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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Reading File - 2017-18 PCC Proposal Chamber of CommerceMarch 2017 1 Proposal to the City of San Luis Obispo Promotional Coordinating Committee March 2017 Visitor and Promotional Services Purpose: Build on the partnership between the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the City of San Luis Obispo’s Promotional Coordinating Committee to enhance and enrich the resident and visitor experience in San Luis Obispo, create a central hub of community and visitor information, and promote the region to potential visitors. Expertise: The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce looks forward to building on our existing strengths including a successful track record of promoting San Luis Obispo, strong relationships throughout the community as well as extensive experience providing public relations and visitor services. Looking forward: For more than 40 years, the Chamber has worked with the City of San Luis Obispo’s Promotional Coordinating Committee to create new programs and utilize existing Chamber assets to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of the community we live in; we continue to seek new opportunities to deepen our partnership and further the understanding of San Luis Obispo as an exceptional place to live and visit. March 2017 2 Table of Contents Cover letter 1 Qualifications 3 Project Team 4 Proposals 5 Summary 11 March 2017 3 Qualifications The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce offers a distinctive and powerful combination of strengths to assist the Tourism Business Improvement District in fulfilling its mission and strategic direction. • Direct relationships with more than 1,370 local businesses that represent more than 33,400 employees throughout the county. These long-term relationships allow us to work cohesively with local businesses to execute promotions, projects and media visits. • Constant interaction with visitors in our downtown Visitor Center. More than 80,000 visitors were personally greeted and assisted in 2016 and we engaged with thousands more over the phone and digitally. The center, which is open seven days a week, is staffed by visitor information professionals who are trained to answer questions and accommodate requests of locals, visitors and travel writers. • Productive relationships with the media, rooted in our 40+ years of work in San Luis Obispo public relations. We are the go-to resource for travel writers due to the strength of the “chamber of commerce” brand and the strong relationships we have built through the years. • We have a nimble, responsive PR team, which is well informed about what is happening in the city and is able to capture the attention of as well as respond to journalists with timely information, photography and contacts. • Long-term strategic alliances with local organizations and events that attract visitors and enhance the tourist experience, including Hearst Castle, SLO Wine Country, Cal Poly, Festival Mozaic, the PAC and the SLO Film Festival. • Access to a library of more than 50,000 current and historical images of San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area. The award-winning images have appeared in publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Los Angeles Times, Outside Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and many more. • The Chamber continues to stay on top of the trends in tourism promotions, working with regional, statewide and national partners to identify and act on emerging trends and best practices. March 2017 4 Project Team The SLO Chamber has an experienced, professional staff of 20 who work together to execute projects with a track record of success. The key team members who will lead the proposed work for the Promotional Coordinating Committee include: Dusty Colyer-Worth Visitor Center Manager Dusty Colyer-Worth has been leading the Visitor Center and its team of eight customer service professionals since February 2016. Dusty utilizes his background in community relations, marketing, customer service and retail management to lead the Chamber’s guest services efforts. Molly Kern Director of Communications and Business Education Molly Kern has been with the Chamber in various roles since December 2012, including leading the public relations efforts on behalf of the city for the last three years. In this role Molly works to share the “why” San Luis Obispo is a wonderful place to vacation, live, work and generally enjoy life. Keri Forsberg Communications Coordinator Joining the Chamber staff in 2015, Communications Coordinator Keri Forsberg has a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism from Cal Poly and specializes in connecting with Grants-In-Aid recipients to ensure the events have the appropriate marketing support to flourish. Aaron Lambert Lead Content Creator Aaron Lambert manages and produces the Chamber’s website content, including blogs, photographs and videos as well as editorial for printed Chamber materials. A professional photographer, Lambert’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and USA Today among others. Ermina Karim President / CEO Ermina Karim’s focus is on helping local businesses thrive. She brings her professional experience and personal passion in economic development to assisting on the contracts with the TBID and PCC. In addition, she has an extensive background in journalism including as a local reporter for The Tribune as well as many years in both print and online media in New York. March 2017 5 Visitor Center Overview of 2016-17 The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center is a professionally staffed visitor center open every day of the week, serving community members and tourists that are walking in, calling and emailing with questions. During the two-year contract period of 2015-16 and 2016-17 we will have personally assisted more than 160,000 individuals face-to-face, and more than 20,000 via phone and email, on behalf of the city. The traffic far exceeds any other city/chamber visitor center in the county. Additionally, we take the professional service and information on the road seasonally, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, to the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market. This gives the opportunity to bring highlights of SLO directly to the visitors, and maximize their experience. The Visitor Center on the road concept is