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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Marketing Committee January 17, 2012PALM DESERT PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES Tuesday, January 17, 2012 — 2 p.m. Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Emily Bird-Hrivnak called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Members Absent: Emily Bird-Hrivnak, Vice Chair None Sara O'Flynn, Chairarrived at 2:03 p.m. Rolf Hoehn Jenna LeMaster CITY COUNCIL ACTION Michael Shimer Marlane Wolf APE'tZ.OVI?D DENIED Jennie Rayner RECEIVED I r��_— €?TI111"R R. Stephanie Loog NIEETING DATE Theresa Maggio AYES: ' ' 0-i ner-4Han 1i NOES: t\(LLL Staff /Others Present: ABSENT• 1,` �n It- Robert Spiegel, Mayor ABSTAIN: ` ,,r1t— Jan Harnik, Councilmember VERIFIED BY: t- Justin McCarthy, ACM Redeve/opm6Wiginal on File with City Clerk's -rice Donna Gomez, Visitor Center Manager David Hermann, Management Analyst Ruth Ann Moore, Economic Development Manager Jane Stanley, Recording Secretary Arlene Amick, Palm Springs Art Museum Diane Williams, Windermere Real Estate III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Two observers, Arlene Amick and Diane Williams, introduced themselves. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2011. APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 Rolf Hoehn moved, by Minute Motion, to approve the minutes of the November 15, 2011, meeting. Motion was seconded by Michael Shimer and carried 8-0-1, with Sara O'Flynn abstaining. V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None VI. NEW BUSINESS A. UPDATE ON FASHION WEEK 2012 Michael Mathews from Palm Springs Life was unable to attend the meeting. With Committee concurrence this item is continued to the February 17, 2012 meeting. B. PRESENTATION OF FINAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN Donna Gomez thanked the Committee and staff members for their diligent work. A sampling of the ads provided by Scott Burch Design and Kimball Hall Photography are in five categories: hiking, dining, spa, pool and golf. The final ads will have two to three choices in each category for a total of twelve to fifteen ads and will be incorporated into print media as well as online. "Feel the Warmth" is the tagline for the campaign and is incorporated into the photography using natural sunlight and warm colors. The JW Marriott and Desert Willow were utilized as the two shooting locations, which helped reduce costs. Ms. Gomez went on to show seven images incorporating the photography recently shot. The call to action indicated is Facebook, Twitter, website and toll free phone number to the Visitor Center. In response to Theresa Maggio's question if there were any girlfriends photos, Ms. Gomez replied that there are several group shots around the fire pit at Desert Willow, which have not been touched up yet. David Hermann went on to say that the cost associated with more than two models made it difficult to shoot a girlfriends photo. Michael Shimer mentioned that there is no food in the dining shot and to him the hiking shot does not spell hiking. Ms. Gomez pointed out that the overall message is relaxation and weather. FA APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 Ruth Ann Moore added that the photos presented are the only ones that have been touched up so far. Since the weather was hazy for part of the shooting time, elements such as mountains are added. In response to Jan Harnik's question Ms. Gomez replied that there aren't any shopping shots. Mr. Hermann explained that the reason there are no shopping shots is Palm Desert's shopping mix is not that much different from where visitors are coming from in most of the targeted major markets. Once someone comes here they will shop, but the reason they come is for the weather, and the goal is to get them here for the great weather and Lifestyle. Ruth Ann Moore added that additional photography could be done next year to include shopping, but this year the categories presented were within the budget. She didn't think people would make their decision to come here because of the shopping. Ms. Harnik added that for her, recreational shopping would be an important factor for a vacation. Discussion ensued regarding shopping while on vacation. Justin McCarthy pointed out that staff had a discussion on this issue. The genesis of this effort started with the dialogue with the hoteliers, who said our weather is what needs to be emphasized. This drove the theme of "Feel the Warmth," which is designed to be a leader to get people to take an action: go to our website or get information about Palm Desert, where shopping is featured very prominently. Shopping is not necessarily the leader to get people to take an action. The weather is a more emotive and visceral type of experience or feeling when looking at an ad while you are in either cold areas or in the "June gloom" at the coast. Shopping is one of Palm Desert's main attributes and a shot could be added. The question is do people make a decision to go someplace because of shopping, or do they make a decision to research a location just because of shopping, or the juxtaposition of weather. Ms. Harnik agreed because the previous discussions were about the warmth. Jenna LeMaster remarked that the discussion is over the primary versus the secondary messaging. She agreed with adding an image of shopping. Rolf Hoehn asked at what point does someone make a decision to go on the website. If there are a succession of images that ultimately help people make a decision then there should be a shopping image, but if the 3 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 message is strong enough to produce a call to action to drive them to the website, that would be where they would get all the information. Mr. Hermann said there are some shopping shots at The Gardens from the last campaign, but they are not particularly