HomeMy WebLinkAboutOld Presentation Draft-DisregardVLMDAC BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
Agenda
I. MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT (5 minutes), Carlie Smith, Town of Vail
II. APPROVALS
●Approval of August 18 and September 6 Minutes
III. SWEARING IN OF BOARD MEMBERS (5 minutes), Stephanie Bibbens, Town of Vail
IV. INFORMATION & DISCUSSION UPDATES
●2023 Strategic Operating Plan (15 minutes), Board Chair and Partners
●2022 Winter Campaign (10 minutes), Cactus and Town of Vail
●SEO/Content Plan Updates (15 minutes), BAAG/20North
●Other Business
●RFP Presentations (90 minutes)
●Adjournment
●Appendix
●Website optimizations - Cactus
MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT
MINUTES APPROVAL
SWEARING IN OF BOARD MEMBERS
2023 OPERATING PLAN
2023 Operating Plan
Slides to follow are only updated areas of the operating plan which we will review
during the board meeting. Full presentation in appendix for reference.
Following board approval of plan as it was outlined for the Advisory Council, we will
review the presentation as it will be presented to Town Council for approval on
September 20 for approval.
2023 Proposed Budget
2023 Revenue Projection $ 4,700,000
●2023 Lodging Tax collections projected conservatively
●$4.7M is a 10% increase from 2021 Actuals and a 10% decrease from
2022 Forecast
●Revenue forecast will continue to be monitored and adjusted through
budget process
Total VLMD Budget for 2023 $6,100,000
●Annual Marketing Budget: $4,450,000
●Contingency: $250,000
●$1.4M use of Reserves. Funds not managed by the VLMDAC
○~$1.2M One-time transfer for event funding
○~$200K contribution for Steward Vail outcomes
Improve/Enhance
Item Description Budget
Mexico Press trips Stories generated
No. and quality of attendees
$10,500
CVENT and
Group Marketing
Efforts
Develop Village Wide messaging and generate group leads for Vail with focus
on non-ski months and winter shoulder seasons via industry marketing tools,
video retargeting, and increased consideration. Increase group market share
and push mid-week and spring/fall occupancy
$30,000
2024 Campaign In preparation of 2024, increase creative and production costs for the
evolution of LIBAD.
$225,000
Video Storytelling
Content and Paid
Media
Enhanced video content storytelling and media plan and media to support
content
$220,000
VLMDAC 2022 OPERATING PLAN
SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
Agenda
•2022 Achievements
•2023 Proposed Operating Plan & Budget
2023 OPERATING PLAN & BUDGET
Town Council Action Plan
VLMDAC aligns VLMD operating
plan and budget to Town Council’s
Vision, Mission and Action Plan
Town Council’s Vision
Grow a vibrant, diverse economy and
community and preserve our surrounding
natural environment, providing our citizens
and guests with exceptional services and
abundance of premier recreational, cultural
and educational opportunities.
https://www.vailgov.com/Portals/0/docs/Town%20Council/2018-2020-council-action-plan.pdf
2023 Goals & Priorities
Optimize Visitation: Maximize longer stays and higher spend
Grow Database and Build the Relationships: Use Data to understand our guest to
enhance engagement & loyalty
Destination Stewardship: protecting and sustaining our natural assets and
resources while elevating the guest and resident experience.
Brand Positioning: Position Vail as the Premier International Mountain Resort
Community by reinvigorating the Vail brand through a campaign designed to
provoke consumers to feel excited about and intrigued to visit Vail.
2023 Goals
May - Oct
Timeframe
2019 Results 2020 Results 2021 Results 2022
Forecast
2023
Preliminary
Budget
2023
Proposed
Goals
for discussion
Sales Tax $9,853,122 $8,889,947 $13,674,538 $13,725,135 $12,627,712 Flat to 2022
Lodging Tax $931,499 $827,522 $1,482,956 $1,421,808 $1,286,426 Flat to 2022
Occupancy 45.0%30.3%45.1%44%NA 45%
Group
Occupancy
24.7% 4.3%14.7%20%NA 25%
2022 RESULTS
2022 Results
•Database Goal: Customer Record Growth
–80k to 165k records, over 100% growth year to date
–Appended data (supplemental), adding in demographic and psychographic insights for over 50k records
–Events Data Collection increased, adding about 2k new leads and supplementing data for existing
leads
•Website Goal: Enhance SEO and Content
–SEO: 545% increase in organic traffic sessions.
