2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan - Amazon S3...2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan October 7, 2011 2 TABLE OF...
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2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan October 7, 2011
Transcript of 2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan - Amazon S3...2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan October 7, 2011 2 TABLE OF...
2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan
October 7, 2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. Executive Summary 3
II. Market Analysis
a. United States Overview 7
b. Regional Overview 9
c. Salem Market 11
d. Competitive Analysis 16
e. Travel Trends 22
III. 2011 – 2012 Marketing Program 32
a. Initiatives 34 • Advertising 35 • Media Relations 38 • Social Media 38 • E-Newsletter 39 • Content Development 39 • Website 41 • Educational Trips 42 • Memberships 42 • Tradeshows 42 • Value Programs & Customer Rewards 43 • Niche Marketing 44 • Cruise 46 • International 47 • Meeting & Group Tours 47 • Local Residents 48 • Haunted Happenings 48 • Production & Distribution of Salem Guide 49 • Lead Generation & Fulfillment 49 • Research & Measurement 49
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Salem, Massachusetts,
Destination Salem is a non-profit public/private partnership responsible for marketing the
City. Destination Salem co-operatively markets Salem as one of Massachusetts’ best
destinations for domestic and international families and couples who are seeking an
authentic New England experience, cultural enrichment, American history, fine dining,
unique shopping and fun.
The primary objective of Destination Salem is to develop and implement effective
marketing strategies that help to increase the number of overnight visitors and day
trippers in an effort to enhance the economic vitality of Salem. Strategies continue to
focus on those that offer the greatest opportunity to leverage resources and return on
investment through joint collaborations, in-kind programs, and the promotion of special
events that draw visitors to Salem.
A review of hotel occupancy, average rate, and hotel RevPAR shows that the North of
Boston region performed strongly the first six months of 2011, showing an increase in
activity over the same period in 2010. According to lodging data provided from Smith
Travel Research, in the first six months of 2011, Essex County saw an increase of 1.5%
in occupancy to 57.4%, a 5.9% increase in average daily rate to $88.51 and a 7.8% in
RevPAR to $49.69.
Since its inception at the end of 2007, Destination Salem has achieved the following
results:
• Produced and distributed 1,165,000 Salem Guides through direct mail, visitor
centers, accommodations and attractions throughout the Greater Boston area, as
well as through advertisers.
• Hosted 71 familiarization tours for media and travel professionals, responded to
hundreds of media inquiries and assisted nine productions that have been filmed
in Salem, generating domestic and international television and print coverage
• 400,000 Haunted Happenings Events Guides were produced and distributed.
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• Salem.org and HauntedHappenings.org were redesigned and continue to be
updated to provide comprehensive current visitors information;
• Salem.org had 812,644 visitors; and
• Created a new brand.
• The National Park Service has estimated 805,000 visitors for fiscal year 2010
(October 2009 – September 2010), a 12% increase over FY 2010; and
• These visitors generated more than $99.5 million in tourism spending over this
time period.
As we move through 2011 and into 2012, awareness for Salem as a visitor destination
continues to grow, despite facing a variety of challenges. These include increased
competition, increased funding by competitive organizations and most importantly,
reduced resources promoting our region. These challenges, coupled with the continued
difficult economic times we continue to live in, make it more important than ever to be
strategic with our programs and resources.
Marketing and promotional efforts must continue to be designed to produce maximum
impact. We need to ensure that we integrate our campaigns internally, but also with our
partners. In this way, we will continue to be able to leverage our marketing dollars and
expand our programs to reach our target market segments.
We know from primary and secondary research that having an opportunity to partake in
unique and varied activities, as well as satisfaction, value and price all continue to be
important elements in the decision making process of a visitor. Through our research,
we have learned that 89% of our visitors are leisure visitors. 66% of these visitors
arrived with their own car, up from 59.2% in 2008 and 34% of these leisure visitors come
to Salem in October. Over 87% get their information on the destination from the internet,
as well as through the Salem Visitor and Travel Guide.
As a result of what we have learned through our research and results generated from
marketing programs in the last few years, through 2012, Destination Salem will continue
to promote the wide variety of activities available in our city to both overnight visitors, as
well as those within the local drive market. We will focus on increasing domestic
overnight visitors from the Northeast, introduce efforts to target the international visitor,
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as well as try to grow our local visitation, particularly during need periods. We will also
look to grow the cruise market and the group market, the latter of which we will focus our
efforts on having them visit during mid-week open dates.
We will continue to focus efforts of attracting families and couples, while looking at niche
markets such as culinary, green, family and LGBT among others.
Advertising remains the foundation to our marketing efforts, particularly our successful
cooperative advertising programs with our partners. In addition, we continue to improve
and enhance our website, making more information available on www.Salem.org for
viewing and download, helping to give visitors quicker access to information, while
reducing our printing costs.
Media relations will also continue to play an important role in our efforts to promote
Salem. We will expand our efforts to include the distribution of regularly planned press
releases, as well as continue to pitch media on what we have to offer.
We will continue to host familiarization trips and participate in tradeshows when
appropriate. We will look towards the international market as a potential source of
increased business, and will develop programs to target this segment while remaining
aware of niche market segments such as cultural, culinary, and LGBT, among others.
Destination Salem will continue working with our current partners, as well as continue to
develop new partnerships that will help us generate visitor interest in the City. We will
continue to work with our partners to leverage budgets and expand our presence in
order to grow market share.
For 2011 – 2012, the overall marketing goals for Destination Salem are as follows:
• Increase overall hotel occupancy;
• Increase mid-week business throughout the year by targeting group business
and offering creative packaging for retirees, as well as locals;
• Increase weekend business during off season through creative packaging,
including expanded cultural offerings, culinary packages and shopping
experiences for both overnight and local visitors;
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• Increase visitors to the website;
• Increase the combined telephone, mail and e-mail inquiries for visitor information
coming to Destination Salem;
• Increase leisure visitors to Salem, particularly from the Northeast;
• Increase international visitors to Salem, mirroring the targets of the
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and Discover New England;
• Increase cruise visitors to Salem.
The 2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan will focus on the following priorities:
• Continue to incorporate new branding, Salem, Still Making History, into our
marketing strategies;
• Offer dedicated value added packages focusing on our cultural offerings and
attractions, as well as our culinary and shopping opportunities for overnight and
leisure visitors;
• Increase media relations opportunities;
• Increase website visibility and continue to push people to www.Salem.org;
• Provide exceptional visitor services; and
• Increase partnership dollars to be able to expand marketing efforts.
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II. MARKET ANALYSIS
The overall mission of Destination Salem is to develop and implement effective
cooperative marketing strategies and programs that enhance the economic vitality of the
City by promoting the destination to overnight visitors. Strategies have been designed to
position the city as a quality year-round destination, promoting the multitude of available
offerings to potential visitors, positioning Salem as one of Massachusetts’ best
destinations for domestic and international families and couples who are seeking an
authentic New England experience, cultural enrichment, American history, fine dining,
unique shopping and fun.
An essential element in our approach will continue to be the regular assessment of
external factors, as well as implementing and analyzing research and data in order to
both better understand our visitor, to develop initiatives and programs to more effectively
influence their travel decisions, evaluate our competitive position and track our results
and performance.
a. United States Overview
Despite the economic disparity that took the world by storm in 2008, articles and studies
conducted by many different publications show that travel is slowly beginning to recover.
This is supported by statistics from Smith Travel Research who have reported improving
figures from the US Lodging Sector. In fact, in June, the industry finished the month with
the highest revenue per available room (RevPAR) since August 2008, up 7.8%. Year-to-
date through June 2011, the U.S. hotel industry's occupancy rose 5.0 percent to 59.2
percent, ADR increased 3.3 percent to $100.54, and RevPAR was up 8.5 percent to
$59.49.
The US Travel Association anticipates that leisure travel will increase 1.8% in 2011,
while business travel will hold steady. The number of domestic person trips in the US
dropped by 3.4% in 2009, however, in 2010 it increased 3.5%% and is anticipated in
increase another 2.1% in 2011 with leisure travel leading the growth. However, the
search for value continues to dominate, with research indicating that travelers are
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gradually moving away from the staycation and trading down trends that the tourism
industry saw during the recession. In fact, Kayak reports that due to an abundance of
travel deals, the staycation has been replaced because consumers are using savvy cost-
saving strategies to vacation beyond their own back yards again. It is clear that travelers
are increasingly looking for value when vacationing. Although the worst of the
recession appears to be over, attitudes and practices established during the downturn
are expected to linger, with a degree of conservatism on the part of buyers.
The US meetings industry contributes $907 billion to the US economy, generating 6.3
million jobs and provides $64 billion in federal and $46 billion in state and local tax
revenue, according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers and an alliance of 14
meetings industry organizations. The study showed that in 2009, there were 1.8 million
corporate and business meetings, tradeshows, conventions, incentives and other
meetings, with 205 million attendees. Corporate/business meetings accounted for 1.3
million of these meetings, and 85% of the meetings were conducted at venues with
lodging, generating 250 million room nights.
Despite the weak economy, the cruise industry continues to prosper. According to
Cruise Lines International Association, in 2010, the North American cruise industry
generated 329,943 jobs that contributed a $15.2 billion wage impact on the U.S.
economy last year, a 5.1 percent increase in employment and a 7.0 percent rise in
wages over 2009. The total cruise industry's economic impact in the U.S. in 2010 was
$37.85 billion of gross output, a 7.8 percent increase over last year.
The United States Department of Commerce reported that international visitors spent
$134.4 billion on travel to, and within, the United States in 2010. In addition, in 2010,
59.8 million visitors traveled to the United States from international destinations.
International visitor growth is projected to continue with 6 to 9% increases through 2015.
While these gains include a significant pick-up in overseas travel, the fact remains that
the US welcomed only 1% more overseas travelers in 2010 than in 2001. During the
same time period, according to Oxford Economics, world long haul arrivals increased
40% to 60 million travelers. Accelerating the rebound is the $200 million that will be
invested by the Corporation for Travel Promotion.
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The Corporation for Travel Promotion is charged with generating more international
inbound visitors, which in turn, will create more jobs and increase revenue for the US
economy. It is anticipated that in the first year, more than 1.6 million new international
visitors, $4 billion in new spending and more than $300 million in tax revenue will be
generated. For the New England region, that could translate into 100,000 additional
overseas visitors in the first year. The program will be launched at World Travel Market
in November 2011.
