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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01. OLD - VLMDAC October Meeting Presentation v2VLMDAC BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2022 Agenda I. INFORMATION UPDATE •Monthly Financial Report (5 minutes), Carlie Smith, Town of Vail II. INFORMATION & DISCUSSION UPDATES •Winter Campaign Updates (15 minutes), Cactus •CRM and Analytics Update (30 minutes), BAAG •Budget Updates & Shifts (10 minutes), Cactus & BAAG •Travel Classics Recap (15 minutes), Kristin Yantis, MYPR •Video Film Episodes (10 minutes), Steep •Town of Vail Updates (5 minutes), Mia Vlaar & Jeremy Gross, Town of Vail •Other Business •RFP Presentations (100 minutes) •Appendix: Website performance and future optimizations, Fall digital media performance III. MINUTES •VLMDAC September 15 and October 6 Minute Approval •Action Requested of Council VLMDAC Executive Session pursuant to: 1) C.R.S. §24-6-402(4) (e) -to determine positions, develop a strategy and instruct negotiators, Re: 2022 VLMD Budget (60 minutes) MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT WINTER CAMPAIGN UPDATES Updated Creative Option A Option B ANALYTICS UPDATE Email Database Growth Over 700% database growth since September 2020 Email Database Growth in 2022 Consistent monthly growth this year, with database +33% YTD Database Size by Source The vast majority (67%) of our contacts still come from WiFi Contact Mix by Source The mix of new contacts is still primarily driven by WiFi, followed by events and newsletters Database Growth for Newsletter & WiFi Signups Focus on Newsletter signups is driving faster growth there but still a small portion of total Contact Data Quality Of our 168K contacts, we are able to obtain zip and age during signup for many records. Epsilon data is able to supplement additional pieces of information: Analytics Accomplishments Standardization of monthly email metric reporting with Tableau •We have moved email metrics reports from Excel to Tableau, which allows for better quality, easier maintenance, and better visualization of the data Analytics Accomplishments Creation of contact source and demographic reporting with Tableau •As we explored the available ActiveCampaign data, we were able to start creating reports that showed demographics and insights regarding our contacts, including where they are from and how they come to our database Analytics Accomplishments Ownership of VLMD Dashboard (Destimetrics, paid media, ADARA, lodging, etc.) •The thorough VLMD Dashboard, built by Cactus, is now owned by Brown Analytics and will be posted to the new VLMD Tableau Online in Q4 Analytics Accomplishments Introduction of hypothesis process for Brown Analytics and Cactus marketing campaigns •We have introduced a process for developing hypotheses for each campaign, and measuring results to benchmark against those expectations Analytics Q4 Focus •Assist CRM efforts analytically with expanding segmentation options, including: –Engagement –Lifecycle engagement scoring –Epsilon demographic and interest data •Roll out hypothesis process to all marketing partners •Evolve analytics to understand email activity by contact demographics and engagement •Roll out Tableau reports broadly using Tableau Online CRM UPDATE Email Metrics Overall Email Performance •Increase in # of campaigns sent -> increased segmenting, targeting, testing and frequency (also enabled by increased efficiency) •Maintained increases in engagement rates (clicks) while increasing # of sends significantly •Improved unsubscribe rate shows strength in emails while still capturing leads from varying lead sources Engagement Trend by Email Type •Increased click rates for Marketing Emails during months of increased segmenting (May, July, August) •Lower click rates in September due to testing of sending to unengaged contacts •Overall click rates trending upward for Marketing emails •Transactional emails see a spike when a contest winner announcement email is sent (January) or an in person event takes place (March and June) Email Performance by Source •Engagement rates are highest with Newsletter subscribers whose primary intention is to receive and read our emails •Other sources are a mix of event lists with "hidden opt in", contests, and quizzes -Some are very engaged bc they are in Vail or taking part in online contests or quizzes, but many unsubscribe because they don't actually want to continue hearing from us •Wifi delivery rate is lowest due to poor data quality Welcome Email Performance •Expanded personalization and streamlined current welcome emails to a cohesive series •Doubled total clicks and click to open rate with more emails and opportunities to engage with our content •Created automation and documented a flow chart for efficient addition of new lead sources in the future CRM Accomplishments •Full ActiveCampaign implementation and migration for email sending and reporting •Increased engagement segmenting leveraging ActiveCampaign automations •New Email Templates -> ~250% increase in engagement rates •Streamlined Welcome Series for all lead capture journeys -> 150% increase in # of emails sent allows more targeted emails while maintaining engagement rates •Increased split testing à 8 split tests ran over summer period June-September •Enhanced reporting, data access and analysis with data analyst collaboration •Increased data available with Epsilon data append à enhancing segmentation strategy CRM Q4 Focus Ongoing •2-3 Newsletter emails per month with segmentation and split tests ~15 emails to be created and sent in remainder of 2022 •Update of 11 lifecycle emails for winter and holidays •Database optimization to support growth in depth and breadth of contacts New •Increased engagement segmentation: more targeted content to most engaged subscribers •Increased demographic segmentation: utilization of epsilon data to improve content personalization by demographic segment (family composition, location, etc.) •Increase frequency and tracking of tests and results •Improve CRM campaign and contact reports •Addition of lifecycle emails: re-engagement, survey reminder BUDGET UPDATES & SHIFTS BAAG Budget Request Requesting $30k incremental BAAG budget for 2022 from contingency •will allow us to continue roadmap progress at current pace to fund these items: If additional budget is not approved: BAAG will reduce pace for the remainder of 2022 and the above items will be addressed i n 2023 Need for incremental budget is caused by BAAG cost ~10% over budget pace through Q3 2022. This 10% overage has been primarily driven by: Cactus 2022 Marketing Budget Shifts Now that annual plans have been implemented we have reconciled budgets with the following implications: •Reduced Influencer consultation -reduced due to fewer than expected influencer contracts and better tools through MYPR. •Reduced budget for community toolkit -reduced due removal of planned community roll out. •Increase campaign production -added budget to support the multiple phases and deliverables for 2022. TRAVEL CLASSICS RECAP Travel Classics West Editors •National Geographic Travel •Conde Nast Traveler •AFAR •Westways (AAA) •Hemispheres •Virtuoso, The Magazine •Marriott Bonvoy Traveler (2) •Bon Appetit •Wine Enthusiast •Shondaland •AARP Media •Fodor’s Travel •Saturday Evening Post •TripSavvy Local Partners •Grand Hyatt Vail •Four Seasons Vail •The Antlers Vail •Manor Vail •Austria Haus •Arrabelle at Vail Square •The Sebastian Vail •Sonnenalp •The Hythe •Sweet Basil •Flame •Matsuhisa •La Tour •El Segundo •La Nonna •Montauk •Swiss Chalet •Alpenrose •Slope Room •Tavern on the Square •ACCESS DMC •Colorado Snowsports Museum •Nova Guides •Paragon Guides •Dryland Fitness & Spa •Spa at Sonnenalp •Rock Resorts Spa at Arrabelle •Vail Valley Foundation •Art in Public Places •Betty Ford Alpine Gardens •Vail Stables •Vail Mountain •Vail Brewing Co. •10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits •Gore Creek Fly Fisherman •SPRI •Knapp Ranch •Todd Winslow Pierce •Venture Sports •Grazing Fox •Peak 1 Express •Epic Mountain Express •TOV Transportation Dept. Colorado Media Marketplace Vail Village History Tour & Taste of Vail Dinner Vail Village History Tour & Taste of Vail Dinner Vail Village History Tour & Taste of Vail Dinner CTO Dinner -Four Eagle Ranch Pre & Post Trips •Hosted 20 Editors/Writers Pre & Post Trips •Three Group Trips –Wellness –Llama Backcountry –Photo •Individual Trips •Average Cost: $1,000 per writer Social Posts & Coverage Social Posts & Coverage •Immediate Coverage –TerritorySupply.com •Planned Coverage –USAToday.com 10Best –Nobb Hill Gazette –Luxury Latin America –Virtuoso –Saturday Evening Post •Hot Leads –NYT 36 Hours –Travel + Leisure Feedback Ryan Krogh Freelance GQ, The Guardian, Garden & Gun, Texas Monthly Rachel Chang Freelance CNT, T+L, The Washington Post, WSJ, etc. Lessons Learned + Media Insights •Communication is Key! –Pre + Post TCW Newsletter •Stories + Interest –Vail’s history –Camp Hale –Ski resorts in the summertime –Mayor Langmaid –What is Vail’s sustainability message? –Luxury in the mountains –SPRI –Personal essays Lessons Learned + Media Insights Panel Discussion Insights –Real time, first-person trends to inform coverage. Pulling from Google, their website, social, etc. –Hyper-localized coverage –New ways to look at old things –National parks coverage continues to be popular –Digital coverage -click bait, headlines that appeal to readers in Indiana and India –Sustainability doesn’t get clicks but it’s important –Conservation, sustainability woven into stories vs. the lead –Over tourism -encourage travelers to visit in the off season –Luxury audience grew their wealth last two years –Supporting underrepresented communities through travel including LGBTQ+ –Editors looking to work with subject matter experts VIDEO FILM EPISODES TOWN OF VAIL UPDATES RFP’S