has after multiple visits. Based on the brand research findings and takeaways, we’ll continue to pursue the following brand opportunities over the next two years: • Creating emotional connections through our “Live the SLO Life” brand • Conveying that small-town, curated California feel that represents what people love about California by continuing to show off the abundance of boutique shops, history, art, culture, restaurants, the outdoors and more that SLO has to offer • Featuring the big three ownable destination features within our paid, owned and earned marketing channels • F&B (Farmers’ market, restaurants, farm-to-table restaurants, wineries) • Happy, warm, sincere community • Easy access to hiking, biking, outdoors • Highlighting the Central Coast hub, “Homebase Away from Home” positioning BRAND OPPORTUNITIES PAGE 27SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 VISIT SLO MARKETING PLAN SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 29 Over the course of the next two years, we will continue to focus marketing to intercept potential visitors at the point of intent. We will use digital signals to identify and capture these potential visitors at each stage in the travelers’ journey and expand awareness of SLO. We will also utilize a blend of demographic and geographic targeting to ensure we reach a qualified and diverse audience; providing them the information they need to feel inspired and welcomed into our community. In addition, we know that Visit California is employing trip motivators to attract visitors to the state. Having that understanding not only validates our intent based approach, but it also enables us to align with these efforts. TARGET AUDIENCES PAGE 31SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PRIMARY: DRIVE & FLY MARKETS We will capture the opportunity of road trip and local travel trends, as well as aligning with the efforts of Visit California and Visit SLO CAL by actively targeting the following DMAs: • San Francisco • Los Angeles • San Diego • Phoenix Additional drive markets for consideration include Sacramento, Monterey and Santa Barbara SECONDARY: FLY MARKETS As travel continues to rebound, we will evaluate the benefits and opportunities around widening our reach to markets that indicate high website volume or interest in SLO such as: • Seattle • Portland • Denver • Dallas INTEREST AND INTENT BASED AUDIENCES Primary Audiences • Culinary: Values a unique culinary and beer/wine experience (ie. local restaurants, wineries) • Outdoor: Values being active and experiencing nature (ie. hiking, biking, golf, extreme adventure) • Relaxation & Wellness: Values rest and relaxation activities (ie. yoga, spa, wellness center) • Family & Frequent Traveler: Values spending time with family and friends, may be looking for group activities Secondary Audiences • Arts & Culture: Values learning about local culture by appreciating art and history (ie. museums, art galleries) • Cal Poly: Values experiences surrounding the university from a student, alumni, or family perspective 90K+ HOUSEHOLD INCOME ADULTS AGES 24-65+ INTEREST-BASED AUDIENCES, AGE 24-55 65+ FREQUENT TRAVELERS DEMOGRAPHICS GEOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS PRIMARY MARKETS SECONDARY MARKETS San Francisco Portland Seattle Los Angeles San Diego Phoenix Denver Dallas SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 33 ACTIVATING ACROSS THE TRAVELER’S JOURNEY • Aim to create brand awareness & connection • Create shareable content that inspires travel • Bring prospects to the website to encourage research and discovery about what makes the destination special and unique • Help prospective travelers plan with destination specific content • Encourage travelers to visit key stakeholder pages to book & plan their trip SERVICES • Organic Social • Paid Social • Display Ads • Email • PR • Influencers SERVICES • Website Experience • Organic Search • Paid Search • Organic Social • Paid Social • Display Ads • 3rd Party Ads • Email • PR • Print SERVICES • Organic Search • Paid Search • Paid Social • 3rd Party Ads • Website Experience • Email SERVICES • Website Experience • Email • Organic Social SERVICES • Organic Social To ensure that we are intercepting travelers at all stages of the traveler’s journey, we will utilize different marketing levers across that journey. This multi-pronged approach will drive an effective and efficient conversion strategy. The SLO brand messages and the areas of opportunity will all be adapted to tantalize potential travelers across this journey. In addition, looking across the traveler’s journey incorporates the fluctuations in travel behavior. • Keep the conversation going to amplify our message • Utilize website to plan in-destination moments and activities • Find up-to-date safety information DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARING SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 35 San Luis Obispo is committed to sustainability as climate action is consistently one of the most important issues for the local community and visitors alike. For the TBID, being good stewards of the destination and promoting conscientious travel is a responsibility. The city of San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo tourism are working each day to create a more sustainable SLO for locals and travelers alike. We educate travelers on how to enjoy SLO responsibly by supporting local communities, protecting culture and heritage, and leaving as light of an environmental footprint as possible. The TBID is committed to doing its part