–SEO: 133K visitors vs. 14K visitors YOY
•528% increase in new users to the site.
–265% increase in clicks to Book Direct
–338% increase in clicks to Partner Sites.
•Content enhancements
–Blog posts ranking on page one and two of Google search results; significant increases in
keyword rankings for the website.
•Capture Enhanced Storytelling Video and Photography
•Create Marketing KPI Dashboard
content first for VLMDAC then
what can we make into graphics
for Sept 20 Council
Website Results
Website Results
For the past 3 months, organic traffic, new users, sessions and time spent on the website
continued to exponentially outpace the same period in the prior year.
Year-over-year results from June 1-August 31, 2022:
•545% increase in organic traffic sessions. More than 133k visitors vs. 14k visitors in
the same period last year.
•528% increase in new users to the site.
•579% increase in pageviews.
•265% increase in clicks to Book Direct.
•338% increase in clicks to Partner Sites.
•406% increase in Email Newsletter registrations.
•200% increase in Sustainability Quiz completions.
Website Results
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Email (CRM) Results
Database Results
Database Goal: 150,000
Database to date: 165,000
Customer Record Growth
•80k to 165k records, over 100%
growth year to date
•Appended data (supplemental),
adding in demographic and
psychographic insights for over 50k
records
•Events Data Collection increased,
adding about 2k new leads and
supplementing data for existing
leads
“Life Is But A Dream”
-How data informed campaign
-How we express it
-What we’ve learned
-Where we go from here
Brand Campaign Results
Using Our Data to Define Our Target
Summer WiFi Data + Viant and Resonate Tools = Build of
specific audiences to target in our marketing.
9,464
Viant matched users
March 2021
31,464
Resonate matched users
November 2021
Data Informs Brand Campaign
55,794
Epsilon Appended
profiles
August 2022
Data Validates High Net
Worth Audience
Data Validates Campaign Audience
Narrowing our target
reveals that our
high-net-worth audience
expects travel
experiences that
transcend the ordinary.
Data Validates Campaign Audience
CAMPAIGN
What Vail Offers
Style Unique History Bavarian Architecture Culinary Scene Adventure
Expressing the Brand
VAIL’S UNRIVALED BLEND OF
WILDERNESS
AND
WORLDLINESS
IS THE SECRET BEHIND OUR
WONDER.
Expressing the Brand
Campaign Creative
We set out to create a campaign that reflected who we are, where we’ve come
from and what we offer, and do it in a way that allows us to stand out from the
sea-of-sameness of mountain destination messaging. To rise above the parity
with style and elegance that appeals to our audience’s sensibilities and
expectations. It takes an elevated approach to meet them where they are, and
here’s how that took form over the last three seasons.
Campaign Creative
-Approximately 350 assets in 2022, including;
-:60 and :30 videos
-Display banners
-Native units
-Social assets
-Digital OOH
-Print
-In-resort decals
-X3 different creative flights – spring, summer & fall
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Winter Creative
-PLACEHOLDER (Heather/Jeff to drop in creative)
Our Guests Know This Place Is Special
What are you are most looking forward to while in Vail?
Vail Summer Visitor Qualitative Research - 2022
When interacting with our guests before their trip to Vail, we see that they are excited
to partake in a variety of experiences.
“I'm looking forward to a spa day at
Sonnenalp and all of the
restaurants.”
- Morgan R.
“I am looking forward to being in
nature, exploring the outdoors
and having down time to truly
experience hiking, dining, and
other outdoor activities.”
- Karen H.
“I’m most excited to spend time hiking
Vail's beautiful trails!”
- Ellie E.
“We are most looking forward to
relaxing and being in the
mountains. Vera is looking
forward to the hotel pool!”
- Erin R.
Campaign Research Findings
LIBAD Inspired Guests to Dream Bigger
“I like this image because it captures the European feeling of Vail
that makes it feel like an especially special getaway.”