The latest Travel Trade Barometer from the US Department of Commerce Office of
Travel and Tourism Industries is good news, as operators from the top five markets to
the US (Canada, Japan, Germany, Mexico and United Kingdom) continue to report an
increase in actual bookings year over year. This is good news as they provide 73% of all
international visitors to the USA.
b. Regional Overview
In 2010, Massachusetts hosted 16.1 million domestic visitors and 1.29 million
international visitors. Massachusetts, New England and the New England Corridor
represent 75% of travelers to the Greater Boston area. 24.8% are from New York, 3.8%
from Harford/New Haven, 5.2% from Philadelphia and 1.9% from Providence RI, with
4.4% from Washington, DC. In 2010, there was more than 15% growth from
Washington, Providence and New York, with more than 9% from Portland, Albany and
Hartford. The average length of stay from these markets is 2.5 nights compared to the
overall average of 2.2 nights to the region.
According to American Express Business Insights, 81% of visitors to Greater Boston
have graduate degrees and are college educated. 86% are white collar professionals,
40% have a household income between $100,000 - $150,000 and 23% have a
household income greater than $150,000. Travel by car is the dominant mode of
transportation to Massachusetts, with 70% of visitors arriving by car, 53.4% originating
from New England and 23.5% arriving from the Mid-Atlantic.
Greater Boston’s overnight leisure visitors tend to be older, as the majority of visitors
continue to fall within the 35 – 54 age group. This segment has had the largest growth
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rate and spends the most trip dollars. Following this group, one-third of Greater
Boston’s overnight leisure visitors are 18 – 34 years of age. And the remaining 32% of
visitors are 55 years of age or older, significantly greater than all of Greater Boston’s
competitors, excluding Philadelphia.
68% of visitors to Greater Boston are historical/cultural travelers. The historic/cultural
traveler spends more money compared to the average US traveler, making them a
lucrative market segment for destinations and attractions. US Travel Association reports
that more than 30% of historic/cultural travelers make their destination choice by specific
historic or cultural event or activity.
In 2010, market demand in Massachusetts was evenly distributed between corporate
transient, leisure transient and group demand. The distribution remained the same over
the previous year.
Massachusetts Hotels Market Mix 2010
The average length of stay in Massachusetts has remained the same in the past three
years at 2.1 nights.
MASSACHUSETTS HOTELS1 AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY
Market Segment 2010 2009
Corporate 2.1 2.3
Group 2.1 2.1
Leisure 2.0 2.0
Airline 1.0 1.0 Source: Participating Hotels and Pinnacle Advisory Group
42%
19%
38%
1%
Corporate
Group
Leisure
Airline
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Pinnacle Advisory Group provides this Market Mix and Average Length of Stay and this
information is based on data for 31 hotels throughout Massachusetts.
In 2010, cruise travel in Massachusetts created more than 7,000 new jobs and
generated nearly $460 million in direct spending.
The majority of Massachusetts’ 1.29 million international overseas visitors come from the
United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan. City break travel remains strong,
particularly from the United Kingdom, where consumers can choose during peak season
from seven non-stop flights daily from London. Family travel also remains strong, as
does shopping-break travel. With the exchange rate favorable for international travelers,
it continues to be inexpensive for them to travel to Massachusetts for a shopping trip or a
quick getaway as Boston is the closest US port of entry to Europe. In fact, European
capacity at Logan International Airport increased 19.8% in the second quarter of 2011,
and 17.1% in Q3. While the majority of international passengers are from Europe as the
majority of non-stop service comes from European markets, however, this is anticipated
to change starting in 2012 with the advent of the new non-stop Boston-Tokyo service on
JAL.
c. Salem Market:
Located just 17 miles north of Boston’s Logan International Airport, Salem is easily
accessible by major highways, commuter rail and in the summer, the Salem Ferry. The
city offers a large number of sustainable competitive advantages because of its rich
history, its well known maritime past, seaside location, art, culture and the Witch Trails of
1692 for which it is internationally known. As a result, the city features a variety of
offerings for leisure travelers who are visiting friends and family, seeking quick getaways
or vacations closer to home. This positioning allows us to promote the variety of things
to see and do in Salem and plays to families and short stay visitors as well. This diversity
of product also allows us to target the individual niche traveler, including those from the
following segments: culinary, LGBT and cultural. This will continue to be a focus of our
marketing efforts in order to help differentiate us from competing destinations. In 2005,
the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Salem to its Dozen Distinctive
Destinations List. This program recognizes cities and towns that offer an authentic
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visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive
architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation,
sustainability and revitalization.
Salem offers international visitors uniquely American activities in an area that is easily
accessible from Boston. While this segment accounts for a small percentage of our
visitors, it can not be overlooked by our destination, as international visitors tend to stay
longer and spend more money. Capitalizing on our rich American history will continue to
be a main focal point moving forward as we work to grow market share from this very
important visitor segment by collaborating with organizations already working the
international market, including the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, Discover
New England, and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, among others.
In terms of meetings and group tours, Salem is positioned as an affordable and
accessible destination with a variety of accommodation types and activities for planners
and their attendees. Although meeting and group tour planners represent a
comparatively small percentage of our customer target, the economic impact their
groups generate is important to the overall success of Salem. They also help to fill the
mid-week need periods. We will also continue to work with the Massachusetts Film
Office to help continue to attract films to Salem, and with our partners in the cruise
industry to try to position the Port of Salem as a viable port for cruise business in the
Northeast.
The National Park Service estimates 805,000 visitors to Salem for fiscal year 2010
(October 1, 2009 – September 10, 2010), a 12% increase over FY2009. These visitors
generated more than $99.5 million in tourism spending over this time period. In order to
determine the positioning of Salem and the best audiences to target, we continue to
analyze a variety of existing research available to us.
In reviewing visits to www.Salem.org, we have found that in 2010, we had 285,646 visits.
4.6 pages were viewed per visit, the average time on the site was 4.08 minutes, and
79.8% of visits were new visits. The top states of origin were: Massachusetts, New York
and Pennsylvania followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Rhode Island,
Texas, New Hampshire and Florida. The largest number of international visits were from
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Canada followed by the United Kingdom. The top states or origin were similar when it
came to fulfillment requests as well. Massachusetts, followed by New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Ohio were the top five states where requests for materials came from.
We recently conducted an online survey with those who requested information from
Destination Salem online and through various vehicles where we promote the
destination. This online survey was sent to 16,800 people and had a response rate of
10%. We asked the same questions that we asked in 2008 so that we could continue to
benchmark the results of our marketing efforts among our visitors.
The survey asked whether the contacts had visited Salem in the last twelve months and
if they did, they could complete the survey. 67% of respondents said yes, they had
visited, and of the 33% who said they hadn’t visited, their reasons were primarily timing,
budget, and/or they are planning a trip to Salem in the future.
Of those who did visit Salem in the past 12 months, 89% of respondents said their
primary purpose for the trip was leisure. Of this group, 60% were visiting for the first time
and 66% traveled to Salem with their personal car. This information differs from the 2008
survey, in which 64.5% visited for the first time. Should this trend continue, it would
suggest more people are becoming repeat visitors to Salem.
Similar to visitors to the Greater Boston area, the average age of our visitors continues
to skew older, between 45 – 54, followed closely by the 35 – 44 age group. The 25 – 34
and 55 – 64 age groups were evenly matched. 35% of survey respondents traveled as a
couple, 26% as a family and 19% as part of a group. 70% of the respondents were
women. 35% have a household income between $50,000 and $100,000, which 22% of
visitors to Salem have a household income of over $100,000. These figures mirror the
results from the 2008 survey.
43% of survey respondents live in New York, 18% in Pennsylvania, and 9% in
Massachusetts, with another 7% in New Jersey and 7% in Connecticut. The largest
number of international survey respondents live in Canada (7%) followed by the United
Kingdom (2%).
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34% visited in October, followed by the summer months of July (16%), June (12%),
August (10%). 8% visited in September and 7% in May. 68% stayed 1 – 2 nights, with
29% visiting 3 – 6 nights. 63% visited another area in the region either before or after
their trip to Salem and 48% visit Salem 1 – 3 times a year.
When asked why they chose Salem and then what they did once they were in Salem,
respondents once again showed that they partook in activities that they hadn’t originally
intended to, such as shopping, restaurants/dining, Witch Trials History, Modern
Witchcraft and Maritime Heritage.
Why you
chose Salem
What you did
once in Salem
Friends & Family 67% 63%
Shopping 51% 98%
Architecture 62% 60%
Arts & Cultural Events 72% 68%
Witch Trials History 87% 95%
Maritime Heritage 56% 66%
Educational Events 62% 53%
Proximity to Boston 60% 51%
Modern Witchcraft 51% 55%
Paranormal Exploration 41% 45%
Restaurants & Dining 58% 81%
In 2011, the largest jump is seen in the shopping category. In 2009 and 2011, the other
significant jump in people engaging in an activity they hadn’t originally intended to
happened in Restaurants/Dining. Together, these results suggest that more and more
people are discovering the fine dining Salem has to offer, and because of that reputation
are even visiting Salem specifically for restaurants and fine dining.
Unlike the 2008 survey, the results are more evenly distributed among all of the
categories. In 2008, activities either significantly declined or increased in planned to
do/actually did, while in 2011 the differences between planning and actually engaging
once in Salem were more evenly matched. This suggests that visitors have been more
educated on the destination and what it has to offer, they have enough information to
accurately plan their activities based on their interests and fulfill those plans, but they still
find other activities to engage in once in Salem that they hadn’t originally planned on
doing.
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87% got their information on Salem from the Internet and 80% got their information
through Destination Salem Visitor & Travel Guide.
In previous research, we learned that travelers to Salem have two basic motivations for
travel: those seeking to Escape and those who want to experience Adventure. Those
seeking adventure are looking for new perspectives, expanding horizons beyond their
daily lives through learning and visiting history, seeing new parts of the country, etc.
These people are either seeking Living History or Moment in History experiences.
Moment in History is representative of a specific event that happened in the area and is
favored by families and those specifically seeking Salem for the Witch history. For some,
the Witch Trials are the only point. Their curiosity ends once they “do” the Witch Trials.
Not only are they not interested in visiting Salem again because they feel that they have
seen all it had to offer, but their perception of the city is dominated by dark, mysterious
and touristy imagery. However, some Moment in History visitors associate the Witch
trails most closely with Salem, and for these visitors this is only a starting point. A
fascination with the Witch Trials is what brings them to Salem, but once there they learn
what else Salem has to offer, such as the waterfront, architecture, restaurants and other
attractions.
The Living History experience is about a place being representative of a time or born
from the roots of this time, and having the ability to have a good time while being
surrounded by history, scenery and architecture. Critical to Living History trips are
multiple points of interest, such as restaurants, hotels, museums, events, etc. Research
shows us that Living History tends to be favored by Empty Nesters and New England
Tourists.
Destination Salem continues to have an opportunity to transform potential visitors’
perception of Salem from a Moment in History destination to a Living History destination,
as those perceiving Salem as a Living History destination are more likely to stay longer
and become a repeat visitor.
