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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12. PR Report.Q1.24 April 23, 2024 TO: Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council FROM: Kristin Yantis & Amanda McNally, MYPR CC: Mia Vlaar & Liz Gladitsch, Town of Vail RE: Q1 Public Relations Report Agency Support The first quarter typically focuses on developing media materials for the year, initial media outreach, scheduling in-market media visits, setting up partnerships with local hotels, events and other businesses as well as beginning outreach for media visits. We also work closely with Sylvia Rivera in Mexico to develop Q2 plans for launching summer efforts. Following are sample tactics in support of the VLMDAC. • Organized a VLMDAC PR subcommittee to review and discuss summer 2024 plans. The group, which consists of MYPR, Mia, Liz, Kim Fuller and Jonathan Reap met in late February to review and provide input on summer PR plans, messages, etc. • Worked with partners in the community to gather content for the summer 2024 What’s New Tipsheet, which we distributed in March. • Drafted Vail food trails press release for distribution early Q2. • Confirmed sponsorship of the Travel Classics West media conference in Scottsdale this fall. • Confirmed and signed up to participate in the Adventure Travel Trade Association AdventureELEVATE media conference this summer. • Confirmed the date for the Front Range summer media kickoff dinner. • Ongoing content updates on the DiscoverVail.com media center. • Set up calls with various PR partners that represent hotels and events such as Grand Hyatt Vail, The Sebastian-Vail, Bravo!, Vail Dance, Vail Craft Beer Classic and GoPro Mountain Games to discuss how to best partner with one another in 2024. • Worked with Miles to refine the summer 2024 influencer and blogger strategies. • Researched and identified CJ as our partner to test an affiliate program as part of our summer influencer program. We are working with Ripe to make sure there is appropriate integration. • Secured lodging partners for the summer 2024 press trips in June and September. Started outreach to populate these trips as well as individual media visits. • Secured dates for April in-market media tour to Los Angeles and refined our target outreach list. • Secured partner and date for “Kickoff to Summer” satellite media tour. • Tightened up plans for the 2024 Mexico strategy including a media buy, April in-market event and June press/influencer trip. • Ongoing media outreach/pitching for summer 2024 messages. • Met with select Front Range media to discuss summer 2024 story opportunities. • Client management including monthly VLMDAC meetings, partner meetings, PR one-on- ones with Town of Vail staff, etc. Q1 Media Coverage As a reminder, last year we met with representatives of the VLMDAC board and TOV staff to discuss how to best illustrate PR successes moving forward. We decided to continue providing the content we’ve been sharing e.g. comp set comparisons, number of clips, key message tracking, media reach and sentiment. However, we also agreed to integrate two specific measurements related to our linkage strategy and target media coverage. Following are the two specific measurements that we will track moving forward. • Secure at least a dozen stories that include DiscoverVail.com. • Secure at least two dozen stories in outlets noted in our target list. (Please note we are still filling out and refining this list but wanted to provide the working document for your knowledge. And, these are MYPR specific placements – not other content secured by partners such as Bravo!, Mountain Games, etc.) We monitor against our comp set to gauge Vail’s performance versus Aspen and Breckenridge. Please note that, historically, the first quarter of the year garners less summer coverage with the majority of stories running April to September. Links to comprehensive media coverage reports for all three destinations are noted below. Vail Coverage Report Breckenridge Coverage Report Aspen Coverage Report As a reminder, the Vail report goes into greater detail with reach, key message coverage and top markets for coverage – all items we’ve previously tracked. We do not track for this level of detail in the other comp set reports. • Aspen o Coverage of summer events schedule and specific speakers/performers at various events/festivals. o New experiences as part of the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival. o Mention in top family road trips story that ran in multiple outlets. • Breckenridge o Coverage in Yelp’s top U.S. family friendly destinations story, which ran in several different outlets. o A lot of coverage for HGTV’s “Battle on the Mountain” home improvement show which filmed in Breckenridge last summer and debuted this winter. • Vail o A lot of events/festival coverage as several partners announce their line-ups in Q1. o Top hotel roundups including Forbes, AOL.com and others. o Mention in top family road trips story that ran in multiple outlets. Vail Sample Media Placements • MSN.com – March 2024 Headline/Link: 35 U.S. Destinations That Feel Like Europe Note: Continued coverage of MYPR pitch that started during COVID. • SheBuysTravel.com (and multiple outlets) – January 2024 Headline/Link: Iconic Colorado Road Trips for Families in 2024 Note: Placement was the result of board member Liana Moore’s blogging efforts on SheBuysTravel.com. The story also ran online in several target outlets including the Kansas City Star and Fort Worth Star Telegram. • Yahoo! Finance Headline/Link: 15 U.S. Bucket List Trips in 2024 for Adventure Lovers Note: Data based award. Media, Blogger & Influencer Visits • June 20-24 – Summer Press Trip o Leilani Marie Labong – freelance writer for Travel & Leisure, Yahoo Life, MSN, Wall Street Journal, GQ, SF Gate, Yahoo News and others • June 22-26 – Mexico Press Trip • July TBD - Mariana Mijares – Mexico-based freelance travel writer for outlets such as Cosmopolitan Mexico, El Financiero Viajes, Cara, Esquire Mexico, Estilo DF, Milenio and others • August 15 - CTO Global Foodie FAM • Sept. 12-16 - Fall Press Trip o Cristiana Caruso – style and travel editor, Westchester Magazine o Kristen Richard – freelance writer for Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, Backpacker, 5280 and others. Awards & Accolades In 2024, we also will track various awards and accolades that the destination and its events and hotels receive. • Yahoo.com – Vail No. 7, 15 Bucket List Trips in 2024 For Adventure Lovers • Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Stars Awards o Four Stars – The Spa at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail o Recommended – Gravity Haus Vail • U.S. News & World Report Top Hotels List o Sonnenalp, No. 165 in the U.S. o The Sebastian-Vail, No. 234 in the U.S. o Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail, No. 270 in the U.S. • Mashed.com – No. 5 Grand Hyatt Vail, 14 Hotels with the Best Room Service Foods in the US, According to Industry Experts • Aol.com – Arrabelle at Vail Square, 20 Most Spectacular Mountain Resorts in the World Focus for Q2 Following are priority tactics for Q2. • Host summer PR Partners Meeting May 20. • “Kickoff to Summer” SMT June 7. • Organize and host summer Front Range media dinner on June 18. • Finalize influencer selections for 2024 and contract, book travel and manage deliverables. • Finalize blogger visits for summer 2024 and contract (where appropriate), book travel and manage deliverables. • Secure details and host summer domestic press trip in June as well as individual media visits. • Continue individual outreach for summer media visits and fall FAM. • Work with Mexico PR partner Sylvia Rivera to finalize components of the summer marketing/PR effort including the media buy, June influencer/media visits, etc. • Continue to pitch summer messages to target outlets. • Continually meet with partners to discuss how to support summer/fall media efforts. Upon review, please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!