- Ellie E.
“I love that Vail is building off its fairytale image.”
- Catherine C.
“Vail is magical.”
- Jim D.
“This feels whimsical. The picture
makes me feel like I could do a
remake of ‘The Hills are Alive’”
- Jane S.
“It speaks to the cultural
and artistic aspect of Vail.”
- Susan B.
“This slogan is good.”
- Emily E.
“I like the girl flying with the
pretty dress.”
- Ana V.
“This phrase really resonates with
me. Vacation is all about getting
away and having a break, living the
life you wish you could live every
day. This feels like vail would offer
me that.”
- Catherine C.
“I like the image of the
village. The colors in this ad
are really nice.”
- Lauren K.
“I like the mountain scenery & flowers.”
- Sara R.
How do these words/images make you feel about Vail? How do they make you feel about your upcoming trip to Vail?
Vail Summer Visitor Qualitative Research - 2022
Campaign Research Findings
Upload the image you feel represents your trip best and explain why.
Vail Summer Visitor Qualitative Research - 2022
While in Vail, we witnessed our guests living out the unique experiences of their dreams.
“My daughter had a wonderful time… She
wore that crown the entire time!”
- Rachel Z.
“These pictures reflect the wonderful time we
had in Vail yesterday.”
- Greg W.
“The tranquility and European feel of vail
village without traveling to europe.”
- Greg S.
“Sharing good times with family out hiking and
on our way to eat great food- exercise and
eating/drinking so best of both worlds!”
- Susan B.
“The view, the experience, the
hospitality...smiles all around!”
- Brian L.
“The charm that the village oozes is not
easily found at other destinations.”
- Jamie A.
Campaign Research Findings
These findings are further confirmed by the 2022 SMARI Mexico Audience
Research where reactions to LIBAD creative were overwhelmingly positive
(92%).
Attributes
Rating
(mean on a 5-point scale)
Show travel experiences that are appealing to
me
4.35
Make me want to learn more about things to
see and do in Vail
4.36
Make me want to visit Vail for a leisure trip
4.32
Reaction to Advertising
2022 SMARI Mexico Audience Research
Campaign Research Findings
Campaign Media Performance
The LIBAD campaign has generated a 149% increase in clicks from media
YOY, driven by improved CTRs across display & paid social.
Cost-Per-Click YoYClick-Through-Rate YoY
LIBAD display creative was built at 2x resolution, leading to a Click
Through Rate (CTR) increase from 0.13% to 0.16% YOY.
2021 Display 2022 Display
Campaign Media Performance
In 2022, Guests Stayed Longer & Spent More
Through July, LIBAD media drove
$6.3M in hotel revenue, resulting in a
digital ROAS of $12 for every $1 spent.
ADR from media has increased YOY
from $410 to $461.
LOS from media has increased YOY
from 4.5 nights to 4.8 nights.
80% of bookings have come from
guests with a HHI over $100K.
Source: Adara Impact (April-July)
Campaign Media Performance
2023 and Beyond
-The platform is flexible enough to accommodate individual “dreams” and
future integration for initiatives / messages like DSP
-Campaign consistency:
-Allows it to gain traction and create recognition
-Allows for more asset creation and big thinking development
-Allows time for deeper testing for messages and assets
BUDGET DETAIL
2023 Proposed Budget
2023 Revenue Projection $ 4,700,000
●2023 Lodging Tax collections projected conservatively
●$4.7M is a 10% increase from 2021 Actuals and a 10% decrease from
2022 Forecast
●Revenue forecast will continue to be monitored and adjusted through
budget process
Total VLMD Budget for 2023 $6,100,000
●Annual Marketing Budget: $4,450,000
●Contingency: $250,000
●$1.4M use of Reserves. Funds not managed by the VLMDAC
○~$1.2M One-time transfer for event funding
○~$200K contribution for Steward Vail outcomes
2023 Projected Reserves
35%57%
2023 Budget proposes to
utilize reserves of $1.4M
towards events ($1.2M) and
Steward Vail ($200K)
36%
59%
2023 Budget Breakdown
2022 vs. 2023 Budget Comparison
Action Requested of Town Council
The Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council recommends that the Vail Local Marketing
District approve the 2023 Operating Plan and budget of $4,700,000.