warm. Mr. McCarthy offered for staff to look at existing copy and work with Scott Burch to possibly integrate a shopping or El Paseo or dining image that wouldn't require new photography. The Committee agreed that was worth exploring. Stephanie Loog added that in previous discussions not only is there a goal of drawing visitors, the long term goal is that they would want to purchase a home in Palm Desert. Mr. Hermann agreed and said that generating revenue and promoting our businesses is the goal, and perhaps marketing within the Valley is where there needs to be a focus on shopping. Ms. Gomez said local businesses put their limited marketing dollars to the best use by advertising locally. Similarly the secondary message for Palm Desert is the shopping. She then asked the Committee if they were happy with the current visuals and campaign itself, and offered to bring back some shopping shots if they can be located. Theresa Maggio commented that another goal was to make sure the photography didn't look stock in any way, but the first shot at the pool looked like it could be anywhere, and the body language did not establish a relationship. Ms. Gomez was able to display some of the other edited photos and the Committee discussed what they did or did not like about them. Emily Bird-Hrivnak remarked that they had done a great job. Ms. Maggio agreed and added that new photography has been needed for a long time. Upon question, Ms. Gomez read aloud the body text from the ad, and stated that the font could be altered if it is too difficult to read. Ms. Harnik believed it is important to get some images of public art on El Paseo as well. Ms. Gomez suggested that she could possibly hire a local photographer if some retail shots are needed. C. STATUS REPORT ON MARKETING EFFORTS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE 2 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 With six months into the fiscal year, Ms. Gomez recounted information from the prior quarter's activity report from Off. Madison Avenue. Highlights include: • Strategic focus concepts: showcase signature events and seasonality, participate in some co-op opportunities, and utilize digital program as a testing ground • Top pages with most website traffic are Events, Things to Do and Desert Night Life. • The length of time visitors stay on the website has decreased slightly due to the content being a little old. OMA has a proposal to update content on landing pages to address this issue. • Top referrals to the website are from the Palm Desert a-gov website and the monthly e-newsletter. In response to Mr. Hoehn's question, Ms. Gomez stated that there are over 12,700 in the e- newsletter database, up 450 in the last quarter. Upon question about the open rate, Ms. Gomez offered to find out that information. • The three action items, requesting a Visitor Guide, joining the email club or contacting us for further information, have increased by 5%. • There were over 3.2 million impressions with 4,488 clicks for an overall click -through rate of 0.14%, which is higher than the industry average of 0.06% to 0.08%. The top five regions going onto the website are Palm Desert, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and San Francisco. • Media buys are continuing to target the southern California market. • Online banner messaging continues to be tested. • 77% of total searches are organic. The mobile market is up 230% from the same time last year. OMA has recommended and is preparing a proposal to develop a mobile formatted website. Mr. Hoehn added that feedback has shown that people have a tendency to immediately leave a website that is not formatted for mobile devices because it is difficult to navigate. In response to Ms. Loog's question, Ms. Gomez stated that making a website mobile accessible is more productive and efficient financially than developing an app. A landing page has been developed for top search keywords, which are Palm Desert and Stagecoach. A landing page for Coachella will also be developed. Pay -per -click ads for Stagecoach returned almost 800 clicks to our landing page. Goals for the rest of the fiscal year are: • Refresh the website • Add links to "Book Now" for hotels, restaurants, tee times, etc. • Add the shopping guide • Add Google maps to hotel and restaurant listings 5 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 • Events calendar as a listing instead of a calendar for easier navigation • Landing pages for events • Pay -per -click campaign for Coachella Recommendations from OMA: • Mobilize palm-desert.org • Mobile pay -per -click campaign Responding to question, Ms. Gomez will ask Off Madison Ave to provide a one -page summary for the Committee. She added that the print campaign is on track. Added value received has been copy or ad in the magazine's e-newsletter or placement on their website. The new "Feel the Warmth" campaign is targeted for publication in February. Due to a mistake by Clear Channel radio, the radio ads will run three extra months for free. VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS None Vlll. OLD BUSINESS None IX. REPORTS FROM CITY COUNCIL LIAISONS A. City Council Mr. Spiegel related that he had just received results from the Hotel Occupancy Tax rates. For November the rates had increased by 22%, and for December they were up by 14%. He asked Ms. Gomez if there was anything happening with the Palm Springs Art Museum. She replied that a Committee member could be added from the Museum. He stated that the Museum opening will be an important event. Upon question the Committee members replied that they were happy with the calendar. To become more family friendly, the JW Marriott is considering redesigning one of the pools to include water slides and waves, and converting a restaurant to a game room for kids. Ms. Harnik added that the 2012 City calendar has been provided to realtors and is given as a