to protect and preserve beautiful San Luis Obispo. Our commitment to advance sustainability and climate action within the tourism efforts will be addressed through the following programs: • Continue to evolve the Sustainable SLO brand through the development of a sustainability-focused content strategy to support themes identified within the 30/60/90 such as Earth Day across owned channels (website/blog, email, social) • Generate continued awareness of Keys for Trees through ongoing incorporation of this initiative into marketing materials • Development of content around how travelers can live the SLO Life while traveling sustainably and responsibly • Improved constituent outreach to promote participation • Development of stakeholder resources to promote Sustainable SLO and responsible tourism practices to travelers PAGE 37SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 INTRO Last fiscal, the TBID made significant investments in a variety of research programs through self-directed and co-op commitments. These studies helped to increase the TBID’s knowledge and ability to have specific data to better develop program actions. As the TBID continues to further its program development, research will be used to guide the development of organizational plans. GOALS Leverage research insights in order to positively impact progress and performance towards our tourism marketing initiatives and strategies OBJECTIVES • Continue the development of a Destination Stewardship strategy • Participate in the continuation for the conference center feasibility study • Define a Meetings, Business and Group travel strategy • Partner with Visit SLO CAL for research co-op like Sentiment Study and Economic Impact Research RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT As the TBID, we share in the global mission for inclusion and change. Along with our partner destination marketing organizations like Visit SLO CAL, we are committed to spreading the message that San Luis Obispo is a destination that is welcoming and safe for all. As an ally, we listen and continuously reflect to fully understand that demand for more direct action so that all people can unequivocally feel welcomed here. It is in our organization’s DNA to treat all persons equally, with dignity and respect, regardless of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability status. We are committed to sharing these values with everyone who travels to San Luis Obispo. You can be you, and we celebrate that. Our commitment to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the tourism efforts will be addressed in the following programs: • Developing DEI-related content strategy to support themes identified within the 30/60/90 • Continuing to expand diversity within TBID-owned assets • Targeting more diverse audiences through paid, earned and owned media tactics DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO VERY FAMILIAR SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR 26% 5% BLACK 37% 13% HISPANIC 42% 6% ASIAN 38% 6% LGBTQIA 35% 8% DISABILITY SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 39 INTRO In 2021, the new brand platform gave rise to the brand line, “Live the SLO Life”—a call to action to not just visit, but embrace the bright, laid-back, welcoming, progressive and fresh lifestyle of San Luis Obispo. For our brand campaign, it was important that the brand was flexible enough to allow for crafted messaging to align with our target audiences and their unique interests in things like outdoor adventure, wine and family vacations. With this foundation in place, a fully integrated marketing campaign was launched in October 2021 with a friendly invitation to new and returning visitors to, “Say Hello to the SLO Life.” OBJECTIVES • Evolve the brand campaign strategy and creative based on brand research findings and campaign performance insights • Increase qualified travelers coming to the website with the ultimate goal of increasing partner referrals and bookings for overnight stays • Explore new placements and tactics in order to create personally relevant experiences among the target audience • Create emotional connections through the “Live the SLO Life” brand campaign to improve brand sentiment and familiarity WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Transition to “Visit SLO” as the official internal and external destination brand • Development of audience-specific landing pages • Creative and audience segmentation testing • Exploration of cross-platform partnerships and out-of-the-box activations • Integration of SLO Life Tips into cross-channel content strategy BRAND CAMPAIGN PAGE 41SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 INTRO Why should weekends get all the fun? When you live the SLO Life, every day feels like Saturday. We call it the MidWeekend. In the spring of 2022, the Midweekend promotional campaign was launched to help drive midweek stays in the City of San Luis Obispo. To help sweeten the deal, visitors were offered a $100 gift card bundle to use at local businesses when they booked 2 nights between Sunday and Thursday. The promotional campaign was integrated into the existing paid media plan with a focus on reaching our outdoor, relaxation, wine and dine, and remarketing audiences in order to send potential travelers to the Midweekend landing page to get direct access to information on the special offer. OBJECTIVES • Drive overnight stays from Sunday-Thursday with a targeted promotion to those most likely to come “Live the SLO Life” • Increase year-over-year growth in