2022 WINTER CAMPAIGN
Occupancy Reports
Based on the latest occupancy reports, the Trigger Campaign is a go
Trigger Campaign is a go If Early Nov – Early Dec is at or below 10% decrease in year-over-year
occupancy trends OR Vail occupancy is pacing at or below industry average.
2022 Winter Media
Occupancy is down in early winter leading to a need to drive demand. Cactus is proposing the
following media tactics, primarily targeting Front Range High Net Worth skiers, to drive interest
and lodging reservations.
Display ads targeting
skiers & snowboards in
the Front Range
Efforts will also include
Retargeting to promote
lodging offers to those
showing interest in Vail
Search ads targeting
broad “vail” and “vail
lodging” searchers in
an effort to promote an
early/late season
lodging offer to drive
bookings
Paid Social ads
targeting those in the
Front Range with
ski-related interests,
such as Vail Mountain,
Epic Pass, etc.
Retargeting will also be
implemented here.
2022 Winter Media
●For all flights, budget would be spread across display, paid social, and paid search
●Display and Paid Social budgets are projected to achieve 9M to 15M impressions and between 10x to 15x frequency
across platforms. SEM was budgeted based on projected search volume.
●These are digital tactics, so all budget is fluid and can be scaled up or down pending data on # of room nights needed to
fill for each subseason.
ALTERNATE COPY OPTIONS
-A village built for snow and
everything after.
-One day is sooner than you think.
-Your winter wonderland awaits.
-Elevate your winter.
ALTERNATE CTA OPTIONS
-Book your getaway
-Elevate your winter
-Find lodging deals
-Discover lodging
ALTERNATE IMAGE
Spend and Execution Approval
Media Spend and
Plan Execution
Anticipated Need Period - 11/11 to 12/19
Media Flight to Support Bookings - 10/17 - 11/30 (approx. 6
weeks)
Board Approval
Needed Sept. 15
$111,588
from
Contingency
THANK YOU
SEO/CONTENT UPDATES
3 Month View - Key SEO Wins
For the past 3 months, organic traffic, new users, sessions and time spent on the
website continued to exponentially outpace the same period in the prior year.
Year-over-year results from June 1-August 31, 2022:
545% increase in organic traffic sessions. More than 133k visitors vs. 14k visitors
in the same period last year.
528% increase in new users to the site.
579% increase in pageviews.
265% increase in clicks to Book Direct.
338% increase in clicks to Partner Sites.
406% increase in Email Newsletter registrations.
200% increase in Sustainability Quiz completions.
3-Month View - What We Did
The significant increases are a result of technical fixes to the site, new
keyword-rich site structure, better optimization of existing content (keywords,
internal links, etc.) and new, unique keyword-rich content. Google recognizes the
improvements that are being made for a better user experience and is rewarding
Discover Vail in search rankings. The following technical SEO fixes and content
changes were made:
•Implemented new URL structure to fix meta title and meta descriptions.
•Added alt tags to images that were missing them.
•Corrected H1 headings issues.
•Disavowed toxic backlinks.
•Improved site speed.
•Fixed strange video links.
•Worked on a solution for duplicate content.
•Optimized several key pages for keywords and internal links.
Added new content to key pages and created 4x/month keyword-rich blog posts.
Organic Traffic Results - July
Organic traffic to the website continued to well outpace the same period in the
prior year, with a significant spike during the 4th of July weekend. July 4th saw
over 4,000 unique visitors to the site in one day.
Organic Traffic Results - 3-Month View
Organic traffic was up exponentially over the same period in the year prior, along with new
unique users and pageviews. While the number of sessions per user was up slightly, the
amount of time they spent on the website increased significantly . Bounce rate naturally
increased a little as a reflection of the amount of traffic to the site (133,572 sessions) but is
still within the acceptable rate, according to Google.
Organic Keyword Growth
These charts represent the
organic keyword growth - from
1,944 keywords in May to 9,428 in
September - that has happened
since the start of the 20North
engagement.
