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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05. Q3 2023 PR Report November 7, 2023 TO: Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council FROM: Kristin Yantis & Amanda McNally, MYPR CC: Mia Vlaar & Liz Gladitsch, Town of Vail RE: Q3 Public Relations Report Agency Support In the third quarter of the year, MYPR was in full hosting mode showcasing Vail to media and influencers. In addition, the agency was pitching and organizing end of summer and fall visits, as well as appropriate fall story angles. As a reminder, last quarter 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 comparisions, number of clips, key message tracking, media reach and sentiment. However, we also agreed to integrate two more 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 or visits from media who represent 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.) Please keep in mind that identifying these measurements mid-summer did not provide MYPR with the opportunity to develop strategies and focus to meet these objectives going into the summer. However, we believe this wil provide us with a great baseline to help identify opportunities in 2024. Following are sample Q3 tactics that MYPR executed in support of the Discover Vail summer PR effort. • Managed the monthly Destination Stewardship Program column with the Vail Daily. This entails identifying a quarterly content calendar of relevant, timely topics and interviewing experts in the community. MYPR then drafts each column for Town approval and submits to the Vail Daily to publish. • Executed the summer influencer program including selecting content creators, setting up their travel, scheduling kickoff meetings with each person and meeting with individuals during their visit to Vail. Confirmed list of visits noted below. • Executed the summer blogger strategy including selecting content creators, setting up their travel, scheduling kickoff meetings with each person and them meeting with individuals during their visit to Vail. Confirmed list of visits noted below. • Continued aggressive media outreach for summer stories and visits. The agency secured visits and handled all travel arrangements, activities and itinerary development for these trips. Kristin and Amanda also personally hosted writers during their visits to Vail. Confirmed list of visits noted below. • Attended Travel Classics in Vancouver on behalf of Discover Vail. Provided the event organizer with all appropriate sponsorship materials such as story ideas, advertisements for the program, etc. • Ongoing updates of content on the DiscoverVail.com media center. • Participated in several meetings related to MICHELIN coming to Colorado. MYPR attended the event in Denver and drafted a release related to Vail’s designations. MYPR also reached out to Osaki’s to try and get the restaurant involved in future marketing efforts. The owner never responded and the general manager at the restaurant said they don’t want to participate in any additional marketing efforts. • Participated in partner planning meetings for 2024. • Requested content for a fall “what’s new” media tipsheet. We did not receive sufficient content from community partners so we did not draft and distribute this release. • Met with select Front Range media to discuss summer 2024 key messages. • Client management including monthly VLMDAC meetings, partner meetings, PR one-on- ones with Town of Vail staff, etc. New KPI’s! • Secure at least two dozen stories that include DiscoverVail.com. o Vail.com continues to be the prominent site that media reference, however, there were at least 6 uses of the website in stories we tracked last quarter. • Securae at least two dozen stories or visits from media who represent target media outlets. o Placements in 55 stories in target market publications. o 18 media visits from journalists representing target market outlets. o Bonus Measurement! At least 17 target market publications represented during the NYC media mission and 24 connections during our attendance at Travel Classics. Q3 Media Coverage As a reminder, we monitor against our comp set to gauge Vail’s performance versus Aspen and Breckenridge. 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 Micheline guide coverage – Aspen was the only mountain community to have a restaurant receive a star. o A summer adventure release that was distributed on the wire. o Billy Idol’s surprise appearan at Jazz Aspen. • Breckenridge o Leaf peeping in the area. o Oktoberfest coverage. o A new troll art installation is going up in Victor near Colorado Springs so the Breckenridge troll was mentioned in conjunction with this project. • Vail o Michelin coverage o Vail as an affordable summer destination. o Top main streets story. Vail Sample Media Placements • AFAR.com – September 2023 Headline/Link: 15 Places in the United States that Feel Like Europe Note: Also ran in a few different online outlets such as MSN.com. • Yahoo Lifestyle – August 2023 Headline/Link: You Need to visit These Adorable US Main Streets ASAP Note: Story also ran on the Good Housekeeping website, Country Living and more. • Chicago Tribune – July 2020 Headline/Link: Vail in summer is a deal for families Note: Story ran in several outlets and included DiscoverVail.com Media, Blogger & Influencer Visits • July 23-27 – The Travel Bite blogger • July 23-26 – Freelance writer Kristen Gill who specializes in adventure, cultural exchanges, off-the-beaten-path, transformational, sustainable and eco-friendly travel. She has been featured as a travel expert on MSN, CBS, Peter Greenberg Worldwide and the BBC’s “The World” on NPR. Kristen produces travel content for outlets such as Outside, BBC, NPR, The Seattle Times, MSN Travel, Travel Weekly and more. • July 26-30 – Freelance writer Claire Zlobin who regularly contributes to outlets such as TravelAge West, Twist, Tinybeans and Family Traveller, among others. She also has her own family travel blog DropOfGoldenSun.ca. • August 1-4 – TheWorldPursuit.com bloggers • August 8-11 – Freelance writer Courtney Drake McDonough who contributes to Colorado Parent, InGoodTasteDenver.com and RealFoodTraveler.com. • August 10-13 – Freelance writer Noel Burgess who contributes to Forbes, Thrillist, Food & Wine and others. • August 8-11 – Influencer @through.the.llyns • August 11-13 Vail Wine Festival Partnership o Shelby Vittek – freelance writer who writes a monthly drinks column for New Jersey Monthly and contributes to outlets such as Washington Post, Bon Appétit, National Geographic, Departures, Wine Enthusiast, Saveur, Plate Magazine, Modern Farmer, Liquor.com and others. o Rebecca Toy – Toy is an experienced travel and culture freelance journalist who specializes in engaging human interest stories that incorporate history, culture, and a sense of place to invoke curiosity and inspire travel and learning. She contributes to outlets such as National Geographic, Wine Enthusiast, Fodor’s Travel, The (Toronto) Star and more. • August 13-15 – Influencer Eric Stoen @travelbabbo (unpaid partnership) • August 14-17 – Influencers @theloverspassport • August 14-17 – Freelance writer Vicki Arkoff who contributes to JustLuxe.com, Pursuitist, Lonely Planet and others. • August 14 – Colorado Tourism Office World Music Press Trip o Andrea Black – Escape (Australia) o Belkacem Bahlouli – Rolling Stone (France) o Andrea San German – Food & Wine (Mexico) o Richard Franks – City AM & Adventure.com (UK) • August 25-28 – Freelance writer Paul Ross who won a trip back to Vail via Travel Classics. • August 22-24 – Freelance writer Adam Graham who contributes to CNT, Departures, Robb report, etc. Paid Storytelling: Influencer Program Top Performing Posts Overall Campaign Performance Paid Storytelling: Blogger Program Links to stories created by bloggers: • LocalAdventurer.com - https://localadventurer.com/things-to-do-in-vail-in-summer/ • TheTravelBite.com - https://thetravelbite.com/travel_and_food_blog/summer-in-vail- things-to-do/ • TheWorldPursuit.com - https://theworldpursuit.com/things-to-do-in-vail-summer/ Q4 Tactics Following are priority tactics for Q4. • Planning for 2024. • Updating media target lists for 2024. • End of year reporting. • Follow up on Michelin Guide announcement. • Decide on NYC strategy and execute accordingly for 2024. • Host annual Vail PR Partners meeting in conjunction with Vail Resorts. Upon review, please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!