Thank you! Upcoming Meetings: VLMDAC Executive Session, October 20, 2022 pursuant to: 1) C.R.S. §24-6-402(4) (e) -to determine positions, develop a strategy and instruct negotiators, Re: 2022 VLMD Budget (60 minutes) VLMDAC Monthly Meeting, November 17, 2022; Grand View Room APPENDIX WEBSITE FALL PERFORMANCE Website Optimizations We prioritized optimizations on the following sections of the website: ●Villages pages / Lodging page UX revamp ●Things to Do page development ●Groups page development ●Homepage content and visual adjustments -seasonal Other areas of optimization include the following: ●Adjusting ‘Calendar’ view of events to Sunday -Saturday ●Email iconography updates ●New survey completion page for winter season ●Implementation of missing H1 tags ●Featured Events / content population Website Optimizations -Villages / Lodging The challenge:The Villages page currently provides brief intros to each Vail “neighborhood,” but there isn’t a way to learn more about them or to easily book a stay in a given location. The proposed solution:Offer a way for site visitors to learn more about each village—lodging, dining and shopping options, and curated “things to do”. Also, provide a clearer connection between the villages information and how you can filter / find a stay when going to Book Direct. Our hypothesis: By providing additional context around each of the village options and creating a more streamlined experience to filter and book trips, users will engage more information—increased pages per session—and have a greater likelihood of booking a stay in Vail. Next steps: Finalize the content and imagery for each page, as well as receive approvals for development. ○Prepare to conduct an A/B test for the previous and updated versions of the page ○Add GTM events to our CTAs and core items for tracking ○Monitor pages per session, time on site, and booking metrics post- launch Website Optimizations -Things to Do The challenge:Improve the flow of our user experience so the ‘Things to Do’ in Vail are front and center. Currently, rather than providing content the audience is looking for, the first action we’re encouraging is to sign up for the newsletter. The proposed solution:Adjust the hierarchy of activities and allow visitors to more quickly view the content they are looking for. Streamline the filtering experience for seasonal selections, and guide them toward a smaller sample of options to simplify making choices. Our hypothesis: When clicking through to this page, visitors are looking for quick-hit suggestions on what to do during their next visit to Vail. By starting with featured activities up front, and allowing visitors to drill down to seasonal specifics upon entry, we’ll see increased engagement with these activities, pages per session, and general awareness of the breadth of Vail’s offerings. Next steps: finalize development of the page for review and launch. ○Add GTM events to determined actions / CTAs ○Track success of our updates compared to previous time periods and benchmarks Website Optimizations -Newsletter Modal The challenge: Upon arrival to the site, visitors are immediately prompted with an ask to sign up for the Vail newsletter before having a chance to explore the site. There isn’t an opportunity to explore around or have a clear understanding of the value that the Vail communications provide. The proposed solution:Adjust the modal so that it appears 20 seconds after arrival and update the introductory content that appears on the modal, explaining why one should sign up for the newsletter. The test: Monitor metrics on the homepage for 3-4 weeks after the updates have been pushed live to see how bounce rate, time on page, and general newsletter submissions have shifted. Next steps:Based on metrics, consider clarifying the newsletter’s value proposition, having the modal appear when exit intent is showcased, or providing a special offer for those that subscribe. 8/23 to 9/12 (prior to launch) compared to 9/13 to 10/4 (3-week post launch) ●Overall time on page: decreased by 8.93% (38 seconds vs. 35 seconds) ●Bounce rate: improved by 3.79% (71.80% vs. 69.08%) ●General NL submissions: down by 53 total, or 28% (190 vs. 137) ○But, in comparison to the page views per period, the post- launch submissions are an improvement. ●Page views: down by 49.22% (16,669 vs. 8,465) Website Optimizations -Groups The challenge:The current Groups page is misaligned with the ‘Dream’ campaign, and there isn’t a significant amount of traffic submitting RFPs via the Discover Vail website. The proposed solution:Adjust the overall user experience (layout, content, etc.) to match the ‘Dream’ theme that appears throughout the DV site, calling attention to the unique offerings that Vail can provide for groups and the ‘Submit RFP’ opportunity in more prominent locations. Our hypothesis: By adjusting the look and feel of the Groups page to align with Vail’s campaign theme, and provide