They are keywords and keyword
phrases that Discover Vail is now
being found for in Google search
results and are driving traffic to
the website. These keywords
contribute to the large surge in
organic traffic.
We plan to continue this growth
though SEO strategies and
content.
Keyword Rankings
As a result of the new site
structure, better optimization of
existing content and new content
with the right keywords, Discover
Vail moved up in search results
for all the following keywords.
Keyword Rankings
Clicks & Impressions - 3-Month View YOY
Total clicks and impressions increased significantly month over month.
Organic Traffic By State
Colorado remains the
highest traffic state followed
by Arizona.
Organic Traffic By City
Phoenix was the #1 city in
terms of organic traffic to the
website.
Goal Completions - 3-Month View vs. Previous 3
Months
Blog Post Rankings in Search Results
All the new blog posts are already
ranking on page 1 or 2 in search
results for their relevant keyword or
search term.
“Planning a Vail, Colorado Bachelorette
Party” is currently ranking at the on
page 1 at #6 in organic search results for
“Colorado bachelorette party”.
Blog Post Rankings in Search Results
“What is Leaf Peeping” is also ranking
6th on page 1 of Google search results.
TOWN OF VAIL UPDATES
OTHER BUSINESS
RFP PRESENTATIONS
RFP Presentations
Agency RFP Presentations Timeline
Part 1: September 15 Finalist Presentations for:
-Full Service Creative Agency
-970 Design, Cactus, Mindgruve, Zimmerman
-Content Strategy, Creation and Management
-20 North, 970 Design, Mindgruve
Part 2: October 20 Finalist Presentations for:
-Website Technical Management / Development / Population
-970 Design, Cactus, HyFyve
-Traditional and Digital Media Planning, Buying, Optimization, Billing & Reporting
-Cactus, Miles Partnership
VLMDAC Executive Session: October 20
-Selections made and awarded for full RFP from above presentations
-All bidders will be notified of final decision
APPENDIX
WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
Website Optimizations
Three main areas that have been prioritized since the August board
meeting include:
●Newsletter sign-up modal / opportunities
●Things to Do page UX / Design revamp
●Homepage hero CTA / considerations
Other areas of optimization include the following:
●Video additions to blog posts, event / activity pages, etc.
●Adjusting the Blog / tagging structure to support new and
prioritized content
●New recurring Event page creation workflows and training for
SEO improvements
●Newsletter email template design revamp
●‘Groups’ page design updates and revamp
●Content / imagery updates to remain timely with seasons
Website Optimizations - Newsletter
The challenge: The newsletter sign up modal pops up right away upon entering
the homepage, and there isn't a clear reason that encourages our audience to
sign up. If you exit out of this, the only other place to sign up is hidden in the
footer with minimal context.
The proposed solution: Optimize the copy / value proposition of signing up for
the newsletter directly on the pop-up modal and make this more prominent in
other sign-up locations.
Our hypothesis: By highlighting the value of the newsletter, increasing the time
it takes for the initial modal to appear, and improving the journey to better / more
quickly identify areas to sign up, we’ll see an increase in conversions for our
newsletter as well as decreased bounce rate on the homepage.
The test: Implement an A/B test via Google Optimize for 2-4 weeks that directs
50% of traffic to the current web / newsletter sign up experience, and the other
50% to the optimized version. Compare the conversion and bounce rate metrics
between the two experiences and determine which is resonating more with our
audience.
●Add GTM events to each version (if not already on the current version)
●Leverage HotJar to view engagement
●Establish benchmarks for sign ups to compare against for our testing
time period
Website Optimizations - Things to Do
The challenge: Right now, the initial call to action for visitors of this page is to sign up for the
newsletter. The flow doesn’t guide users to the main purpose of the page quickly, and getting to
the ‘Things to Do’ items takes a few clicks.
The proposed solution: By revamping the layout, content and functionality of the page, we’ll be
able to put a higher focus on the ‘Things to Do’ items and get visitors to what they’re looking for
more quickly. In doing so, more learning, planning and potential booking can take place based on
what they’re interested in.
Our hypothesis: With a clearer, more pointed user experience, the visitors to the ‘Things to Do’
page will be able to find the activities they’d like to do more quickly, increase their pages per
session, and learn more about what Vail has to offer year-round.