marketing piece. X. REPORTS AND REMARKS 0 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 A. Chair Sara O'Flynn indicated that the 14tn Annual Wine and Music Series kicks off on January 28tn. Due to new ABC regulations, all the wine will be donated by Monte de Oro Winery in Temecula. The Series serves twelve different local non -profits. The new owner of The Gardens, Taubman, is supportive of The Gardens' continued involvement in the community and has approved the sponsorship of Fashion Week. Sales are up with increased foot traffic. B. Committee Members Emily Bird-Hrivnak reported that the JW Marriott will be opening a new restaurant called Fisherman's Landing with an anticipated opening in the April timeframe in conjunction with the remodeled Lakeview Restaurant, which will have a rock -wood concept. She pointed out that next month is the JW Marriott's 25th anniversary, which will be celebrated throughout the year. The room renovations are complete and a photo shoot was finished today so as to display new guest room images on the website. They are now awaiting completion of the new restaurant and work is being done in the pool area. Jennie Rayner indicated that The Living Desert has a new e-newsletter and offers ad space to partners in the community. Attendance and income is up. Wild Lights was very successful. The Living Desert is hosting two events for 500+ people from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' mid- year meeting in March. Responding to question, the Wildlife on Wheels program, where animals are taken to schools and events, has not taken off yet. Also responding, Ms. Rayner offered information regarding donor - supported "Jazzoo." Jenna LeMaster was happy to report that Westfield finished the year with twenty-one months of positive sales comps. She is currently organizing an event for the weekend before Valentine's Day. Responding to question, she described how all Westfield employees welcomed approximately 30,000 shoppers at the eleven main entrances on December 16tn Marlane Wolf responded to what Mr. Spiegel mentioned at the last meeting regarding La Quinta advertising their local events in The Desert Sun. To get events in a timely fashion in front of people who read the newspaper, she suggested utilizing the "post it" ad which is placed on the front of the newspaper. Ms. Bird-Hrivnak added that a past event calendar insert for the Esmeralda in The Desert Sun worked very well with huge local response. 7 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 Rolf Hoehn conveyed positive news regarding the upcoming PNB Paribas Tennis Tournament. A permanent addition to the Tennis Garden is a 19,000 square foot shade structure covering the village area. There have been significant advance sales and the hotel packages are doing extremely well. In fact, they are looking for additional hotel rooms to accommodate the demand. In addition, in November the Palm Springs Airport experienced a 4% increase in traffic, assisted by new routes and carriers. Initial indications are positive for December as well. The USO has moved to a larger space. Their former space is an enhancement for the baggage area. Drop off kiosks for rental car return have been added and valet parking will be starting soon. Parking has been expanded by combining lots. Theresa Maggio added to the positive news by reporting that Bighorn had forty home sales for 2011. There are currently ten homes under construction and five awaiting approval, averaging 8,000 square feet and $7.1 M being put into each home. The estimated economic impact is $110M from the 10 new homes. A new 8,500 square foot spec home that was to be unveiled Friday has already sold. The club itself has seen a 13% profit for 2011 with a generous surplus. Fifty-six new members have been added in the past two years with an average age of fifty-four. The recent Miracle on El Paseo event had 700 attendees. There was a large impact from the over 350 pink ribbon tributes that went onto the Christmas tree that was donated to the Eisenhower Medical Center. Stephanie Loog communicated that JP Morgan -Chase is predicting nationally that the housing market is at the bottom. Michael Shimer reported that the remodeled Tommy Bahama building has been completed and is open. He invited everyone to come and see. Ms. Harnik added that the restaurant is incredible. C. Staff Ruth Ann Moore updated the Committee with the store openings on El Paseo, which include some international companies, as well as openings in Desert Crossing. Von's will not move to its new location until November 2012. The office building on Painters Path and Highway 111 will be a consignment store. Red Lobster is under construction. The CVS building on Deep Canyon has been leased. There has been strong interest in the 2.1 acre El Paseo hotel site on Larkspur, so Council has approved an RFP. XI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS A. Ethics Training E:3 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2012 Ms. Stanley distributed information for the required ethics training and reminded the members to return their certificate to the City Clerk once they have completed the training. B. Visitor Center Report Ms. Gomez was happy to report that numbers have increased over December of 2011, with January numbers also increasing. Responding to question, she replied that the Visitor Center consultant, Landmark, has provided great input and advice and has referred merchandise vendors. They have given an initial report with another report to come. Additionally, the City is partnering with Desert Willow mid -February to host 30 German top producing tour operators. California Tourism is the general host working together with the CVA, who is covering transportation. The tour operators will tour El Paseo on the way to Desert Willow, XII. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m. Jane ttanley, Record in ecretary