VISIT TUCSON: TOP OF THE WORLD

  MARKETING TUCSON’S PEAK VISITOR SEASON  

Visitors come to Tucson throughout the year, but our high season officially kicks off in January, reaching its peak in February and March, before slowing down in April. Even though this is the busiest and most profitable time of the year for hotels and restaurants, we have not reached unconstrained demand. Our strategy at Visit Tucson is to drive visitation during this high demand period with the ultimate goal of extending the season into fall and late spring. In order to implement the most effective peak-season campaign, we conduct research to tell us who we should target with our limited marketing dollars, when we should target them and which messages will be most effective.

Our target markets are Millennial, Gen-X and Affluent Travelers who match Tucson’s visitor profile in key geographic markets that deliver the highest volume of visitors and revenue to the destination. Our message is designed to connect the target market’s key motivations for travel – to relax and getaway; to explore and experience different cultures and cuisine; and to enhance relationships and quality of life – with Tucson. In order to evoke a strong emotional connection, our creative elements bring to life our Free Yourself brand; our peak season campaign Top of the World positions Tucson as an outdoor mecca with a cool urban vibe, appealing to outdoor adventure seekers, foodies, golfers and the affluent travel segments.

Read our story at VisitTucson.org/TopoftheWorld.

  COLLABORATION WITH COUNTRY MUSIC STAR RANDY HOUSER  

 

Given that 300 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute, it was vital for Visit Tucson to find ways to cut through the clutter to reach younger audiences. In a strategic move, Visit Tucson collaborated with country music star Randy Houser by licensing his song Top of the World and producing a destination video that is a core component of our peak-season campaign. This video highlights what makes this region so special, showcasing iconic images of Mt. Lemmon, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Gates Pass and luxurious resorts. Also featured were our revitalized downtown and several restaurants, capturing the essence of why Tucson recently received the designation of UNESCO City of Gastronomy.  Click to view video

Since its launch last fall, the Top of the World in Tucson video has generated more than 161,000 views on YouTube. The video has been seen by the younger audiences we are targeting, as well as a lucrative market segment of country music fans. From the original video, we created a 30-second video for use in our digital advertising campaigns that has delivered more than ran 118,000 views on YouTube and Facebook.

For more information, go to VisitTucson.org/RandyHouser.

  HIGH-IMPACT BRAND AWARENESS IN CHICAGO  

Chicago ranks fourth in visitor spending to our region and receives the lion’s share of our peak season advertising budget. This year’s campaign launched in January and combined traditional tactics with innovative approaches. We wrapped elevated trains with high-impact Top of the World imagery and amplified our message with video projection of iconic Tucson scenes on urban buildings. We deployed brand ambassadors – actual feet-on-the-streets – to distribute Tucson visitor guides to commuters along with steaming cups of Mexican hot chocolate. We branded the interiors of the trains and displayed our videos on LED screens inside the train stations to complement Tucson’s “street theater” approach to engaging potential visitors.

Our peak-season campaign concluded on April 30. Results are still coming in, but by the end of our fiscal year (June 30), Visit Tucson will have placed $989,000 in advertising, generating a media value of nearly $4 million.

  TRAVEL INFORMATION  

If you need ideas on how to entertain visiting family and friends or you simply want to explore Tucson and Southern Arizona, please go to VisitTucson.org.  or stop by Visit Tucson’s Visitor Center located at110 S. Church Ave. in La Placita Village in Downtown Tucson.