Next steps: Review the updated prototypes, user experience and page flow, and work on timing
for implementation.
○Prepare to conduct an A/B test for the previous and updated versions of the page
○Add GTM events to each if not already on the current version
○Establish / define benchmarks for previous engagements and KPIs of this page to track
progress
Website Optimizations - Homepage
The challenge: The hero space of the homepage is the first section
that visitors to the website often see, and it’s connected to the 3 CTAs
below it. Right now, they feel a bit disconnected and the bounce rate is
fairly high.
The proposed solution: Reduce the spacing between the hero space
and the 3 CTA blocks that come beneath it, and adjust the CTAs to be
more guided / direct for our visitors.
Our hypothesis: By making the hero space / first CTAs feel more
connected, visitors will have a clearer understanding of their next steps
and priority places to explore on the website. This will reduce overall
bounce rate and increase engagement with our main pieces of content
in this space.
Next steps: Gather testing results from the Newsletter sign-up
optimizations and prepare to conduct a separate A/B test for the
homepage hero / banner space. This will also help us isolate whether
or not the hero space should be optimized, or if the Newsletter sign-up
modal experience is what was impacting bounce rate on the
homepage.
Website Optimizations - General
Additional optimizations and outcomes are as follows:
●Video additions to blog posts, event / activity pages, etc.; providing added media types to
the website to increase engagement and provide added visuals of what Vail can offer for
specific activities and experiences (biking, dining, fishing, etc.)
●Adjusting the Blog / tagging structure; support new and prioritized content that enhances
the website’s SEO value, keeps content streamlined and sortable for visitors to search
through, and ease the upload and proper placement of content.
●Recurring Event workflows and training; implement new workflows for publishing recurring
events so that they aren’t as repetitive from a visual standpoint for visitors as well as
reduce the level of duplicate content to improve SEO rankings.
●Newsletter email template design revamp; improve the layout and functionality of the
VLMD newsletter to align the branding, look and feel to our HNWI audience and LIBAD
campaign, as well as make CTAs clearer and more prioritized for increased open and
CTRs.
●‘Groups’ page design updates and revamp; improve the flow and user experience for
planners that are looking to schedule larger group events in Vail, making it easier to find
valuable information and submit an RFP.
VLMDAC 2023 OPERATING PLAN
FOR APPROVAL SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
2023 Goals
May - Oct
Timeframe
2019 Results 2020 Results 2021 Results 2022
Forecast
2023
Preliminary
Budget
2023
Proposed
Goals
for discussion
Sales Tax $9,853,122 $8,889,947 $13,674,538 $13,725,135 $12,627,712 Flat to 2022
Lodging Tax $931,499 $827,522 $1,482,956 $1,421,808 $1,286,426 Flat to 2022
Occupancy 45.0%30.3%45.1%44%NA 45%
Group
Occupancy
24.7% 4.3%14.7%20%NA 25%
2023 Proposed Budget
2023 Revenue Projection $ 4,700,000
●2023 Lodging Tax collections projected conservatively
●$4.7M is a 10% increase from 2021 Actuals and a 10% decrease from
2022 Forecast
●Revenue forecast will continue to be monitored and adjusted through
budget process
Total VLMD Budget for 2023 $6,100,000
●Annual Marketing Budget: $4,450,000
●Contingency: $250,000
●$1.4M use of Reserves. Funds not managed by the VLMDAC
○~$1.2M One-time transfer for event funding
○~$200K contribution for Steward Vail outcomes
2023 Proposed Budget
35%57%
2023 Budget proposes to
utilize reserves of $1.4M
towards events ($1.2M) and
Steward Vail ($200K)
BUDGET BREAKOUT BY CONSUMER JOURNEY
Other
Guest
Trad
Media Digital /
Social
PR /
Influencer
Website
Intl
Assets /
Content
Hotel
Booking
Book
Direct
Hotel
Booking
Direct
Group
SalesWelcome
Center
Events
Town-ow
ned Exp
Lodging
Retail /
Rest.