the types of content that planners are looking for when booking for groups, there will be an increase of traffic and RFP submissions that originate from the DV website. Next steps: Finalize the page for launch, and push live. ○Add GTM events to determined actions / CTAs ○Monitor updates compared to previous time periods and benchmarks leveraging Google Analytics and previous RFP submissions Website Optimizations -General Additional optimizations and outcomes: ●Adjusting ‘Calendar’ view of events to Sunday -Saturday; align our Vail Events to the commonly-used week view on other platforms to allow for consistency and familiarity when our users are searching. ●Email iconography updates; provide one new icon that supports winter sports (skis) as well as an alternate dining icon that is sharper and clearly reflects what it represents. ●New survey completion page for winter season; design a landing page for our ‘winter survey’ participants to be taken to once it’s completed, providing additional inspiration and activities to look into for planning their next potential trip. ●Implementation of missing H1 tags; adjust the H1’s that were mistakenly appearing as H2’s in the backend of the website for overall technical / SEO improvements. ●Featured Events / content population; after the new ‘Events’ set up to avoid duplicate content and training on how to set these up, troubleshoot instances where blank content was appearing upon click-through to the detail page of a selected event. Website Optimizations -October Additional areas of optimization on which we are focusing for October / November: ●Development / implementation of the updated Villages pages ●Interactive Map -'Dream Stops' + Villages page exploration ●Homepage hero -remove white space between this and 3 blocks, consider adding a CTA / adjusting the subhead ●Media Center -kickoff UX conversation Website Performance Homepage Performance Comparison: The below metrics showcase the difference between the homepage of the VLMD for 7 months after the LIBAD launch vs. the same 7- month timespan for the campaign that ran in 2021: ●Bounce rate:increased by 18.80% (65.72% vs. 80.94%) ●Page views: increased by 60.26% (76,226 vs. 191,835) ●Unique page views:increased by 62.16% (61,330 vs. 162,081) ●Time on page: decreased by 32.63% (57 seconds vs. 43 seconds) Insights: ●Bounce rate:increase could be attributed to the larger number of visitors to the site. ●Time on page:decrease could be attributed to the change in layout / shifting to more visuals as opposed to being more content-heavy. Website Performance Cont’d HotJar Indicators -launch of LIBAD branding / homepage updates through 10/6/2022: ●Mobile Observations: ○The hamburger navigation, ‘Discover Events’ and ‘Explore Activities’ blocks, and ‘Newsletter sign-up’ sections saw a high level of clicks / engagement. ○Considerations:swap out the ‘Unwind in Vail’ block with a more seasonal alt as it received lower engagement than the others. Adjust the ‘Events’ component to reduce the height a bit, and shift the ‘Sustainability’ block up with a clearer value proposition / call to action. ●Desktop Observations: ○‘Explore Vail’ and ‘Things to Do’ were the most popular nav items, and the ‘Uncover Inspiration’ carousel continues to see high engagement. ○Considerations:swap the ‘Sustainability’ block up and clarify the value proposition. Also, shorten the copy length on the ‘What Makes Vail Special’ section. ●Tablet Observations: ○A high level of engagement continues to be seen on the ‘Newsletter sign-up’ area at the bottom of the homepage. ○Considerations:Add a CTA to the hero space as many users think it’s clickable. FALL DIGITAL MEDIA PERFORMANCE Paid Media Summary (4/1-9/30) Net Digital Spend Impressions Clicks Cost-Per-Click $783K 59M 481K $1.63 +69% YOY +52% YOY 129% YOY -34% YOY While budget has decreased YOY, shifts in our strategic approach continue to yield increases in clicks, driven primarily by paid search & social. 96% of Total Budget Spent (Digital & Traditional) $1,010,000 Budget Channel Breakdown Clicks by Channel Cost-Per-Click YOY Click-Through-Rate YOY ●SEM and Paid Social continue to drive the highest volume of clicks to DiscoverVail.com. ●Video performance has increased month-over-month, now representing 8% of total clicks (up from 4% in June) ●Overall, CPC continues to be significantly lower YOY across channels, while CTR continues to increase Fall Creative Performance (8/15-10/9) Display CTR Native CTR Fall native creative performed strongly (0.30% CTR vs 0.22% for native prior to 8/15). However, guests were less engaged with the display creative (under the CTR benchmark of 0.09%), leading to a 12% decrease in overall CPC from August to September. Fall Creative Performance (8/15-10/9) Display Top Performers Native Top Performer 0.07% CTR 0.07% CTR 0.41% CTR Fall Creative Performance (8/15-10/9) Social Newsfeed Top Performer Social Story Top Performer 0.66% CTR 0.65% CTR