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As a follow-up to the reports completed in 2007 and 2009 by Open the Door, we
revisited the previous documents as well as conversations with key stakeholders. In
2007 and 2009, as well as 2011, stakeholders felt that Salem has been known for
hundreds of years, around the world, as the Witch City. Rather than try to rebrand, it was
agreed that Salem should continue to expand upon the brand. The message should be
to tell former and future visitors that Salem is about witches, but it’s also about so much
more: culture, maritime history, great restaurants, shopping and more.
In 2007, the stakeholders felt that the different market segments needed to be targeted.
Not only older, more affluent visitors, but also younger families, and that the target
audience was regional, national and international. This changed slightly in 2009 with an
emphasis away from the local market, within 50 miles, and respondents showing more
interest in targeting the overnight visitors from more than 50 miles away. In 2011, there
is a desire to target the overnight visitor from the Northeast (PA, NY, NJ, NE and
Canada) as well as drive local business during need periods.
Since 2007, all felt that Destination Salem is moving in the right direction,
communications have been excellent and efforts to date have exceeded expectations.
It continues to be important to have regular communication with the industry,
guaranteeing buy-in of programs and feedback on programs to continue to improve them
moving forward to ensure the greatest return on investment for the efforts of Destination
Salem.
d. Competitive Analysis
Located in the northeastern part of the Commonwealth, Salem is easily accessible from
major highways throughout New England. Its geographic location also offers convenient
access for air travel through Logan International Airport. Salem has been a popular
tourism destination since the mid-nineteenth century. Most known for the Salem Witch
Trials of 1692, Salem is also recognized for the House of Seven Gables and its
connections to literary great Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Peabody Essex Museum, the
Salem Maritime National Historic Site and the annual Salem Haunted Happenings
festival. In addition, architectural historians recognize Salem for its incomparable
collection of historic structures; modern pagans and witches visit Salem for the large
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number of Witch shops and the concentrated Wiccan and Witch communities; and
Salem has a vibrant downtown with diverse restaurant and shopping options for visitors
from far and near. Salem is a complex destination with various offerings that appeal to
multiple demographics.
Our competitive set within the leisure market includes destinations that are similar to our
key tourism locations within the region. Although we acknowledge that any region in the
nation effectively acts as competition, we limit our main competition to the destinations
listed below that have been identified in our research. While all of the destinations listed
serve as overall competition, some places are viewed more strongly than others by
different segments, i.e. New England tourists, those seeking Salem specifics, Day
Trippers and Visitors from Boston.
Understanding these segments is very important.
New England tourists, mostly empty nesters who are taking some time to soak in an
area of the country they probably have never visited before, are looking for scenery and
atmosphere, rather than facts and hard history. They are seeking living history.
Destinations are the starting and ending point of the day, but the real adventure is the
journey in between. They want to experience “old New England” and take in the coastal
scenery. They would be as likely to visit Portland, ME, Newport, RI and Portsmouth,
NH as Salem.
Those seeking Salem Specifics are looking to gain an understanding deeper than they
can learn from books. These visitors are a mix of empty nesters and family vacationers
who are interested in learning more about a specific historical event. They are seeking a
moment in history. Family vacationers want to educate their kids in a way that is fun and
empty nesters are self described history buffs who want authenticity and to feel the place
they’ve read about. They’d be likely to visit Sturbridge Village, Gettysburg and Colonial
Williamsburg as well.
Day trippers are visitors who live within an hour drive (50 miles)from Salem. They want a
day away from the ordinary, but not a huge investment in time or cost. The key to their
trip is that the destination have multiple points of interest for all parties. Other
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destinations that would appeal would be Rockport, Newburyport, Marblehead or
Gloucester.
For visitors coming from Boston, a mix of empty nesters and family vacationers who
have elected Boston as their main destination, they may have a specific interest in
something outside the city, but it is only to augment their Boston experience. They are
looking to gain an understanding deeper than they can learn from books. For these
visitors, Cambridge and Lexington/Concord would also be appealing.
• Portland, ME: Portland offers visitors the history and culture of the region, including
the maritime history. It’s a destination that compliments us on the leisure side, but is
in direct competition for meetings and conventions, as they have similarly sized
facilities and hotels with comparable rates. Portland’s Old Port is one of the most
successful revitalized warehouse districts in the country. Seamlessly connected to
the waterfront, the Old Port is both a working waterfront and a chic shopping and
entertainment district, increasingly known for its’ fine dining. Portland is easily
accessible for visitors from I-95, train, bus or by air.
Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau: The Greater Portland Convention &
Visitors Bureau website is easy to navigate and presents information about the
region, visitors, meetings, weddings, travel trade, relocating, media, members, etc.
They have Portland CVBs & Tourist Information Centers easily accessible, either by
phone during business hours, or the 24-hours service with the website. Three of
their main tabs in the visitor section are Visiting Maine, Visitor Resources, and
Savings. Visiting Maine which provides where to stay, eat, shop, what to do, getting
around, and visitor services. Visitor resources have a calendar of events, which can
be very helpful when booking trips. The Savings section offers an interactive map &
trip planner, making it easy to look through vacation packages, coupons and deals;
there are several different options to attract every type of potential visitor. The
website is the source for any questions someone may have about Maine, the travel,
lodging, entertainment, dining, etc., and can be easily navigated. They also offer a
free visitors guide, available online or hard copy.
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• Newport, RI: Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport
Mansions, Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the
nation. Another National Historic Landmark District, Bellevue Avenue, is the home of
the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Newport has coastlines on the West, South
and East and is a maritime city, known as the sailing capitol of the United States. It
offers a large variety of dining and lodging options.
Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau: The Newport Convention & Visitors
Bureau website is innovative and user-friendly. The home page provides where to
stay, what to eat, where to shop, things to do, and visitor resources. These all have
drop down tabs that have different concentrations, making it easy to find the
information you want and need quickly. On the homepage they also offer last minute
deals, upcoming events, an insider’s blog, and a travel guide. The overall design of
the website is clean yet creative, and provides an abundance of travel information for
everyone in-between the solo traveler, and the wedding planner.
• Portsmouth, NH: Located on the New Hampshire Seacoast, Portsmouth is an
historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination. It was named by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive
Destinations, calling the city “one of the most culturally rich destinations in the
country…..with a stimulating mix of historic buildings, sidewalk cafes, great
restaurants, art galleries, jazz clubs and distinctive artisans’ boutiques.” Portsmouth
is easily accessible, roughly an hour north of Boston, an hour east of Manchester,
NH and an hour south of Portland, ME.
Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of
Commerce website is easy to navigate. The homepage has a running slideshow of
visitors, concerts, local cuisine, gardens, the harbor, etc. providing an immediate
visual of what they have to offer visitors. On the sidebar of the homepage they have
a list of events, visitor guides, and seasonal videos. The website isn’t fancy but it
provides easy access to information that would be helpful in planning a trip.
• Williamsburg, VA: Williamsburg is well-known for Colonial Williamsburg, the restored
Historic Area of the city, which is a living history museum, similar to Old Sturbridge
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Village. It depicts the lifestyles and culture of the 19th century colonial period in
American history. Busch Gardens and Water Country are located just three miles
from the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg, offering an adventure for every
family.
Williamsburg Convention & Visitors Bureau: The Williamsburg CVB offers a
comprehensive and user friendly website that is aesthetically pleasing. Visitors can
easily find free visitor information at the bottom of the homepage. The website
features large rotating photos of area attractions. Attractions, Golf, Lodging,
Shopping, and Restaurants are presented on the homepage, along with a What’s
Happening section. The homepage also provides information for group tours,
meeting planners, maps and transportation, deals and packages, and itineraries.
Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance: The Greater Williamsburg
Chamber & Tourism Alliance’s website is also extremely easy to navigate. It provides
links to area events, visitors, membership, plan a visit, local news and resources,
sports, and meetings. It is also easy to access free visitor information, as well as
offering great coupons redeemable online. They also provide publications in their
media center that will better assist those planning vacations, conferences, business
travel, as well as residents looking to enjoy the area.
• Rockport, MA: Rockport’s historic attractions bring seacoast history alive with many
attractions over 250 years old. Motif No 1 is the most painted building in the world.
Generations of artists have been drawn to Rockport, in particular, for its uncommonly
magical light that has inspired artists since Winslow Homer. Visitors can enjoy
dozens of art galleries. Rockport is also a popular destination for outdoor activities,
including sailing, kayaking, bird watching, and is home to beautiful beaches and
lighthouses. Rockport is known for fresh, delicious seafood and restaurants with
waterfront views. Rockport ahs an abundance of historic inns and hotels, charming
B&B’s, motels and cottages. Less than an hour from Boston, Rockport is easily
accessible by train and boat.
• Newburyport, MA: Located on the south bank of the Merrimack River at the mouth of
the Atlantic Ocean, Newburyport is filled with churches and cemeteries that evoke
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remembrances of local personalities. The Tannery District, close to downtown, is an
extension of old steam mills and tanneries of the past. All over town you can imagine
the locations of former ropewalks and clammers’ shacks. Visitors can see shipyards,
as well as the saltbox and Victorian houses, Federal mansions and Colonial houses
that are today’s cherished homes. Newburyport also has a lengthy maritime history.
Lowell’s Boat Shop is the country’s oldest continuous boat building business in
operation still producing dories. The downtown area offers a variety of boutiques,
banks, bookstores, import shops, salons, cafes and food shops. Newburyport offers
a variety of historic inns, B&Bs, hotels and motels. In terms of dining, Newburyport
offers varied menus from Yankee New England fare, to American and European
cuisine to ethnic enticements.
• Marblehead, MA: Filled with quaint, narrow streets and historic 17th and 18th century
buildings, Marblehead is famous for its unsurpassed contributions to the American
Revolution and Civil War, offering visitors numerous historical sites. Marblehead
Harbor boasts one of the finest displays of sailing craft anywhere and has earned the
title of The Yachting Capital of the World. Marblehead is also known as the
Birthplace of Marine Aviation.
• Gloucester, MA: Gloucester is America’s oldest seaport and one of the countries
oldest continuously operating artists colonies, Rocky Neck. Visitors travel the world
to experience Rocky Neck and while in Gloucester, take in the sights and sounds of
a working waterfront, check out their great beaches, and shop the historic downtown.
Gloucester is an easy drive from Boston and has also generated interest because it
served as the location for the movie, A Perfect Storm.
• Cambridge, MA: Just across the river from Boston, Cambridge is home to two of the
world’s premier educational institutions: Harvard University and MIT. Filled with
bookstores, café’s and boutiques, Cambridge has an eclectic spirit. It has countless
dining and lodging options and is within close proximity to Boston. Cambridge
borders the scenic Charles River, with buildings spanning four centuries of
Cambridge history. The Longfellow National Historic Site was the former home of
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and briefly the headquarters of General George
Washington during the Revolutionary War.