Mt / VR
WOM
Social
Survey
Email
Database
Loyalty
BookingIn-Market
Pre-Booking / Inspiration
Traditional Media
Digital / Social
Website
PR / Influencer
International
Assets / Content
Hotel – BookDirect
Hotel – Direct with property
Group Sales
Welcome Center
Events
Town-owned Experience
Lodging
Retail / Restaurants
Mountain / VR
1:1 Direct Marketing
Database
Loyalty
Email
Post Trip / Sharing
Survey
Social
Word of Mouth
Consumer Journey
2022 vs. 2023 Budget Breakout
by Consumer Journey
2022 2023
2023 Total % Budget
By Consumer Journey
Destination: 100%
Front Range: 19%
Destination: 81%
Dreaming/
Considering
64%
Booking
8%
In-Market
3%
Post Trip/
Sharing
4%
1:1 Direct
11%
Other
9%
Traditional Media
Digital / Social
Website
PR / Influencer
International
Assets / Content
Welcome Center
Events
Town-owned
Experience
Lodging
Group Sales
Survey
Social
Database
Loyalty
Email
Admin
Contingency
SHIFTS IN CONSUMER JOURNEY INITIATIVES
Discontinued
Item Description Action
Research Cactus in depth consumer interviews
SMARI Stewardship and International surveys
One time projects
Travel
Classics
In-market support and hosting of Travel Classics Removed due to one time
opportunity
Test and
Learn
Budget set aside to dedicate test and learn. Media is constantly
iterating and adjusting and separate budget is not needed
Removed
Brand
Campaign
Community Brand Kick-off, Education and Incentivization to embrace
New campaign
Campaign launched and
repurposing for 2023
In Resort
Installation
AIPP have long lead plans for funded efforts. A non-permanent
solution was put in place in 2022.
Removed 2023 funding to allow
for other more concrete tactics
The following 2022 initiatives will be discontinued with funding shifted to new initiatives
New Initiatives: Winter Need Period
Item KPI Metric / Goal Budget
Winter asset (photo/video) acquisition
Winter web/social film
production/distribution
Ensure content on owned channels delivers to
brand promise $100,000
Winter website enhanced content and SEO Ramp-up SEO to support winter. Adding
net-new SEO baseline.
$10,750
Late season (April) and early season
(Nov-Dec) paid media and creative
Benchmark performance or above. Increased
paid media to promote lodging offers during
need time periods.
$221,000
2023 winter initiatives for winter need time period support lodging.
Not inclusive of ongoing initiatives (owned channels and year-round support)
New Initiatives
Item KPI Metric / Goal Budget
New York in-market media
visit
Stories generated and quality of placement, bringing back a
successful pre-COVID strategy
$15,000
Mexico Spring in-market
event/activation
Stories generated and quality of placement, bringing back a
successful pre-COVID strategy
$25,000
Group Travel/Trade show
attendance
Increase top of funnel awareness of Vail as a group marketing
during non-ski season. National presence for Vail brand at key
industry shows & travel trade events
$30,000
Social Audit Deliverable of plan and implementation with social is the next
owned channel area of focus.
$40,000
Purpose: A social audit will showcase the biggest opportunity on social channels and
help uncover the types of content that our audience loves and is most likely to engage
with – leading to a stronger brand relationship.
Deliverables:
-Social Situation Audit - Analysis of current social media channels including
competitive + category audit.
-Audience Profiles and “Right Space” - Provides analysis of existing audiences
and outlines recommendations for future social media audiences, and defines the
role our brand should play for consumers and culture in social.
-Integrated Social Strategy - Social media playbook including editorial authority,
channel plan and measurement frameworks.
Social Audit + Strategy
Improve/Enhance
Item Description Budget
Mexico Press trips Stories generated
No. and quality of attendees
$10,500
CVENT and
Group Marketing
Efforts
Develop Village Wide messaging and generate group leads for Vail with focus
on non-ski months and winter shoulder seasons via industry marketing tools,
video retargeting, and increased consideration. Increase group market share
and push mid-week and spring/fall occupancy
$30,000
2024 Campaign In preparation of 2024, increase creative and production costs for the
evolution of LIBAD.