also extended to two of the most influential Cal Poly events, Parents Weekend and Open House. Being on campus during these events, as well as picking up additional Thursday nights at the downtown Farmers’ Market during the event week, allows us to reach a group of people that will likely be returning again and again to San Luis Obispo. Over the last two-year contract period, the Visitor Center has also expanded its service offerings. Key improvements include: • Taking the Visitor Center services to SLO Farmers’ Market • Significant growth in availability of SLO branded items • Increased collection of demographic data • Increased staffing to deliver Visitor Center customer service 2017 – 19 Proposal New during the 2017-18 fiscal year we propose installing an interactive digital station centrally located within the Visitor Center. This area will feature an iPad workstation that information specialists can use to assist guests in creating an itinerary, specifically highlighting SLO events, activities, and hotels through apps and websites on the iPad and targeted paper collateral displayed around the workstation. This digital station will also provide translation tools to better connect with visitors in which English is not their primary language. To meet the needs of the visitors and the continued growth of visitor traffic, we also propose amending the Visitor Center hours to better meet the times that visitors and residents are seeking support. We recommend that we maintain being open seven days a week, Sunday- Wednesday, and adjusting our hours slightly to 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. for a slight weekly increase of 55.5 hours a week. The Chamber proposes that the city continue its historic support level of 44 percent of total ongoing costs for a contract value of $112,600. $112,600 a year for 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years March 2017 6 San Luis Obispo City Maps The tear-off, tableted city maps are the most utilized visitor resource in our Visitor Center as well as throughout San Luis Obispo. Maps are distributed quarterly and on-demand to all San Luis Obispo city hotels as well as hospitality partners including Amtrak, wineries and local museums. The project will be updated and printed each spring and we are proposing another print run of 150,000 to keep up with the current demand for distribution of approximately 37,500 maps each quarter. $8,750 for 150,000 maps with minor edits GIA Marketing Support Over the last seven years, the Chamber has provided event promotion and public relations support to the PCC’s grants-in-aid recipients. This partnership has been aimed at driving attendance and support by residents and visitors to events in the city. In the 2017-18 year, we propose a continuation of this service as it serves the goal of supporting community events that enhance San Luis Obispo in a way that direct funding can’t. Together, the marketing support and funding provided by the PCC help the events succeed. Elements of the contract include: • Writing and distributing press releases to local, regional and national media outlets • Promoting events through social media channels • Including events in event calendars to local tourism-related businesses • Including events in upcoming event releases to local media outlets • Meeting in-person, or by phone with groups • Offering to sell tickets through the Visitor Center (at no charge) • Promoting events through the Visitor Center by display of event materials- brochures, posters, etc. • Distribution of the easy-to-use, monthly local events one-pager to local hospitality partners that is consistent with the “look and feel” of the city’s messaging efforts $28,000 a year March 2017 7 Public Relations Overview of 2016-17 Over the past two years, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has led tourism public relations for the City of San Luis Obispo through a partnership between the Promotional Coordinating Committee and the Tourism Business Improvement District. In this role, the Chamber is responsible for responsive and proactive public relations to showcase the best of San Luis Obispo. Contract elements include pitching story ideas that showcase San Luis Obispo, inviting writers to experience the destination and coordinating those trips, sending out media releases, responding to natural media inquiries, use of the Chamber’s photography library for editorial requests and developing customized media kits. We do all of this public relations work for just one client – San Luis Obispo. This focused effort is paying off; in 2016 alone, we contributed to nearly 350 media placements that highlight San Luis Obispo including those in Lonely Planet, Los Angeles Times, Gambero Rosso, Afar, San Francisco Chronicle, Thrillist and Sweet. 2017-19 Strategy Objectives 1. Build awareness to grow tourism, serving as the voice of San Luis Obispo 2. Promote San Luis Obispo as a regional trade, recreation and tourist center Target audiences The two geographic areas of focus for SLO promotional efforts will be: a. Visitors from outside the area b. SLO County residents Across these geographic distinctions, groups that we will focus on include: • Families – new to travel, interested in outdoor activities, child-friendly events as well as family-friendly restaurants. Safety, ease and fun are their main priorities. • Outdoor Adventurers – interested in outdoor activities, easy access to open space and a laid-back environment. Looking to get away from an urban center or explore a new challenge. • Foodies and Oenophiles – interested in the locally grown and sourced food and wines throughout the area. They care about the process behind every bite and sip almost as much as the final product. • Craft Beer Enthusiasts – love the story behind the pint and an opportunity to connect with likeminded hopheads. Will travel for beer. March 2017 8 • Millennials – seeking boutique destinations, insider knowledge, and hidden gems. Millennials are the ultimate experience seekers and value travel as an integral part of their lives. Additional – although narrower – target demographics will be: • Budget Travelers– interested in experiencing all a destination has to offer for a good price; these travelers are motivated by deals and travel specials as well as off-season pricing. • Cal Poly Alum and Parents – interested in revisiting their college stomping grounds and knowing about where their children are going to school, looking for nostalgic and local