Toot Your Own Horn

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Toot Your Own Horn Dan OConnell, CAE Fort
Wayne Convention Visitors Bureau
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Toot Your Own Horn - A Community Awareness
Program

• The Board of Directors directed staff to
• Develop a community awareness program to brand
  the CVB name in our city.
• Identify target audiences for the message.
• Involve our tourism partners/ attractions.

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Positioning Statement

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Steps to Create a Community Awareness Campaign

• Define the problem or challenge
• Set tangible campaign objectives
• Determine short and long range goals
• Set timetable and a budget
• Develop a creative strategy
• Determine how to reach targets
• Determine responsibilities
• Implement the campaign
• Evaluate the campaign

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• Define problem

• Definition of our problem
• Influential civic leaders didnt know
• - Who the CVB is
• - What we do
• - Why it is important to them
• Neither did the general public.

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• Set objectives and determine short range and
  long range goals

GOAL To clarify to people who is the
CVB MEASUREABLE BY Do people know who we
are?   GOAL Position the CVB as positive force
working for the good of the community MEASURABLE
BY Do people recognize our value to the
community?   GOAL Become the authority on
tourism MEASUREABLE BY Will the media and city
leaders call on us? Is our input valued?
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• Determine Your Target Audiences

 ELECTED OFFICIALS Because they control our
funding and influence our mission  MEDIA They
influence the general public  TOURISM PARTNERS
Because they dont read our regular
stuff!  CORPORATE DECISION MAKERS Because the
are influencial civic leaders  CHAMBER/CITY/CONVE
NTION CENTERS To clarify our roles and goals
 GENERAL PEOPLE Because citzens have the
final say to all of the groups above
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• Setting a Timetable

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• Setting a Budget

• Estimate cost and include in budget
• Consider finding a corporate sponsor
• Budget staffs time. Make commitment
• Best your going to spend this year!
• Convince your board leadership to budget for
  this campaign. Its as an important as your
  external marketing plan!

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• How to Measure Results

• Conduct a benchmark survey to determine current
  level of awareness.
• Run the awareness campaign
• Collect feedback, comments
• Redo benchmark survey
• Measure the difference or changes

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• Conduct a Benchmark Survey

• Conduct benchmark survey
• 1. Do you know what the CVB is? Is it a ...
• Department of the Chamber?
• Department of the City?
• The Convention Center?
• A not-for-profit organization?
• Im not sure
•  

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• Benchmark Survey Cont.

• 2. Do you know what the CVB does?
• Promote Fort Wayne to attract visitors?
• Solicit conventions?
• Publish Fort Wayne Guides and Maps?
• Attract new business to Fort Wayne?
• Organize local festivals?
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• 3. How much money do visitors spend in Fort Wayne
  annually?
• 3.5 million dollars?
• 35 million dollars?
• 350 million dollars?
• 3.5 billion dollars?

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• Benchmark Survey Cont.

• 4. How important is tourism and convention
  activity to our local economy?
• Very Important
• Somewhat Important
• Not Important
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• 5. How important is tourism and convention
  business to your business or activity?
• Very Important
• Somewhat Important
• Not important
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• Setting a creative strategy

• We brainstormed for campaign slogans that fit our
  CVB mission and our activities
• Promoting Fort Wayne for you.
• The Convention and Tourism Team.
• Destination Fort Wayne.
• Hoosier Hospitality begins with us.
• Promoting Fort Wayne makes cents!
• We love Meeting People!
• Take their money and send them home!

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• As you evaluate possible slogans, ask
• ? Does it describe who we are / what we do?
• ? Does it combine Conventions Tourism?
• ? Is it specific to your organization?
• ? Is it simple to understand?
•  

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Welcoming the World to FW

• We chose this brand for our campaign?
• ? The focus was on our initials - CVB
• ? Its a clean look with a subtitle message
• ? The slogan conveyed a public service
• ? It suggests hospitality, friendly, large
• ? It builds on the image most of our target
  audience already had of the CVB
•  

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CAUTION!!!

• This is not your marketing slogan for
  external tourism promotion.
• Used to promote you! To your target audiences
  via the campaign and beyond.

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• Determine responsibilities Set an internal
  strategy

• Who will be responsible for this?
• Get your staff involved in all aspects.
•   Involve your extended staff - board members,
  ad agency, printers, suppliers
• Time to call in your favors!
• Stay energized throughout campaign.

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BACKGROUNDER

• Key printed piece for campaign, answered the
  question - Who is the CVB?
• Included mission statement, goals, Industry
  Background, Visitor Economic Impact Numbers,
  Tourism Industry Background
• Answered the questions What is a CVB? What is
  the difference between the CVB and the Chamber?
• Distributed by mailing to elected officials,
  members, media used as a handout when speaking
  to groups sent to Chamber staff and board,
  Convention Center staff and board, Corporate
  Leaders, city and county dept heads, etc

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Billboard Airport Signs
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TELEVISION ADVERTISING

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RADIO ADVERTISING

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ANNUAL REPORT

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OTHER

• Golf Towels for a Golf Outing Gift
• Open House Banner for the Visitors Center
• Staff Polo Shirts
• Tourism Luncheon Theme
• Cups for a Downtowns Summer Party
• Welcome buttons, posters, etc.

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• Make Some Event Your Own

• Conduct a tourism-oriented community event for
  your targeted audience or general public
• We changed Tourism Week into
• Be A Tourist In Your Own Hometown
• Positions the CVB as a leader
• Pull the tourism industry together

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• Evaluating the Results

• Conduct second benchmark survey
• 1. Do you know what the CVB is?
• Department of the Chamber?
• Department of the City?
• The Convention Center?
• A not-for-profit organization?
• Im not sure
• 18 increase in correct response

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• Evaluating the Campaign

• 2. Do you know what a CVB does?
• Promote Fort Wayne to attract visitors?
• Solicit conventions?
• Publish Fort Wayne Guides and Maps?
• Attract new business to Fort Wayne?
• Organize local festivals?
•  
• 3. How much money do visitors mean to the Fort
  Wayne economy?
• 3.5 million dollars annually
• 35 million dollars annually
• 350 million dollars annually
• 3.5 billion dollars annually

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• Evaluating the Campaign

• 4. How important is tourism and convention
  activity to our local economy?
• Very Important
• Somewhat Important
• Not at all Important
•   13 Increase of Very
• 5. How important is tourism to your business or
  activity?
• Very Important
• Somewhat Important
• Not at all Important
•   9 Increase of Somewhat

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• Why Toot Your Own Horn?

• Because nobody else will!
• Because you need to compete
• Because it demonstrates your value to your
  communty to sustain your funding.
• Because you have a responsibility to raise the
  level of understanding and awareness of your
  tourism industry partners.
• Because you deserve it!