ratio of weekday to weekend occupancy • Increase visitation during identified need periods WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Increase awareness of the MidWeekend campaign among the 65+ audience which showed strong intent last fiscal • Integration of MidWeekend messaging into the ongoing paid media plan with a year-round evergreen campaign strategy • Evolve MidWeekend campaign assets and landing pages, leveraging existing assets where possible for additional promotional campaign efforts • Identify strategic partnerships to expand reach and promote participation from stakeholders PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 43 OBJECTIVE Visually create, manage, and oversee the visual representation of all branded SLO TBID marketing assets for a cohesive and impactful look and feel across all touchpoints. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Asset library management (organization of existing photography & video b-roll) • Creation of new photo and video assets to fill out gaps in the existing library • Identifying content gaps in current asset library • Creative iterations for the “Live the SLO Life” and “Say Hello to the MidWeekend” integrated campaigns in order to promote increased performance and enhanced user experiences across all marketing efforts • Integration of “SLO Life Tips” branding into marketing materials • Asset creation for co-ops, sustainability initiatives and annual reports • Development of a comprehensive Visit SLO brand book to document and memorialize the strategic brand and creative work we’ve accomplished CREATIVE SERVICES OBJECTIVE Partner with innovative Content Creators to generate original and unique videos to use across multiple platforms, paid ads, and marketing efforts. Shifting from Influencers to Content Creators will ensure we are following market trends while delivering quality, engaging content to our audience. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Sourcing, outreach, and negotiations to find and book Creators • 2 Content Creators per quarter • Original Reel posted to their account • Owned video and photo assets • Repurposing content for multiple platforms CONTENT CREATORS SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 45 OBJECTIVE Utilize an integrated paid media strategy to support and promote the brand and promotional campaigns, in alignment with research findings to drive impact towards the strategic objectives. Build Brand Awareness and Dreaming • Drive positive growth in brand awareness and familiarity of SLO as a branded destination through top-of-funnel marketing tactics that highlight the ownable destination features and create emotional connections with the “Live the SLO Life” brand • Extend reach and awareness of SLO through the integration of MidWeekend messaging into the ongoing paid media plan with a year-round evergreen campaign strategy Increase Engagement and Planning: • Encourage further engagement and consideration of SLO among potential travelers by driving them to VisitSLO.com and generating newsletter sign-ups Encourage Conversion and Booking: • Optimize campaign strategies in order to encourage high-intent audiences to engage with partner pages and drive booking behavior WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Launch an evergreen midweek advertising campaign • Continue to optimize the paid media strategy, with an always- on approach • Continue to identify top-performing audience segments and creative in order to serve potential visitors with highly-relevant and impactful messaging • Analyze and prioritize target markets for budget effectiveness and traveler impact • Ongoing management of Display, Paid social, 3rd Party Ads, Paid Search + Video Advertising PAID MEDIA PAGE 47SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 OVERALL OBJECTIVES Using historical performance, campaign learnings and brand sentiment research, our paid media plan is a strategic full funnel approach incorporating successful past tactics while introducing upper funnel tactics to build more awareness of the SLO brand. Our marketing tactics are employed in an always on approach, with specific digital and traditional partnership flights incorporated during periods of travel planning. PAID SOCIAL Paid social has been a significant source of engaged visitors to our website in the last year with increased traffic not only from Facebook, but from Instagram and Pinterest. This highly visual channel is the perfect place to build awareness and encourage visitation through static, video and carousel ads. In addition, traveler sentiment can start to be realized from social listening on ads. DISPLAY Using programmatic display platforms, such as Google Display Network, we can appeal to high-intent, interest-based audiences. By layering intent, we will be able to appeal to more of a mid-funnel audience that has shown interest in travel to San Luis Obispo rather than an unqualified audience. In addition, we are using multiple formats with GDN to address travelers in their planning including responsive display ads, discovery ads and interactive ads. VIDEO Additional video was added in the fiscal year ‘22 with both YouTube and Connected TV with successful full funnel results. This tactic is used to grow awareness of the destination and build relationships with travelers using visual storytelling aspect of video content. THIRD PARTY SPONSORSHIPS With travelers returning to the area, we have begun exploring options such as online travel agencies with more granular third-party targeting. This tactic has