COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS GOALS & STRATEGIES 2021

■ GOAL: Increase the number of contacts in the CVB’s travel writer database by at least 10% by Q3 2021.

STRATEGIES: • Create a consistent, engaging e-news media update to tell the story of recovery and highlight the heartfelt strides made by business owners, locals, and cultural organizations. • Utilize Zoom and other technologies to conduct interviews among locals and writers who are outside the area to enhance stories about Southwest Louisiana. • Develop and share fresh photos, videos and information sources with travel media and influencers.

_______ ■ GOAL: Increase the total number of PlayLIST subscribers by 10% over 2020.

STRATEGIES: • As attractions and businesses rebuild, leverage newsworthy content in advertorial and story-telling programs. • Employ effective communications tools such as the

Visit Lake Charles blog, Chuck Talks and social media to build awareness of developments in the Lake Area and lead users to “learn more” by subscribing.

■ GOAL: Increase number of visitors to the destination by 5% over 2020.

STRATEGIES: • Launch a mixed media campaign to inspire consumers to choose Southwest Louisiana as a vacation destination and drive campaign traffic to VisitLakeCharles.org. • Consult Arrivalist data, Google Analytics, Visa Ad

Measurement Study, and Entrada to determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns that run throughout 2021. • Utilize Longwoods International’s metrics to measure results.

■ GOAL: Increase partner logins to the Extranet by 20% by the end of 2021.

STRATEGY: Collaborate with all departments at Visit Lake Charles to devise digital newsletters and create a partner orientation page on VisitLakeCharles.org to display opportunities and deadlines.

■ GOAL: By the beginning of the fourth quarter, migrate and launch a freshly redesigned VisitLakeCharles.org website with a mobile-first approach.

STRATEGIES: • Complete the RFQ process & award vendor for the website redesign project by February 2021. • Conduct SEM research to analyze site traffic, search data and industry trends to generate sitemap recommendations. • Review wireframe and functionality designs on mobile devices and analyze top pages for VisitLakeCharles.org to optimize the user-experience for people looking to explore Southwest Louisiana. • Utilize the latest technology to enhance in-market mobile experiences.

Full-page ads in Garden & Gun, reaching a national audience of 1,600,000 educated and passionate readers engaged in a brand experience that offers a unique sense of travel, adventure, style, and sophistication.

Full-page ads and interactive online contests in Austin Monthly & San Antonio Magazine, reaching an audience of 256,000 readers and 251,000 newsletter subscribers, as well as 364,000 online page views per month.

Targeted display ads on Houston Chronicle’s Chron.com, as well as three branded content pieces, high impact cinema & superhero units, branded content and two targeted e-mail blasts. A strategic casino cooperative media buy with our partners to create awareness of Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana casinos as a destination for Texas in markets outside of Houston using a variety of tactics, including hyper local mobile targeting, advanced audience targeting, search retargeting and OTT demographic targeting.

To promote the numerous outdoor offerings in Louisiana’s Playground, we will run ads in a variety of publications & websites, including the Golf Louisiana brochure,

Hoffman Media has the creative and editorial flexibility to craft a program perfectly-sized to fit the ongoing marketing goals of Visit Lake Charles. The loyal readers of Louisiana Cookin’, Southern Cast Iron, Southern Lady and Taste of the South turn to their editors for insight into the South’s hidden gems and can’t-miss destinations. Advertising includes full-page ads in issues of Louisiana Cookin’, Southern Cast Iron, Southern Lady and Taste of the South, as well as sponsored e-newsletters and social posts.

Madden Media will promote a story-telling features with a custom-designed, interactive web page, adding a captivating visual element which invites the reader to engage with interactive photos, videos and links. With 35,000+ clicks, the stories can bring 90% new visitors to websites and boost time on page 3.5 times longer than site averages. Full page ads, 200,000 promo & brand ROS ads, 2 Facebook ads, one Instagram sponsored post, two Twitter posts, one Traveling Texan Trip Planner formatted listing, and two SOV articles with Texas Monthly, the authority on the Texas scene, covering music, the arts, travel, restaurants, museums, and cultural events with its insightful recommendations.

GolfTrips.com, Louisiana Outdoor

Adventures brochure and Texas Outdoors Journal.

A digital media buy through Miles Partnership will focus on programmatic display, native, pre-roll, and connected TV. The encompassing plan will target families, couples, weekend get-a-way seekers and staycationers with an affinity for culinary experiences, outdoor/nature, gaming resorts and golf. Out-of-state DMAs include Houston, Dallas, Tyler and Beaumont-Port Arthur.

COMM. EDUCATION & TRAVEL

1. STS Domestic Showcase 2. Simpleview Summit 3. DigiMarCon South 4. STS Marketing College 5. PRSA Conference 6. Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association

Convention 7. ESTO – US Travel 8. TBEX Conference 9. Keep Louisiana Beautiful 10. Louisiana Culinary Trails Restaurant

Takeover 11. SATW Annual Conference 12. SEOPA Annual Conference 13. Simpleview CMS Fall User Group