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• Lexington/Concord, MA: Just 22 miles from Boston, Lexington/Concord is the home
to the Minute Man National Historic Park, the Battle Road Trail, a five-mile trail
connecting historic sites, and other historic sites, including Hartwell Tavern, North
Bridge, The Wayside: Home of Authors, The Concord Museum, National Heritage
Museum and Liberty Ride. Lexington/Concord offers B&Bs as well as hotels and
motels and has dozens of eating establishments, catering to all desires.
In an effort to continue to grow our market share, we will continue to monitor our
competitive destinations and analyze their marketing and promotional programs
targeting visitors. We understand that this is a constantly changing scene and that in
order to remain competitive we must continue to seek out new ways to differentiate
ourselves from our competition and showcase our positive attributes as well as our
value.
We will also look to differentiate ourselves from our competition, offering Salem as an
authentic, affordable alternative to Boston; giving those that desire it, an opportunity to
step back in time, experience the living history of Salem and provide an educational
perspective while having fun. Those looking for a quick escape will be given the
opportunity to discover Salem as an easily accessible destination that offers something
for everyone, as well as an affordable alternative to Boston that completes a Boston
experience.
e. Travel Trends
Leisure Trends:
The US Travel Association forecasts spending on leisure travel will increase to $519.6
billion in 2010 from $489 billion in 2009, and that 2011 and beyond are expected to
provide slow and steady improvement. And a recent Travel Leaders survey showed that
89% will take at least one leisure trip in 2011, 83% of travelers will spend the same or
more on leisure travel in 2011 than they did in 2010.
In the travelhorizons Traveler Sentiment Index, the affordability of travel index has
increased substantially, suggesting that consumer are increasingly more positive about
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their ability to afford to travel than just last year, and positive increases were also
observed in “interest to travel”, “time to travel”, and “money available for travel”, thereby
suggesting that the travel industry can expect a rebound in demand during 2011.
The New Frugal continues to drive the majority of travelers planning and shopping
behavior. Most travelers are discovering the appeal of comparison-shopping sites as
they pursue what they consider their right: a good deal! Despite the difficult economic
conditions of the past few years, American’s continued to travel, albeit with
modifications.
A survey by Hotels.com of U.S. adults revealed that 52% of those polled say they’re
looking for added perks and benefits more often than they did before. Breakfast is a
favorite complimentary offering, with 87% surveyed saying they take advantage of this
added benefit when traveling. Research by Deloittle & Touche affirms this bargain-
hunting trend, which has led many hotels to create special promotions to attract guests,
such as offering an additional free night, complimentary spa treatment or discounted
meals. In addition, the airline industry is boosting incentives for travelers by offering
promotions such as monthly passes. Therefore, it is imperative that affordability, value
offers and packages be prevalent in the travel and hospitality industry to cater to the
many travelers who are still watching their spending habits
A recent Y Partnership Survey has showed travelers are embracing a sustained sense
of resourcefulness. With the continued growth of the Internet, consumers are more
determined than ever to obtain the most value from their travel purchases, although this
is no longer based on price alone. The survey reported that more than three-quarters of
US consumers have become much smarter shoppers; 64% are willing to pay full price if
they are guaranteed the quality and service they believe they deserve; 20% of leisure
travelers have purchased a travel service as a result of a flash sale; and the percentage
of travelers who have downloaded a smartphone travel app jumped from 19% in 2010 to
28% in 2011. The survey also showed that 50% of travelers are seeking experienced
based travel; and 70% have taken a celebration vacation in the past twelve months,
coincidental with the recognition of a significant life event such as a milestone birthday or
anniversary.
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One of the most important trends globally is the rapidly aging population and how it
affects travel and tourism. We are rapidly entering an era of an ageless society where
what defines age is becoming less determining across areas of career, travel, mobile
usage, media consumption and more. It is increasingly accepted that reaching middle
age doe not imply a sudden slowing down of activity. Opportunities to lead a more
varied lifestyle post-retirement and post-family stage will lead to a demand for improve
lifestyle and travel options for the mature segment.
One of the fastest growing segments is the “Grand Traveler” – grandparents who have
time are traveling more with their grandchildren. According to the US Travel Association,
in 2010, 32% of US grandparents took a trip with their grandchildren, up from 22% in
2007, and this number is expected to grow as the US population ages. Currently at least
5 million family vacations a year in the United States span three generations, with the
grandparents often paying the bill. Research also shows that children have a major
influence on the decision making of multi-generational travel.
The use of the internet as a medium through which to plan, shop for and purchase travel
services continues to outperform the broader travel market and return to positive growth
much sooner. In 2010, travelhorizons found the following 10 features to be the most
important from travel websites:
While the industry may not have grown over the past few years, it has evolved
enormously in online marketing and sales, social networking, media and mobile
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
83% 82% 78% 76% 75%68% 66% 64%
59%52%
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marketing. Engaging in Internet initiatives, mobile phone applications and rich media
advertising are among the most effective was to reach traveling consumers with relevant
content.
A recent Google study showed that search remains the number one planning source for
leisure travel. There has also been significant growth in search through the purchase
funnel, as one-third of travelers say search prompted them to book travel, and they
found that search engine users most often search for overnight accommodations,
destinations, vacation activities, road trips and air travel.
The use of the mobile internet (internet accessible by mobile phones via applications
and/or internet browsers) is more prevalent than ever before. According to a report
published by Pew Internet and American Life Project, in 2010, 89 million Americans
accessed the internet from their mobile devise. This is approximately 1/3 of the US
population. ISM Strategic Marketing reports that there are 4.6 billion mobile
subscriptions in the world today, yet there are only one billion computers. Therefore,
businesses in the hospitality industry have to ensure that their websites are accessible
via cell phone internet applications.
Most travelers visit between two and five websites when shopping for travel online, and
travelers who visit the most sites are likely to be motivated by a desire to read traveler
reviews, research destinations, and purchase tickets to events or attractions. In fact,
Frommers and TripAdvisor has stated that research shows that consumer opinions
posted online are more trusted than newspapers and people are more likely to book a
vacation if they can read reviews from other travelers, a sentiment echoed by the US
Travel Association and American Express who have reported that among the 128 million
US adults taking leisure trips of 2+ nights with air, hotel and/or cruise, 50% say they trust
reviews, rating and comments by other vacations more than formal travel reviews,
articles and guidebooks.
Consumers have taken charge of social media for online hotel review sites, such as Trip
Advisor, to social networks such as Facebook, to instant communication tools such as
Twitter, allowing them to share their experiences and opinions, both good and bad, with
follow travelers world wide, giving them a platform for the most powerful and credible
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form of communication – word of mouth. These media are all about sharing experiences
and opinions and can be a very effective marketing tool, although it’s important to
remember that social media isn’t a quick, free way to impact the bottom line, but rather,
a marketing tool and should be given as much attention as advertising, direct mail, web
enhancements and other marketing programs. Measurement is about Return on
Engagement.
Consumers are not only researching and booking travel online, but they are also
purchasing it through their mobile telephones. ITB World Travel Trends Report predicts
that social networks will have an increasingly large influence on travel and booking
behavior. Social networks not only influence the way people obtain information and
make their bookings in advance of a trip, but it also provides and important channel for
communicating during the trip. 37% of global travelers use Facebook and other social
media sites to keep friends informed or post photos upon their return. Over the next few
years, social networks will become an everyday form of communication and will be
widely accepted for the purpose of making reservations. Already 52% of 152 million
adult vacationers in the United States are using social networks to discuss their next
intended trip or to obtain information directly from businesses. In Japan, smart phones
are already being used to make reservations for 20% of domestic flights.
Mobile applications are no longer a future trend. The use of mobile phones in trip
planning is growing, from using applications such as Urban Spoon and Open Table to
find a restaurant and make reservations, to purchasing attraction tickets and making
hotel and flight reservations directly from a mobile phone. While existing mobile travel
applications largely treat mobile devices as simply an additional access point for existing
content, the next generation of mobile applications will begin to serve the real time
needs of the mobile traveler. With 4.6 billion mobile users by 2011 and a 61.5% growth
in mobile browsing, a very high percentage of online distributed products will be sold
through this new channel. Continuous and stable growth in the penetration of mobile
web usage in many travel markets is a clear indicator that mobile browsing is becoming
mainstream. Mobile offers a new way to connect with customers based around
relevance, and offers significant potential to generate new sales and brand awareness.
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Additionally, there is a growing trend in mobile proximity marketing. This is the ability to
reach travelers via their mobile devices. Messages are automatically delivered to a
guests cell phone whenever they approach a certain distance from a hotel, shop,
attraction, etc. With this technology, businesses can offer guests an exclusive offer,
loyalty promotions, incentives and more.
A study done by Ruder Finn, responsible for creating the first ever Mobile Intent Index,
shows that Americans are spending an average of 2.7 hours a day on the mobile
internet. As a result, the mobile phone is becoming the most powerful online device, and
the faster business can adapt their services to harness consumer mobile intent, the
more rapidly they can capitalize on understanding their customers to drive growth.
Mobile devices are destined to play an increasingly important role in the distribution and
sales of travel services. Both shopping and more real-time engagement in the discovery
of what a destination has to offer are anticipated to rival talking and texting in the years
ahead.
Flash sales and daily deals have also been found to encourage repeat business.
According to ConsumerSearch.com and The About Group, an overwhelming majority
(68%) of those who had purchased a daily deal returned without another discount and
this is particularly true among those who purchased restaurant discounts. 53% of
redeemers went on to become regular customers.
National research demonstrates that additional segments that should be targeted are the
cultural market, the culinary market, and the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT)
market, among others. These segments offer potential for impulse purchases via
promotions. All of these research findings were utilized to develop 2012 initiatives.
However, while new communication devices and social media continue to grow rapidly,
traditional outlets are thriving in the lives of consumers today and AdAge has reported
that these traditional outlets form the core of how most consumers interact with media.
Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer of affluent Americans (those with at least $100,000 in
annual household income) found that 93% of those surveyed read hard copy print
versions of magazines, and they are seeing the same pattern across all media. The vast
majority consumes content through its most traditional outlet: magazines and
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newspapers in print, websites on computers, and video through televisions. Even as
younger generations exhibit more cross-platform “experimentation”, they too have ben
found to consume media through its most traditional outlets. As a result, we will seek to
incorporate new mediums into our advertising mix while maintaining traditional mediums
that our target markets embrace.
According to the US Travel Association, when compared to the average trip in the US,
cultural trips are more likely to be seven nights or longer and include air travel, a rental
car, and a hotel stay. Cultural seekers are also more likely to specifically extend their
stay to experience history and culture at their destination. In fact, four in ten visitors
added extra time to their trip because of their interest in a cultural activity.
