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HomeMy WebLinkAboutInformational Report - New City Tourism Ad CampaignCITY OF PALM DESERT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON NEW TOURISM AD CAMPAIGN SUBMITTED BY: Thomas Soule, Tourism & Marketing Manager DATE: January 09, 2020 Recommendation By minute motion, receive and file the informational report on the new Tourism Ad Campaign. Committee Recommendation The Marketing Committee will review the City's new ad campaign at a special meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Their recommendation will be presented verbally to Council on January 9, 2020.1 1 Strateqic Plan Obiective The creation of a new ad campaign and marketing video impacts the following Tourism & Marketing priorities as specified in the 2013-2033 Strategic Plan, Envision Palm Desert: Forward Together. • Priority 3: Attract new and developing travel/tourism markets. This priority specifically calls for the development and utilization of supporting marketing materials. The ad campaign and marketing video help create a fresh and vibrant message to attract new and expanding target markets. • Priority 4: Support the City's tourism industry through enhancement of its marketing efforts with an allocation of additional city resources. The new ad campaign and marketing video provide a much -needed refresh of the City's advertising campaign that greatly enhances the City's marketing efforts. Backqround At its meeting of June 28, 2018, the City Council approved Contract C37180 with Ideapeddler to provide marketing services for the City of Palm Desert. In addition to the Staff Report New Ad Campaign January 09, 2020 Page 2of4 specific functions outlined in the contract, these marketing services include the planning, organizing and overseeing of special projects as assigned by the City. The City supports the tourism industry and local business through implementation of a comprehensive marketing program, which includes an advertising campaign that promotes the City as a premium travel destination. At the time Ideapeddler was hired, the City's advertising campaign was beginning its third consecutive year in market, which made creation of a new ad campaign a priority. Rather than rush the process, staff worked with the agency on a transitional version of the old campaign as the agency team set out to familiarize themselves with Palm Desert. With guidance from the Marketing Committee, a plan was created to strategically gather data and conduct research that would inform the creation of the new ad campaign. The advertising objective for this new campaign is to raise awareness among potential visitors of Palm Desert as an upscale, unique destination within the Coachella Valley. Completed early in 2019, the initial round of qualitative market research identified significant insights, including: • Key drivers and expectations of visitors looking for a quick getaway. • The competitive set for local getaways. • Current perceptions of Palm Desert. • Awareness of/interest in various attractions in the Palm Desert area. • Perceived differences/similarities between Palm Desert and Palm Springs. The research findings directly pointed to the need for an ad campaign that would achieve the following goals: Highlight a wide variety of activities for a range of engagement levels. Emphasize the drive -market audience's felt need of alleviating confinement. Differentiate Palm Desert from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (GPSCVB). Armed with this information, the creative team developed two campaign concepts, which were both approved by the Marketing Committee. These two concepts were then presented to consumer focus groups with three goals in mind: 1. Measure consumer reaction to the creative concepts. 2. Determine which of the two campaigns generated more interest in planning a trip to Palm Desert. 3. Utilize information learned to select one campaign for production and to refine the creative elements. Staff Report New Ad Campaign January 09, 2020 Page 3 of 4 This round of research was conducted via in person focus groups comprising carefully screened participants. While both concepts were positively received, one concept clearly prevailed. Among the key takeaways: • It conveyed that you have options when you go to Palm Desert — you can take it easy or do active things. • It implied that there's something for everyone in Palm Desert. • It was seen as a positive, upbeat message. • It conveyed that Palm Desert can be a respite from the busy city life of Los Angeles. Based on a review of this research, the Marketing Committee unanimously voted to move forward with production of this campaign, called "Find Your Happy Pace." The tagline communicates a critical new stance: Palm Desert is more than just a place to unwind. Instead, it suggests that the city has a mix of offerings for visitors at every activity level. The subtle play on the familiar phrase "my happy place" provides instant familiarity and speaks to all visitors' desire to explore at their own pace —fast or slow, relaxed or energetic. Palm Desert gives you a choice. This relatable, welcoming tagline is sure to resonate with our target audience. Over time, the campaign will roll out tactics highlighting locals who are living their happy pace. The campaign incorporates a range of camera angles and shots to convey the diversity of exp6riences available in Palm Desert. Expansive drond shots capture the beauty of our landscapes, while mid -range shots provide a sense of place and the options for activities. Tight shots are used to capture genuine emotion and details for authenticity. The agency chose a natural shooting style, using the true colors and tones of Palm Desert from dawn through dusk. This visual style is a key differentiator from the GPSCVB saturated aesthetic. The initial commercials showcase a broad range of local attractions and activities, from relaxing spas and poolside floating to high-energy golfing and hiking. Interweaving different scenes and groups of talent allows us to highlight both passive and active options for enjoying Palm Desert. Music is a vital campaign component that builds emotion and easily translates the concept of pace. The two initial commercials harness the energy of a song called "Lucky Day," a faster -paced song intentionally chosen for these ads to grab the audience's attention and begin to shift the perception of the city as slow and boring. Future music selections may alternate between faster- and slower -paced songs or include songs that feature multiple cadences. Staff Report New Ad Campaign January 09, 2020 Page 4of4 All principal photography and videography were completed simultaneously in early November 2019, and the images, text and video have since been finalized. piscussion The new ad campaign will now replace the old campaign in the marketplace, following the media plan approved by Council at its regular meeting on October 10, 2019. With the campaign direction in place, staff will continue to work with Ideapeddler during the remainder of the fiscal year to produce further assets to expand the Palm Desert brand platform. These assets will include (but are not limited to) an update of the imagery on DiscoverPalmDesert.com, further social media assets, and targeted videos using existing footage from the November shoot. Fiscal Analysis: Funding for the new ad campaign has been previously approved by City Council in the FY 2019/20 Budget. No additional funds are required. LEGAL REVIEW DEPT. REVIEW FINANCIAL REVIEW N/A Robert W. Hargreaves Martin Alvarez i, et M. Moore _City Attorney Director of Econ Dev director of Finance City Manager, Lauri Aylaian: ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Andr Pant estine Assiity Manager