Client: VisitArizona

Tapped with increasing tourism revenue for one of the hardest-hit states during the recession, our agency had to think fresh in preparation for an annual media buy. A mandatory campaign promoting Spring Training provided an opportunity to reach visitors at various stages of planning, and before and during their stay.

One challenge was that AZ typically had almost 100% occupancy — in other words, attracting new fans would result in no ROI. Instead, the campaign sought to:

Generate buzz via social media sweepstakes in team markets
Use content - travel guides, roadtrips, etc. - to extend the average stay
Design a microsite that would encourage increased expenditures at local businesses

On average, travelers who were served Spring Training ads prior to booking stayed for 5.4 nights, compared to a 4.4 night Phoenix average.

After being exposed to Spring Training ads, travel searches increased 23% and bookings increased 26% vs. travelers not exposed to ads.

The state earned $256 for every $1 spent on marketing.