OutNow Consulting has reported that the LGBT market represents $142 billion in leisure
travel spending. AH&LA reports that the US LGBT market spends $63 billion alone.
While comprising only 5% of total domestic per person trips, LGBT travelers account for
10% of total domestic travel spending. As Boston and Cambridge are high cost
destinations, this segment, with more disposable income, provides a significant
opportunity for us. They are looking for safe destinations with exceptional dining and
cultural experiences, and in a survey by Community Marketing, Kimpton and American
Airlines were the top brands for this segment. In 2011 we will work with our airline and
hotel partners to develop programs to drive visitation from this important segment. In
addition, we will promote these opportunities to the UK market as OutNow Consulting
has reported that the UK LGBT market represents $8.1 billion in spending.
Additional niche marketing, such as promoting food and dining opportunities, continue to
become more prevalent among destinations in their marketing. As they are primarily
indoor opportunities, “food” activities can be promoted during off peak seasons, when
the weather is inclement in order to generate interest in a destination that otherwise
visitors might not consider during off peak time periods.
Business Travel / Meetings Trends:
Business Travel News reports that corporate travelers continue to tack on leisure time to
business trips in an effort to make the most of expenses already covered by employers,
continues as the New York Times recently reported that with business restrictions in
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place, some travelers are using one trip for multiple needs. Egencia, the corporate
travel arm of Expedia, has reported that 59% of business travelers have had friends or
family join them on a trip so that they could spend free time together.
According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), business travel spending
and volume will remain flat in 2011. Reflecting the softer than expected economy, GBTA
has lowered it’s 2011 growth estimate for the number of U.S. originated business trips to
2.3%, down from 3.4% earlier this year. With increased travel-related costs (such as
airfare), spending by business travelers is still expected to grow by 6.8% to $107.2 billion
in 2011 and another 5.8% in 2012. Convention related travel is also expected to grow in
2012 after a stagnate 2011.
International Trends:
According to the US DOC, inbound overseas arrivals to the United States are expected
to be 64 million in 2011, with expected growth to 89 million in 2014. Favorable currency
exchange rates played a role in the 8.7% increase in inbound overseas travelers in in
2010.
While fuel costs continue to be an issue for long haul travel, expenses are offset by the
weak dollar and favorable exchange rate, particularly for visitors from Canada and the
United Kingdom. In fact, The Christian Science Monitor recently reported that the weak
dollar is luring foreign travelers to the United States, making the East Coast very
attractive for the overseas visitors. They’re also spending more this year than last.
British travelers are trending towards shorter holidays, according to the National Trust
and HolidayExtras.com. 48% responded to their survey that they can’t afford to be away
from work for two weeks, and also, 14 days away becomes too expensive. The two-
week holiday has decreased 18% in the last five years. This is to the advantage of
Boston, as we are an ideal short haul destination, with 7 daily flights from London
making it a perfect long weekend destination for UK visitors.
The US Department of Commerce has identified Australia, Brazil, China, India and
Korea as the top five growth markets for international travel to the United States. For
more than half of these travelers, shopping is a key driver for the choice of a US
30
destination. They are also interested in visiting museums, and unique dining
experiences, as well as visiting national parks and attending concerts and theatre.
According to Visa, foreign cardholders traveling to the United States in 2010 increased
spending 18% from $29 billion in 2009 to $34 billion in 2010. Despite economic
uncertainties, the US continues to be a major draw for international visitors and their
money.
Collectively, the BRIC nations are expected to outperform major industrialized
economies over the next two years. China is expected to see a 10% growth in GDP and
India 8.8% by 2014. In 2012, we will be poised to target this business from Asia with the
launch of non-stop service between Tokyo and Boston. This new Japan Air Lines flight
will drive growth in Japanese visitors and will also help to increase market share from
the rest of Asia as Asian markets – Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei and 17
other markets have frequent service to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport.
Driven by a booming economy and increasing disposable incomes, mainland Chinese
are looking more and more to travel abroad. The economic boom of the past decade has
increased disposable incomes in China and as in other countries with improved
economies, people are looking for new ways to spend their wealth. China outbound
tourism increased at a compound annual rate of 10.2% between 2003 and 2009.
The large mainland Chinese population, and their increasing affluence, will continue to
drive growth in outbound tourism. It will be important to market to them appropriately,
providing the right kind of shopping and attraction experience, as well as Mandarin
speaking staff in key positions in tourism-related industries. Chinese tour groups are
predominantly made up of families or couples, but a major group of emerging travelers
consists of high-net-worth individuals who travel frequently. They are generally a
younger demographic of 30 – 45 years old, who are fluent in English and look for exotic
destinations, as well as Europe and the United States. A large part of the Chinese
market, while not booking online, uses the internet to do research and get feedback
through social networks to help them make their travel decisions. Having a Chinese
website is a definite plus to gain accessibility from Chinese travelers. From hotels,
they’re looking for visuals, and beyond websites, hotels need to follow through with a
Mandarin speaking team in front of house. As the number of visitors from China to the
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US continues to increase, US based hotels are already starting to infuse their operations
with services designed to make them feel more welcome. Starwood will offer in room
tea kettles, slippers and translation services, as well as having Chinese speaking staff
and Hilton will have a front desk worker fluent in Mandarin and a Chinese television
station, as well as a full Chinese breakfast.
In the meetings market, a survey conducted IMEX reported that 67% of international
planners reported an anticipated increase in the number of meetings that they were
planning, as well as 63% reported an increase in spending. As in the United States,
international corporate meetings are reemerging, however, with average number of room
nights falling from 6.5 nights to 4 nights, there is a growing trend in being less
extravagant than in the past and there are increasingly corporate giving elements being
added into the trips.
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III. 2011 – 2012 MARKETING PROGRAM In order to develop the 2011 – 2012 Marketing Plan, Destination Salem has evaluated
past programs, implemented research and analyzed results while focusing on
understanding trends in the industry that may have an effect on Salem. The 2011 – 2012
program will continue to emphasize the city’s history, culture, museums and attractions,
dining and shopping opportunities, as well as its proximity to Boston.
Salem will continue to be positioned as an ideal place to visit for domestic and
international families and couples for both overnight and day visits. We will begin to
target groups (social, meetings, student) to help drive business during need periods. And
we will continue to expand upon our niche marketing efforts to drive LGBT, culinary,
cultural, green and cruise business, among others. The marketing strategies will seek to
create awareness that Salem is a vibrant urban center offering a variety of opportunities
for all types of visitors. We will position the destination as one to “discover” for all target
audiences.
In 2011 and 2012, we will continue to implement programs that drive business to Salem.
Our goals will be to continue to increase overnight visitation, which is turn will increase
economic impact and the health of the visitor industry. This will be done by:
• Continuing to incorporate data realized through marketing research into
communications strategies;
• Continuing to generate leads and provide information to prospective visitors in all
target market segments;
• Developing increased focus on niche markets;
• Actively pursuing media coverage through an integrated media relations
campaign, including regularly scheduled e-blasts, pursuing placement of stories
and continuing to target a list of on-line publications for events/activities;
• Continue to develop and promote themed months that are tied into the festivals
and other activities in Salem, such as November & April Restaurant Weeks, May
Poetry Month or February Salem so Sweet month, among others. These themed
months will be supported by media relations efforts, as well as by developing
suggested itineraries and packaging by partners;
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• Increasing the number of marketing & promotional partners working with
Destination Salem;
• Continuing to enhance web-site;
• Promoting pre- and post-tours for Boston-based meetings;
• Increasing the amount of group business during need periods;
• Increasing participation in international marketing programs;
• Providing leadership and guidance for the development of promotional events;
• Providing input and advocacy to affect local and regional tourism policies.
These strategies will continue to be implemented through 2012, with the results from the
previous years programs being evaluated on an annual basis to ensure that they are still
the most effective strategies to generate the greatest return on investment.
Marketing budget will be allocated towards the following audiences:
For each of the outlined initiatives, we will continue to develop partnership and look to
add promotional opportunities where possible. Primary focus will be placed upon
increasing visitation to Salem by targeting a variety of market segments through
integrated initiatives, which will ultimately lead to generating increased visitors to the City
of Salem and our partners.
1% 1% 2% 3%
25%
54%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Cruise International LGBT Group Tour Regional Visitor (inc.
shop & dine)
Leisure Traveler
Percentage of Budget Allocated by Segment
34
In addition, we will continue to work with our partners to share research. We will also
undertake research on our own on a regular basis in and effort to measure the success
of individual programs, not only from the perspective of the visitor, but also from the
perspective of the private sector. In this way, programs can continue to be modified on a
regular basis and tailored to meet the immediate, as well as long term needs of the
destination. Measurement tools will not only include an annual review of the number of
visitors to Salem as well as the hotel tax revenue generated, but we will also look to
measure the amount of web-hits on a monthly basis, the value of media generated, the
number of brochures distributed, the number of partners working with Destination Salem,
response to our online visitor survey and more.
a. Initiatives
Salem offers a variety of world-renowned museums, cultural attractions, rich history and
unique venue accommodations that have appeal for all market segments. The primary
objective of Destination Salem is to develop and implement effective marketing
strategies that help to increase the number of visitors to Salem that will ultimately result
in enhancing the economic vitality of the city through increased tax revenue. In 2011 –
2012, strategies implemented by Destination Salem will continue to focus on those that
offer the greatest opportunity to leverage resources and return on investment through
joint collaborations, in-kind programs, and promotions of special events that draw visitors
to Salem.
The goals of the overall marketing program are as follows:
• Increase number of visitors, especially during low-demand periods;
• Increase the number of locals and residents visiting Salem businesses;
• Increase the number of visitors staying in hotel rooms;
• Increase the length of stay; and
• Increase overall visitor spending in Salem.
We will target our visitors by undertaking a variety of communications strategies outlined
below. We will look to niche markets to grow incremental businesses, as research
indicates that LGBT, Green, Cruise, Family and Culinary travel all continue to grow and
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may generated increased incremental business for Salem. We will also look to increase
visitors from the Meetings and Group Tour segments. The programs that we develop to
target domestic and international visitors will have an emphasis on appealing to those in
these all of these segments.
Key stakeholder interviews, as well as analysis of results generated from past programs,
indicates that there needs to continue to be a push to attract both overnight visitors and
day-trippers, understanding that while overnight visitors will help drive room tax revenue,
day-trippers will help drive business during the slower tourist months. While it is
recognized that the season is becoming longer in Salem (mid-May through mid-
November) there is still a need to drive business during the rest of the year, as well as
mid-week all year long.
Two years ago, the main focus for stakeholders was on attracting visitors within a 50-
mile radius. The primary focus is now on extending the reach of Destination Salem and
targeting visitors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, as well as
Massachusetts and the rest of New England. There is also a great deal of interest in the
Canadian market, as well as select overseas markets that would be interested in Salem
and in which the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism has a strong presence
(United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy & Japan/China).