experiences. • Arts Enthusiasts – interested in experiencing the arts in new and unique ways from non-traditional venues and outdoor installations to intimate spaces for theater, performing arts and music. • Travelers with Pets – interested in knowing their pets are warmly welcomed; they feel valued and comfortable when their pet is taken care of. • Business Travelers – seeking seamless customer service and facilities that allow the traveler to be productive during the day and have engaging after-hours experiences. Tactics to reach target audiences Telling the right story in the right place Identifying and pitching the experience that each audience will connect with, to the media that they trust, by: • Selectively pitching San Luis Obispo to writers and outlets that are seen by the target audience as a go-to source for trusted information and inspirational content. • Focusing on delivering content and stories that appeal to what our target audience values and what will activate their impulse to travel. Leveraging City-supported events Pairing writers that reach our ideal traveler with events that showcase a particular facet of San Luis Obispo will make the City’s sponsorship more meaningful and rewarding. We propose a focused partnership with up to four city-supported events to enhance the writer’s experience of San Luis Obispo. This could include: • Promoting the event in a way that ties the destination and event together • Meeting in-person, or by phone with events to sync messaging • Vetting, pitching and hosting writers who will reach a specific audience • Working with event organizers to host select writers that are being brought to the area by the event March 2017 9 Increasing proactive outreach We have been successful in hosting individual writers, partnering to host large, international FAM tours and in pitching San Luis Obispo via email and over the phone. This year, we propose a continuation of these efforts to increase awareness and grow tourism in San Luis Obispo. A combination of tactics to increase awareness could include a total of three activations of the following: • FAM Trip o Bringing 3-5 writers to San Luis Obispo for a 2-3-day familiarization trip. A trip completely organized and executed for the purpose of promoting the City of SLO for a few select writers will be a laser focus tactic that will generate extended coverage. • Out-of-area promotional trip o Possible opportunities include pairing out-of-area trips that strategic partners are already making to promote a specific facet of our destination, such as SLO Wine, or sponsored events that take place out of the area but have a strong San Luis Obispo component like Bacon and Barrels. Foster Key Relationships Nationally Primary targets will be media outlets in California and the Western United States. Western United States is defined to include Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. In addition, the Chamber will proactively outreach to major national media outlets including magazines and newspapers as well as target guide books for updated and enhanced content. Internationally The Chamber will collaborate on international public relations efforts with California’s State Office of Tourism as well as the Central Coast Tourism Council on their international public relation campaigns. The Chamber will continue to build relationships with those organizations to make the City of San Luis Obispo a top- of-mind choice for those trips. Digitally Primary targets include influential lifestyle, outdoors and family centric outlets with long-term, loyal and engaged audiences that are in line with San Luis Obispo’s focused messaging efforts. The Chamber will proactively connect with digital outlets and collaborate with the city’s social marketing partners for a seamless digital experience. Locally The Chamber will proactively seek ways of working with other organizations to both cross market through public relations initiatives as well as building strategic alliances to promote the city. In the upcoming year we are excited to deepen our collaboration with local events and organizations that contribute to the city’s cultural vibrancy. March 2017 10 Scope of work The scope of work within this proposal includes: • Proactively pitching story ideas on a monthly basis to national, regional and online media as well as travel and lifestyle bloggers • Writing press releases throughout the year and distributing through all channels including an online media management tool • Hosting travel writers on individual trips throughout the year • Fulfilling all media requests that are received • Proactively tying in with the State Tourism Office’s public relations efforts to enhance local visibility • Access to image and video library for Chamber-executed public relations work • Promoting San Luis Obispo as the perfect destination for target audiences • Participation in and pitching of comprehensive promotions designed to drive shoulder season stays • Increasing proactive outreach through up to three activations of: o Digital FAM trip (2-3 days, 3-5 digital writers) o Out-of-area promotional trips (possible opportunities include partnerships with strategic partners such as SLO Wine as well as sponsored events like Bacon and Barrels and SLO Craft Beer Week). Lodging expenses would be covered by the city, similar to tradeshows. • Enhanced media presence at up to four significant TIBD-supported events o Promoting the event in a way that ties the destination and event together o Meeting in-person, or by phone with events to sync messaging o Pitching and hosting event-specific writers o Working with event organizers to host select writers that are being brought to the area by the event. Writers will be vetted to make sure that their audience and tone are beneficial to SLO city tourism before being hosted. • Working in coordination with TBID marketing agencies in order to achieve comprehensive marketing plan and increase brand awareness across all platforms $85,000 a year for PR Services per year for two years, jointly funded by the TBID and PCC In 2016-17, the TBID funded 60% and the PCC funder 40% of the contract March 2017 11 Summary Visitor Center Operations for 2017-19 $112,600 a year Public Relations Services for 2017-19 $42,500 a year* $85,000, jointly funded by the TBID and PCC Media Monitoring Services $4,200* $8,400, jointly funded by the TBID and PCC GIA Marketing Support $28,000 San Luis Obispo City Maps $8,750 *if shared 50/50 between the TBID and PCC