$225,000
Video Storytelling
Content and Paid
Media
Enhanced video content storytelling and media plan and media to support
content
$220,000
PRE-BOOKING/INSPIRATION BUDGET BREAKOUT
Pre-Booking/Inspiration: Website
Item KPI Metric Budget Justification
Website Management and Oversight
Strategy/Thought Leadership Increase time on site
(>2:00)
Reduce bounce rate
(<65%)
Reach 80% new users site
traffic
$20,000 - Website product vision and road map, digital strategy and
leadership such as creative technology consulting and digital
ecosystem consulting
Analytics/Reporting/Dashboa
rds
$5,000 - Web data analysis, reporting, insights, and strategic
recommendations such as performance testing strategy and
implementation, optimizations, monthly reporting
UX & Development Updates $33,000 - Development support including front-end, back-end and
CMS, UX strategy and design, Visual design, including UI
and interaction design as needed
Misc Ongoing Web
Maintenance
$15,000 -Ongoing account management of Wordpress website,
management of third-party website tools and subscriptions
-Website security and stability, testing and QA
General Account
Management
$17,000 - General account management
- Bi-weekly status meetings and document management
- Partner/agency status calls
- Travel to and from Vail for partner meetings as needed,
including monthly board meetings and/or Town Council
Meetings
- Budget management and monthly billing packet creation
*Board requested specific budget breakout of Dreaming/Considering for Website and Assets/Content buckets
Pre-Booking/Inspiration: Website
Item KPI Metric Budget Justification
SITE to update/maintain/freshen/audit
Discover Vail on an ongoing basis for
the year
Time on site, pages visited $28,000
Website Software Costs: Service provided and invoice
paid
$17,000
●Wordpress: $25
●Pantheon:$9,000
●Cloudinary: $3,000
●HotJar: $950
●Gravity Forms: $259
●Connekt: $35
●Events Calendar: $190
●If needed increase: $3,766
Software to maintain
site
Ongoing SEO Services Organic traffic increase
Improvement in rankings of
identified keywords
Above the fold organic
placement for top keywords
$39,000 Initial increase over
500% in organic traffic
#1 or #2 in many critical
keywords, improvement
across the board
4 blogs per monthOngoing Web Content Engagement and asset quantity $30,000
Baseline Winter Content Development Engagement and asset quantity $7,500 See above results for
non-winterWinter SEO Ramp Up Organic traffic increase
Improvement in rankings of
identified keywords
Above the fold organic
placement for top keywords
$3,250
*Board requested specific budget breakout of Dreaming/Considering for Website and Assets/Content buckets
Pre-Booking/Inspiration: Assets/Content
Campaign Production
Item KPI Metric Budget Justification
Dream Campaign Execution - FY23
assets (OOH, digital, native, social,
print, production hard costs)
Completion of deliverable,
media performance
$185,000
●Hard costs: $45,000
●Fees: $140,000
Build on the brand expression
in concepts and assets. In line
with 2022 deliverables (over
350 assets) and includes air
marketing and DSP
executions.
Dream Campaign Concepting - for use
in FY24 (concepting, execution,
production hard costs)
Completion of deliverable,
media performance
$225,000
●Hard costs: $140,000
●Fees: $85,000
Build on the brand expression
in concepts and assets.
Dream Campaign Seasonal Guidelines Completion of deliverable $10,000 Provide tools for the
community to help deliver on
the “Dream” campaign
*Board requested specific budget breakout of Dreaming/Considering for Website and Assets/Content buckets
Pre-Booking/Inspiration: Assets/Content
Photo/Video
Item KPI Metric Budget Justification
New Photo Portal $15,000
Winter Assets: shooting
assets/producing videos
$100,000
Asset Acquisition & Production: User
Generated Program/3rd Party Asset
purchasing, photo & video content
acquisition, Video Production of
Summer/Fall web/social videos,
content pieces, management fees
Completion of deliverable $299,000 Build on the brand
expression in
concepts and
assets
Video Storytelling Content and Paid
Media
Enhanced video content storytelling and
media plan and media to support content
$220,000
*Board requested specific budget breakout of Dreaming/Considering for Website and Assets/Content buckets