Marketing efforts will include strategies and tactics that primarily attract the overnight
visitor, with some emphasis on the local resident/day-tripper.
Advertising:
The 2011 – 2012 advertising strategy incorporates understanding the travel trends and
research that are outlined earlier in this document; highlighting the creation of packages
and incentives that will lengthen visitor stays; developing messaging of interest for
regional travel; and offering a message that highlights both the known and the unknown
offerings of Salem.
Advertising will focus on promoting Salem as a destination of unique experiences, a
perfect blend of the historical and the contemporary, underscored with value added
offers. Salem will be positioned as a place where visitors can understand the making of
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history and make history themselves. Destination Salem will target affluent consumers
in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, as well as Massachusetts and
New England households.
We continue to understand that it’s the woman in the family/couple who make the travel
decision. Therefore, advertising and promotions will be tailored to appeal to the women
decision maker, with emphasis on continuing to incorporate social media strategies into
our activities. Moving forward, Destination Salem will continue to position the new
brand, Salem. Still Making History. We will continue to stress in our ads and promotional
campaigns the mix of activities and special events available, as well as the “value” of the
Salem experience.
We will continue to offer co-operative ads that sell the destination. The focus will be on
the experience of the destination, not just the individual advertisers. The co-op ad will
promote a link to the website where only those who financially support the placement will
be listed, so that they can track a return on investment. It is very important that Salem.
Still Making History is woven throughout the messaging and that the ads convey a
feeling of excitement. This messaging should be integrated throughout all mediums used
and it should be distributed for use by as many partner organizations as possible.
Advertising will target both the local and overnight visitor and will take the form of both
brand and co-operative advertising campaigns. It is imperative that the advertising
program be leveraged with partners in order to reach the various audiences that
Destination Salem and the businesses in the City are interested in.
• Boston Magazine:
o Print & Online
o Sweepstakes
o Custom Section
• New England Travel
• Phillymag.com
• Yankee Magazine Travel New England
• Improper Bostonian
• Boston Spirit
• AAA Mid-Atlantic
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• AAA New England
• Where Magazine
• Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
o Official Visitors Guidebook
o Destination Planners Directory
o Spring/Summer Travel Planner
o Summer in the City
• North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitors Guide
• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Travel Guide
• Starbucks NYC/NY Observer
• WXRV 92.5 The River Radio
• CT1
• WGBH
We will also look at targeted sponsorships to generate exposure for the various assets
and special events occurring in the region, including:
• New England Dine
• Saveur E-News
• Real Simple E-News
Ad space can also be traded with other organizations to leverage reach, wherever
possible, and we will work with media reps to purchase remnant space in travel and
lifestyle publications wherever possible.
Although Destination Salem does not have the funds to do television advertising
effectively, what Salem does have is variety of non-profit attractions that may qualify for
PSA’s on the various Boston and/or New York television stations. The role of
Destination Salem could be to coordinate the campaign in terms of timing and schedule,
and ensure that all of the PSA’s have a similar look and feel to them. In this way, the
Salem message can be promoted consistently, at a limited expense.
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Media Relations:
One of the most cost effective ways to market a destination is through an integrated
media relation’s strategy. Destination Salem enjoys great success working with travel
writers. We also work closely with the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau,
Discover New England, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism to aggressively pursue travel editors and
reports to secure print, online and broadcast coverage for our city.
We will continue to host educational trips for travel writers and interviews with key
partners, develop an online media library and a calendar of pitch ideas/press releases to
generate exposure for Salem among target media.
Destination Salem will continue to engage in social media to increase awareness for our
destination among visitors, planners and the media and we will also launch an
aggressive program to pursue media coverage for the destination by developing and
pitching story ideas, targeting niche media and promoting new itineraries to the media.
Media relations is critical in expanding Salem’s reach to target the northeast market, as
there aren’t enough advertising dollars available to have a consistent and
comprehensive presence in the New York/New Jersey, Texas, California and other
important markets for Salem through advertising, but awareness can be built through
stories. It will also help in targeting the group tour, meetings and cruise segments.
We will look to differentiate ourselves from our competitive set by focusing on the wide
set of attributes that Salem has to offer. For example, understanding that the Greater
Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau is actively promoting the north shore as part of
their Green Travels to Boston media push, we will work closely with them to show the
easy access visitors can have to Salem, as well as the variety of things to see and do
once they are here.
Social Media:
Social Media continues to be an important way for our existing and potential customers
to receive news and information on what’s happening in Salem. We will continue to
include regular posts on Facebook and Twitter for those audiences interested in
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obtaining their information that way. We will also look towards utilizing YouTube and
Flickr as well. We will do this by creating a monthly calendar of posts that will highlight
the news that we want to tell about Salem. When we have breaking news, we’ll swap out
one of the posts, but in this way, we’ll know what is going to be posted daily and will
have a strategy for the distribution of our news.
E-Newsletters:
Two types of e-newsletters will be produced: one for locals and one for visitors/media.
These will be produced on a regular basis, as news/information mandates. The one
produced for locals will promote events and specials with a shorter lead-time, helping to
address short-term business needs.
Moving forward, we will reconfigure our automatic sign-up for e-newsletters to offer
segmented areas of interest. We will email all existing subscribers and ask them to
indicate areas of interest so that we can provide more useful information to them and we
will provide a series of options for new subscribers.
Content Development:
One of the most cost effective ways to promote Salem is through continuing to develop
comprehensive content that is of interest to the various target market segments. In
order to have programs and content to promote to visitors and residents, a series of
itineraries and themed months will be developed in cooperation with businesses in
Salem. This will help to expand awareness to target market segments. Topics for niche
itineraries will be listed on the website and promoted to the media. The niche itineraries
could be one big overall itinerary or individual itineraries that could be combined with
others depending up on the trip people want to experience.
o They could be 1, 3 or 5 day itineraries, as well as half days
o They could be seasonal, weekend or weekday specific
Topics for niche itineraries to be listed on the website and promoted to the media, could
include:
• Buy Local
• Soft Adventure Activities
• LGBT
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• Culture
• Culinary
• International
• Green
Other ideas might include:
• New Age/Alternative
• Group Tourism
Itineraries can be leveraged with the other areas to create longer stays in the region, or
act as stand alone options for visitors.
In addition, Destination Salem will continue to develop and promote product, packages
and themed months. Packages allow the opportunity to control, to a degree, how the city
is promoted. It is also a great way to get multiple partners to work together to help drive
revenue in a traceable way.
Topics for product/packages/themed months might include:
• Off Season
• Itineraries outlined above
• Locally made and produced items (art and food)
• Value Promotions
o 40 ideas for under $40
• School’s Out
• August Heritage Days
• December Holiday Happenings
• 50 Ideas for Those Over 50 (or 50 Ideas for Those Under 50!)
• Group Business: Providing suggested ideas for social (weddings/reunions/etc.),
student, leisure and meetings group business will help the planner easily make their
decision and spotlights businesses that can serve the various types of group
business. Programs will include lodging, transportation, meeting and special event
venues, as well as ideas for tours and social activities.
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• Value Program: Content that promotes value will be developed, including creating
packages and/or special offers that can be promoted collectively in an effort to
generate increased awareness for the region as a destination that offers good value
for visitors and residents, particularly during the off season.
Website:
A major focus of our marketing efforts will be to continue to drive traffic to our website,
www.Salem.org, as we have learned that 87% of our visitors get their information from
our site. The flexibility of the website makes it an ideal outlet for communicating the
message of a year round destination. The site is being updated to reflect the new
branding, as well as seasonal promotions and special events. We will continue to
enhance key target market sections, as well as offer new promotional opportunities. We
will also reach out to niche markets and add new web outlets for promotion, including
blogs and social networking sites, ultimately driving more business to the website.
Our objective for the website is to make it easier for the visitor to find what they are
looking for, and to make it easier for them to find something new that will entice them to
the area. As a result, we will add new areas to our website, including sections offering:
• Value Specials & Packages
• Suggested Itineraries
• Themes & Events
• Cruise Ideas
• Media Only Section
o Press releases
o Images
o Story ideas
• Group Business
o Social Events:
� Weddings
� Reunions
o Group Tour
� Student
� Seniors
o Meetings & Events
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� Corporate/Association
In addition, we will also look to create an industry page on the site where our partners
can go for updated program information.
Educational Trips:
Educational (Fam) trips will continue to be implemented targeting media, tour operators
and meeting planners. In addition, the Concierge Educational Trip will continue,
expanding to include all of those who help to sell Salem (hotel sales & marketing staff in
surrounding towns, Visitor Center staff, staff at the Massachusetts Office of Travel &
Tourism, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, North of Boston Convention &
Visitors Bureau, local receptive operators and destination management companies and
other organizations that help to sell Salem.)
Destination Salem will also look to partner with local businesses who are members of
MPI, PCMA, SYTA, ABA, NTA, etc. to host educational evenings for local members of
those groups to be better educated on what the city has to offer for group business.
Memberships:
• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
• North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Discover New England – Corporate Partner
Tradeshows:
Destination Salem will have a presence at the following two shows in 2012 in an effort to
expand our network of potential clients and drive business:
• Discover New England Summit
Discover New England will hold their annual Summit in Boston in 2012.
Destination Salem will continue to be a corporate partner of DNE and will target
participating tour operators with new product offerings for the region. We will
also work closely with DNE and MOTT to potentially host pre and/or post fam
trips from this group to Salem, showcasing the close proximity to Boston.
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• Canada New England Symposium
This cruise show will be held in Quebec in 2012 and in Boston in 2013.
Destination Salem will again participate in the Canada New England Symposium
in an effort to increase Canada New England itineraries, specifically to the port of
Salem
Working with both with the private sector, a comprehensive tradeshow and marketplace
list will be developed that identifies tradeshows that partners are attending. These will
include shows that drive visitors to the region. This list will provide an opportunity for
Destination Salem to leverage resources and expand exposure for the region among
target audiences, while allowing for partnering between the private and public sector.
Value Programs/Customer Rewards:
Research has indicated that value programs (such as a Salem Specials program or a
SCVNGR app) helps to drive repeat business to a region. These types of value
programs are can particularly help with driving repeat local business.
• A Salem Specials program could be developed that would encourage local
residents to visits shops, restaurants and/or attractions and an incentive would
be offered for those who used it a certain amount of times. The incentive could
be created a variety of ways. For example, each participating business could be
asked to contribute something to the “incentive” pool. Or each participating
business agrees to offer something free (value needs to be comparable across
the board) for anyone who reaches the point of receiving a free item.
• SCVNGR App is very popular right now, among younger audiences. This
“mobile gaming platform” is a geo-social app, allowing you to create interactive
challenges for visitors to complete. They must be completed in specific
locations, and can range from checking in at site to answering trivia questions.