shown to address travelers in the research and booking phase in the travelers’ journey. PRINT The media plan accounts for Certified Folder placements for our brochure in target geographic markets, as well as Visit California Road Trips Guide, Visit SLO CAL and San Luis Obispo Chamber Visitor Guides. PAID MEDIA SPECIFICS PAGE 49SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVE • Promote San Luis Obispo as a destination to live, play and stay driving visitation and delivering economic impact • Build consumer awareness serving as the voice of SLO by amplifying the destination brand and reaching audiences locally, regionally and nationally • Communicate the vitality and character of San Luis Obispo and the community WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Fulfilling all media requests • Boots-on-the-ground expert planning and executing all press visits • Sourcing, building custom itineraries and hosting travel writers on individual and FAM trips throughout the year with key partners • Proactive pitching of City coordinated campaigns to local and regional outlets • Participating in promotional out-of-area trips • Quarterly themed media pitches PAGE 51SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT & MAINTENANCE INTRO The website is the cornerstone of all our marketing efforts as everything flows to or from the website. Because it plays such a critical role in the success of all of our marketing tactics, we will continue to improve upon the stability of the current site while looking ahead and planning for a website redesign. OBJECTIVE • Ensure site is healthy and stable at a foundational level & optimized for performance • Enhance and elevate the user experience and performance of VisitSLO.com WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Redesign & redevelopment of VisitSLO.com • Optimize website content and overall user experience across high-traffic landing pages • Continue to optimize site speed to enhance the mobile website experience • Website enhancements and feature updates • Maintaining site health and security while ensuring usability across all devices • Continually update the website with the most recent software and plugin updates • Ensure automated weekly backups OBJECTIVE To expand destination awareness among travel and meeting planners to build consideration of SLO as a destination for their clients. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Definition of a Meetings, Business and Trade travel strategy • Development of SEO-optimized content and landing pages • Participation in Visit California Luxury Forum in partnership with Visit SLO CAL • Participation in B2B sales opportunities by leveraging trade show opportunities with partners MEETINGS, BUSINESS & TRADE TRAVEL SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 53 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION INTRO Organic search continues to be the largest contributor of traffic to the website. We have made significant strides in driving high intent visitors to the site through our SEO strategy and will continue to scale our efforts for maximum impact. We will take a holistic approach to search engine optimization to ensure that we are building the authority of VisitSLO.com, in addition to improving the technical foundation. OBJECTIVE Drive high intent visitors to the website through a focused owned content strategy and ongoing improvements to the website visitor experience. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Optimize existing content in order to maximize the efficiency and reach • Develop new SEO-optimized content to generate and capture demand with content that is timely, relevant and has high search volume • Optimize content on the site to enable search engines to visualize content to promote rankings within the top listings of the search engine results page • Improve the technical health of the site with a website redesign to allow for optimal SEO performance and plugin updates • Ensure automated weekly backups PAGE 55SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 OWNED CONTENT GOAL Create and provide relevant and timeline information on the website to be leveraged and distributed across the SLO TBID owned channels. EMAIL MARKETING We will leverage the SLO TBID email database to provide valuable content to readers. We will share information about topics travelers are most interested in so that we can generate stronger engagement across our email efforts. • Email list clean up in order to curate a more engaged audience • Creating a gated content opportunity on the website with the destination brochure to grow the email list • Enhance the email template to align with the new brand • Explore an expanded email strategy designed to help identify and reach key audience segments with hyper-relevant content • Utilize blog content for newsletter features and include clear CTA’s to encourage readers to visit the website • Incorporate upcoming events within email content • Identify opportunities to leverage strategic email partnerships to expand reach and engagement BLOG STRATEGY & CONTENT Storytelling is at the very heart of destination marketing. We will engage our audience with authentic stories, and the inside scoop, as the go-to source for all things travel related in San Luis Obispo. • Bimonthly blogs in alignment with content calendar and key themes identified within the 30/60/90 • Curate trustworthy content with ample local insight to assist travelers throughout their travel journey PAGE 57SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA INTRO Social media is one of the best marketing tools to connect with and engage potential visitors. We also know that for SLO the local population is highly engaged. We have an opportunity to continue to engage the audience while optimizing our efforts and further establishing a clear value to following SLO on social. OBJECTIVE Connect and engage with our audience by providing timely and relevant information. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Comprehensive social media strategy & implementation • Management of daily posts & stories • Monitoring social feedback • Creation of evergreen and promotional video reels leveraging existing content • Development of engaging stories that include polls and quizzes • Sourcing of high quality UGC photos via CrowdRiff • Sharing owned blogs and PR features on social • Sharing more Business Travel owned blogs to new LinkedIn page PAGE 59SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 STRATEGIC & INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS INTRO Success is never achieved alone — to maximize our impact, the TBID Board & Staff supports and nurtures strategic partnerships with destinations, agencies, industry partners and committees. Through knowledge sharing and communication, we will engage with partner organizations to drive impact toward shared goals. PARTNERSHIPS • CCTC • CHLA • Cal Poly Athletics & Office of Student Affairs • Cal Trave • Downtown SLO • MINDBODY • SLO Chamber • SLO Coast Wine Collective • Visit California • Visit SLO CAL WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Exploring opportunities to grow a greater presence at SLO Days; Parent Weekend; CAL Poly Open House • Identifying how Downtown SLO can integrate into industry relations and partnership opportunities • Re-engaging SLO Coast Wine Collective for co-op opportunities • Maximizing awareness of SLO through inclusion in digital cross- promotion opportunities • Expand destination awareness through B2B sales by leveraging trade show opportunities with industry partners PAGE 61SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 EVENTS OBJECTIVE To leverage destination events to position the TBID’s brand as the exclusive overnight stay destination to accompany events and beyond, and to support the availability of experiences to attract visitation. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Sponsorship of tourism driving destination events • In-kind event promotion support utilizing the TBID owned channels • Website strategy to highlight and support upcoming events • Participation in the development of the SLO CAL Festival & Event Strategy • Planning efforts for the development of a revised TBID Event Strategy CONSTITUENT RELATIONS OBJECTIVE Further educate and involve TBID constituents to increase program awareness and support through outreach, newsletters, training/ education and support WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Conduct constituent outreach on-going • Develop and send newsletters and other communication • Identify opportunities for training/education with strategic and industry partners • Develop constituent resources to enhance and promote participation SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 63 MEASUREMENT BUDGET From a quantitative perspective, we plan to measure success through the various stages of the travelers’ journey. In the dreaming phase, we will assess interaction with the website by channel and from target geographies, impressions and reach from our paid and earned initiatives, reach of earned placements and organic share of voice. Looking at the planning phase, engagement metrics like site traffic, time on site and pages per session will be analyzed as well as social engagements and newsletter open rate. Lastly, in the booking phase, we can refer to partner referrals and newsletter subscriptions for success. Throughout the travelers’ journey, efficiency metrics such as Cost per Thousand Impressions (CPM), Cost per Click (CPC), Qualitative Score, Click Through Rate (CTR) and Cost per Acquisition (CPA) will all be reported to show opportunities for optimization. From a qualitative perspective, we plan to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to assess impact, maintain up-to-date traveler sentiment research and leverage real-time traveler data. For fiscal year 2022-23, the TBID’s revenue is projected to be $1,727,200 . The budget expenditure allocations are broken down between four primary categories with over half of the annual budget being allocated to marketing and contract services. The TBID continues to allocate essential funds to operations which includes staffing and tourism program expenses, as well as strategic partnerships and key tourism organizations. • Page 1 Keyword Rankings • Newsletter Open Rate • Organic Share of Voice • Sessions / Users • By Channel • By Geo • Impressions • Reach / Frequency • Clicks • Video Views/Completion Rate • Barcelona Principles • Earned Media Impressions • Keep the conversation going to amplify our message AWARENESS METRICS CONVERSION METRICS EFFICIENCY METRICS • Utilize website to plan in-destination moments and activities • Stakeholder referrals • Measuring Visitors Outcome from Drive Markets • Evaluating Economic Impact of Visitors from Drive Markets LONG-TERM SHORT-TERM 2022-2023 TBID BUDGET EXPENDITURE ALLOCATIONS 71% 14% 5%10% OPERATIONS/STAFFING MARKETING & CONTRACT SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS, EVENTS & TRADESHOWS TOURISM ORGANIZATION & RESEARCH SLOTBID / MARKETING PLAN / 2022-24 PAGE 65 DRAFT