Participating businesses can create offers that the customer will receive, for
SCVNGR users only. This app will work well for both local residents and visitors,
alike.
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Other value programs/customer rewards programs include something like Push44 or
LevelUp.
• In Push44, businesses offer a special and push to other businesses. For example:
Get a $10 gift certificate to Finz for every two friends that buy a Salem Ferry ticket
through your referral. And your friends save $2 off their Ferry ticket by coming
through your referral. Or You buy a ticket for the Salem Trolley and recommend it
to your friends. If 4 friends buy Trolley tickets through your link, you get a free ticket
to the Witch Dungeon.
• In LevelUp, a new app released by the makers of SCVNGR, LevelUp will locate
nearby offers and upon purchasing and using the first deal at the business, the
customer has effectively completed “Level 1” and unlocked “Level 2”, an even better
deal. The idea is that first time diners/shoppers will turn into regulars as they go
through the leveling-up process, becoming loyal customers along the way.
Niche Markets:
As competition grows within the Commonwealth and throughout New England, our
objective is to focus on increasing room nights within these niche markets. We will work
to establish Salem as a welcoming destination for all segments by:
• Developing individual suggested itineraries and/or packages for targeted markets;
• Identifying and growing partners we can work with to leverage programs;
• Focusing on campaigns that will attract the overnight visitor to Salem;
• Developing campaigns that will attract the local visitor to Salem.
We will continue to partner with a variety of organizations to promote arts and culture in
Salem. We will also continue to work with partners to promote special events and other
themed months that will help to position the variety of things to see and do in Salem
throughout the year.
We will continue to explore opportunities for partnerships between retail, restaurants,
hotels and attractions as visitors continue to seek value and packaging. We will work
with our partners to create suggested itineraries and packages that will help promote the
City’s offerings to the LGBT, Culinary, Green and Cruise markets, as well as develop
packages that will promote Off Season Salem for February and March and Salem So
Sweet among others.
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LGBT: Salem continues to have the potential to see growth from the LGBT travel
market, which is significant in market size and spending power. To capture and grow this
market segment, we will continue to provide product information and host educational
trips. In addition, Boston will host the 30th annual InterPride international conference in
2012, so we will work with the GBCVB and MOTT to find ways to offer product for the
attendees to potentially visit Salem.
We will work with the GBCVB and NBCVB on their Cityside/Seaside collaboration
targeting the LGBT market. This program will offer city-break packages for nightlife and
then cozy seaside inns and downtime just minutes from the city. We will ensure that
Salem is represented in these offers, as they will be promoted on the MOTT app and
LGBT website, newsletter and push marketing as well as on all partner websites.
We will also ensure that our cultural community knows to post activities & events on the
LGBT portion of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism’s site,
www.MassVacation.com/Rainbow. Through this website, destinations and attractions
are listing activities for their area that are included on a calendar section of the site.
Businesses can post events on the site so potential visitors will be informed of the many
cultural happenings in the area when planning their trip. The site is part of a larger
promotional initiative that is being undertaken by MOTT to increase the number of LGBT
visitors to the Commonwealth. It is being promoted through advertising, Facebook,
Twitter, Blogs, E-newsletters and more.
Culinary: In order to build awareness for the variety of restaurants that are in Salem, we
will continue to help promote the existing Restaurant Weeks that are organized by the
Salem Chamber of Commerce. Specific strategies will include the promotion of
restaurant/chef special offers occurring outside of Restaurant Week on our website and
through e-blasts, as well as the development of Restaurant Week hotel packages that
offer the diner additional incentives to spend the night and see what else Salem has to
offer.
Using the Restaurant Week model, Destination Salem will look to develop and
implement a specialized “off price” shopping program during need periods for retail
sales. We will encourage shops to create hotel packages to compliment the shopping
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experience as well as explore implementation options (such as first weekend of the
month, frequent buyer card, etc.).
Family Travel: With the increasing trend towards family travel, Destination Salem will
work to increase the number of family visitors to Salem. We will work with partners to
create a targeted promotion of three family friendly school vacation weeks annually:
Holiday Week, February School Vacation Week and April School Vacation Week,
ensuring that Massachusetts, New Hampshire and private school vacation weeks are
taken into consideration as they all differ.
Green: We will work with the GBCVB and NBCVB as they promote their Cool Pass
during August, 2012. The Cool Pass will target local residents and visitors during this
month long green program. An easy day trip via public transport (ferry, train) will be
promoted along with existing itineraries at visitor information centers, on websites,
through e-newsletters, apps and media outreach. Cultural passes and trails will be
promoted and city residents and visitors will be encouraged to escape to the cool shore,
as well as a cool night out in the city if you’re on the shore.
Cruise:
Another important niche market segment for Salem is the Cruise Ship industry. We will
work to increase cruise business to Salem, by developing programs designed
specifically for the cruise passenger. We will explore opportunities to expand our
relationship with the Historic Ports Initiative and we will work with these entities to foster
continued growth in waterborne tourism.
We will work to enhance the promotion of our offerings to the cruise ship industry by
developing suggested itineraries, and actively compiling and promoting a calendar of
cultural events and activities in Salem. We will make this information available to the
North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Massport and others who are actively
soliciting the cruise market in our region. We will promote Salem as a cruise destination
on our website, during fam trips, at all tradeshows and events, and we will also
participate in the Canada New England Symposium in an effort to drive more cruise
business to our region.
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International:
We will continue to target the international market, working to develop product to
promote to tour operators through direct e-mail contact, by working with the North of
Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau,
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and Discover New England for promotion at
Pow Wow and other tradeshows and events, as well as working with them to host
familiarization trips to the city. Our strategy will be to leverage existing relationships with
partners in order to continue to build awareness for Salem in targeted markets.
We will also participate in Discover New England Annual Summit in an effort to increase
tour operators’ awareness of the attractions and adventures available to visitors in
Salem. We will develop a series of suggested itineraries for the international visitor, with
particular focus on the Japan, China & South Korean markets in an effort to capitalize
upon the new nonstop JAL flight from Tokyo to Boston.
Meetings & Group Tour:
Salem is well suited to attract small meetings and events that are on a limited budget, as
well as the movie industry and group tour business. While the North of Boston
Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
focus on meetings and group tours to a larger degree, Destination Salem is aware that
our partners are interested in these segments and we are developing programs and
strategies to implement and target this market.
Our strategy for pursuing the meeting and group tour markets, which will help for mid
week and off season business, will be to develop new relationships, aggressively pursue
leads and develop product to be promoted to these audiences.
Destination Salem will target meeting planners, group tour planners, social event
planners as well as film production companies through quarterly e-blasts, promoting the
variety of options that Salem has to offer. We will also work to ensure that the
Massachusetts Film Office has regular, updated information on the city that can be used
when pitching sites for upcoming films, as well as ensure that the Salem Film Office has
the tools needed to attract more film productions to the City.
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As part of the ongoing communications efforts, we will facilitate relationship building with
trade publication writers and editors by providing them with information on meeting in
Salem and/or using our city as a pre/post destination for larger meetings held in Boston.
We will offer and host small, market focused educational trips to Salem for both trade
media, as well as planners, as appropriate.
We will actively respond to leads generated from tradeshows attended by our partners
and will also look to leverage resources to ensure that there is representation for
Destination Salem at the Student Youth Travel Association tradeshow, as well as
National Tour Association and American Business, as these segment of group travel
appears to be growing among our partners. Our goal is to develop and nurture
relationships with planners while educating them on new offerings in Salem.
Local Residents:
Working in collaboration with the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Salem Main
Streets, local residents will be targeted through a campaign that will be created to
promote home/business ownership and reward people who buy houses and open
businesses. Each new resident/business will be offered an Own BackYard package that
will allow them to enjoy all that the region has to offer. Businesses will be asked to
provide discount coupons, free admissions, buy one/get one discounts and other
incentives to educate the new home owners or business person about what is available
to them in the region, thereby encouraging the exchange of business in the region.
Haunted Happenings:
Destination Salem is also responsible for the promotion and marketing of Salem
Haunted Happenings, including the creation and distribution of a brochure, management
of HauntedHappenings.org and implementation of advertising and communications to
support the festival. Moving forward, we will begin to incorporate Haunted Happenings
into the overall annual marketing program and use it as a vehicle to encourage visitors to
return during other times of the year.
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Production & Distribution of Salem Guide:
While may people turn to the internet for information on a destination, there are those
who still seek printed materials – for both when they are researching a destination as
well as when they’re actually visiting. The key collateral piece for Destination Salem is
the Salem Guide. This is the premier destination marketing piece and is considered a
valuable resource by visitors, potential visitors, as well as media, tour operators and
travel professionals.
The Salem Guide provides an opportunity for businesses to promote themselves to
consumers interested in or already visiting Salem. Fulfillment is handled through CTM
Brochure Display, at Massachusetts Information Centers, and through our advertisers,
as well as directly through Destination Salem.
While it is expensive to distribute, it is still an important sales tool to provide the
consumer. Recommendations for covering distribution costs include finding a sponsor
(such as a business like the electric company or bank who would lose revenue if the
businesses of Salem lost business) or creating a “tag-a-long” program that would allow
businesses to include their brochures for a small fee with the mailing.
Lead Generation & Fulfillment:
For many of the programs, leads will be generated and require fulfillment. Where
appropriate, the Salem Guide will be sent for fulfillment. At other times, leads will be
passed onto businesses in Salem for direct response to the client. But in all cases, leads
generated from advertising, tradeshows, promotions and other sources will be tracked
for ROI.
Research and Measurement:
In order to gather research information, we will continue to survey consumers annually
who have requested information from us in order to get their opinions on Salem as a
visitor destination, as well as to assist with generating additional statistics on the type of
visitor Salem attracts, how they get their information, how they purchase their trip and
what they do while they are visiting. We will use the results from this research to raft our
future marketing strategies.
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We will also attach measurement tools to our activities where possible, and seek out
new ways to measure our success, in order to ensure that we are generating the
greatest return on investment possible from our programs.
The success of these programs will be measured by:
• Tracking industry trends;
• Tracking the number of inquiries received:
• Measuring museum, attraction and visitation statistics;
• Measuring hotel occupancy, ADR and RevPAR statistics;
• Following-up with key target markets to gauge level of success in campaigns;
• Collecting, maintaining and analyzing our statistical data on our web visitors;
• Analyzing fulfillment statistics based around promotional campaigns; and
• Tracking the amount of media coverage we receive.
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APPENIX III 2011/2012 Marketing Plan/Advertising Descriptions
While the programs and activities have been broken down by primary audience, many of
these marketing efforts have been designed to overlap segments in order to have the
greatest reach possible. Past efforts of Destination Salem have been expanded to
include more print, online, television and radio media for both brand and co-op
advertising. The only changes from the past are the exclusion of Madden Media, as we
are increasingly seeing leads generated from our website and other efforts, and the
number of leads we were receiving can not justify the expense of the advertising. We
have also replaced WXRV with WBZ radio and WGBH television as the opportunities to
target the regional visitor through these vehicles were more cost effective.
Regional Visitor:
• Boston.com: We will be promoting Salem and the various festivals and events
through a campaign of ads, sponsored links and text links on Boston.com
• Improper Bostonian: In order to drive the day trip and overnight visitors during
targeted periods, half page ads will be placed in the Improper Bostonian and co-
oped. They will run in the holiday shopping issue as well as the spring travel and/or
summer dining issues.
• New England Dine: Targeting the regional visitor interested in dining, New England
Dine is the Pat Whitley radio program and also an online program at
www.nedine.com that offers opportunities for advertising and exposure for Salem as
a dining destination. This would be a co-op that could feature menus as well as
support segments on Salem dining.
• WGBH: WGBH offers a variety of lifestyle programming on the weekends. Spots
that run on Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 6pm would cost approximately $200 a
spot. A five month ad campaign, recommended for Mid-November through Mid-
April, along with a ¼ page ad in their members guide Explore (which goes out each
month to 150k members) for three months (every other month) would cost
approximately $10,000, and WGBH would air bonus spots during the week on
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Channel 2 as well as on their 24-hour lifestyle digital network. These would be co-op
ads that promote the various businesses in Salem. WGBH is being recommended
over WXRV because of the value that they are offering with advertising.
• WBZ: Radio will be used to promote our special events, including Holiday Shopping,
Salem So Sweet, Restaurant Week and the Salem Arts Festival. We will look at 15
second spots and sell co-ops to businesses for the 10 second “brought to you by”
traffic or weather announcements (i.e. brought to you by Destination Salem and the
Peabody Essex Museum or Destination Salem and the Salem Witch Museum, etc).
We will also participate in the WBZ Box Office Giveaways which includes 2 live tags
per giveaway, 5 times a week (10 per weekend) to give away gift certificates, tickets
and passes. For November Restaurant Week and December Holiday Promotion, we
will have 40 live tags per event. This has been built around 10 giveaways per week
(with 20 live tags) and 10 per weekend (with 20 live tags) per event. Destination
Salem would have to provide 20 gift certificates valued at a minimum of $30 for each
of the giveaways in blocks of 5 certificates from two restaurants for weekday and a
block of 10 certificates for weekends from one restaurant. We will also will seek
opportunities for on-air/on-line promotions to generate listeners/viewer awareness for
Salem as we tie in local Salem businesses with Destination Salem. WBZ is being
recommended over WXRV because of the value that they are offering with
advertising.
LGBT:
• Boston Spirit: Boston Spirit targets the LGBT audience in the Greater Boston area.
Advertising in Boston Spirit will help to drive business to the restaurants and shops of
Salem.
Leisure Traveler:
• AAA Mid Atlantic and AAA New England: Many of the survey respondents cited AAA
as the source for driving them to Salem. Advertising in AAA Mid-Atlantic will
continue and advertising in AAA New England has been added to the mix in order to
drive more of local/regional business. A series of ads will run in both publications
and be co-oped.
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Boston Magazine:
o Boston Magazine: Destination Salem will purchase two 1/3 page ads in
Boston magazine during the course of the year in order to drive both local
and overnight visitation during the off season. As part of this program,
Destination Salem will be the exclusive sponsor of one Travel Club email
blast to the Boston Magazine Travel Club database. We will also receive
one exclusive sponsorship of The Weekender e-newsletter, where we would
be the exclusive sponsor via a skyscraper ad and 25 words of copy about
Salem. We would also receive 100,00 ROS impressions with a focus on
travel content (spread evenly over six months for continuous coverage during
the off season). The cost for this program is $10,000, however Destination
Salem can sell co-op space in the Travel Club e-blast and also the
Weekender e-newsletter. Another option is to take a larger space ad in the
print magazine in order to do a co-op.
o New England Travel & Life: New England Travel is the dedicated travel
magazine published by Boston Magazine. It is distributed to Boston Magazine
subscribers and is sold on the newsstand as well, making it a publication that
targets both local residents and overnight visitors.
• GBCVB Summer in the City: The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
Summer in the City magazine (sold by Boston Magazine) features cultural activities,
festivals, tours and a just for kids section. The magazines are distributed in May to
key markets (Boston area and Massachusetts residents, Connecticut and the New
York suburbs), through Boston Magazine and at Logan International Airport, inserted
in the New York Times and distributed as well at Amtrak stations in the Northeast, on
the DownEaster Train, at the Massachusetts Turnpike Information Centers, at the
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the Hynes Convention Center for
convention groups, and the two Boston information centers, as well as to
Massachusetts Regional Tourist Councils. It is also available online at
www.BostonUSA.com in an interactive PDF format featuring searchable text and
website links. We will position ourselves as an easy trip on the ferry or train from
Boston and encourage visitors to experience Salem for themselves.
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• Cape Cod Travel Guide: Destination Salem will continue to advertise in the Cape
Cod Chamber of Commerce Travel Guide. This co-op ad will help to drive business
from this local drive market, as well as attract some of their visitors who are looking
for day trips from the Cape.
• CT1: CT1 owns the Hartford Courant, Fox CT, the Advocate Weekly and other
media in the Connecticut market. Destination Salem will be able to target a specific
demographic and HHI through an Admail. For example, four times a year a
newsletter is sent to a target audience. Co-ops will be sold to hotels, attractions,
restaurants, shops and the Admail is hyperlinked back to the advertisers website or a
landing page. This program costs $2000 per blast ($8,000 per year) and could be
almost completely self sustainable with partners. CT1 will also offer a free space for
Destination Salem to promote the region at their spring travel show.
• E-News Campaigns: We will create a series of e-newsletters that will target the
leisure visitors by niche segments that they are interested in. These newsletters will
be sent out quarterly.
• Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau:
• GBCVB Membership: Membership in the Greater Boston CVB helps us to support
the efforts of the CVB, as well as generate exposure to all segments of visitors
interested in the region.
• Fall/Winter Travel Planner: The Fall/Winter Travel Planner includes a seasonal
calendar of events, winter preview, website directory, detailed maps and
transportation and tour information, including car-free trips beyond Boston. It is sent
out to anyone requesting information on the city by phone or online, and is also
distributed at domestic and international leisure and meetings tradeshows. We will
position ourselves as an easy trip by car or train from Boston and encourage visitors
to experience Salem for themselves.
• Spring/Summer Travel Planner: The Spring/Summer Travel Planner includes a
seasonal calendar of events, summer preview, website directory, detailed maps and
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transportation and tour information, including car-free trips beyond Boston. It is sent
out to anyone requesting information on the city by phone or online, and is also
distributed at domestic and international leisure and meetings tradeshows. We will
position ourselves as an easy trip on the ferry or train from Boston and encourage
visitors to experience Salem for themselves.
• Official Visitors Guide: The Official Visitors Guidebook is the annual guidebook that
includes all CVB members, as well as detailed maps, visitor resources, information
on the region, itineraries, walking trails and an annual calendar of events. The OVG
is sent out to anyone requesting information on the city by phone or online. It is also
distributed at domestic and international leisure and meetings tradeshows. It is also
available online at www.BostonUSA.com in an interactive PDF format featuring
searchable text and website links. We will position ourselves as an easy trip on the
ferry or train from Boston and encourage visitors to experience Salem for
themselves.
North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau:
o NBCVB Membership: Membership in the North of Boston CVB helps us to
support the efforts of the CVB as well as generate exposure to visitors
interested in the region.
o NBCVB Guide: The North of Boston Visitors Guide is the official guide of the
North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. It is distributed to those who
are interested in learning more about the North of Boston as a visitor region.
• Philly.com: Boston Magazine and Philadelphia Magazine are sister publications. In
order to drive overnight business from the Philadelphia target market, it is
recommended that Destination Salem sponsor two The Weekender e-newsletters
(sent to 20,000 opt-in subscribers 1x a week). As part of this program, Destination
Salem would be the exclusive sponsor via a skyscraper ad and 25 words of copy
about Salem. We would also receive 135,000 impressions on phillymag.com, spread
evenly over six months for continuous coverage during the off season.
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• Starbucks/New York Observer: Destination Salem will participate in the New York
Observer publication that is distributed in Starbucks in New York. The cost is $2500
for two issues.
• Where Boston: It is important to have a presence in Where Magazine as many
visitors flip through it in order to find out where to go and what to do during their free
time in Boston. An ad that features festivals or special events will be utilized.
• Yankee Magazine: Similar to Boston Magazine’s New England Travel, Yankee
Magazine produces Travel New England annually. This piece is distributed to it’s
subscribers as well as sold on the newsstand and advertising will target both local
and overnight visitors.
International:
• Discover New England: Supporting Discover New England through partnership and
participating in the Annual Summit will help us to increase tour operators’ awareness
of the attractions and adventures available to visitors in Salem, especially as the
2012 summit will be held in Boston.
Group Tour:
• Pennsylvania Bus Association Co-op: The annual directory of group tour suppliers
for the Pennsylvania Bus Association, the Destination Salem co-op promotes
Salem’s group-friendly attractions.
• GBCVB Destination Planners Directory: The Destination Planners Directory is the
official directory that is given to meeting and group tour planners domestically and
internationally. It includes all CVB members that target this business, as well as
detailed maps, resources, meeting specs, etc. It is distributed directly to planners
and is distributed at all domestic and international tradeshows. We will position
ourselves as an easy to get to and less expensive destination, and encourage
planners to bring their meetings, tours and events to Salem.
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Cruise:
• Canada New England Cruise Symposium: We will work to enhance the promotion of
our offerings to the cruise ship industry by developing suggested itineraries, and
actively compiling and promoting a calendar of cultural events and activities in
Salem. It will be promoted at the Canada New England Symposium in an effort to
drive more cruise business to our region.
Other:
• Boston Magazine Supplement: A custom special section could be created that
would be aimed at driving readers to experience Salem during the off season. It
could be produced in either March/April or November 2012. The section would reach
the magazine’s 600,000 readers and would be four pages (2 pages advertorial, two
pages ad space) and would be written by Boston Magazine. It will include digital
exposure through one exclusive sponsor of Travel Club email blast, one exclusive
sponsorship of The Weekender and 100,000 ROS impressions with a focus on travel
(spread evenly over six months for continuous coverage during the off season). The
cost is $20,000, so it will need to fully be supported by partners, however, the sales
staff at Boston Magazine would drive sales efforts and it would be positioned as an
economic development piece for the City, allowing for different types of advertisers
(i.e. the hospital, college, etc).
