Table of Contents

MEET OUR TEAM.....................................................................................................2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..........................................................................................3 SITUATION ANALYSIS............................................................................................4 RESEARCH..................................................................................................................5 SWOT ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................7 TARGET AUDIENCE.................................................................................................8 MEDIA SCAN.............................................................................................................9 CONSUMER PROFILE............................................................................................11 CAMPAIGN FOCUS................................................................................................12 STRATEGIES AND TACTICS.................................................................................13 CREATIVE..................................................................................................................16 WEB BANNERS.............................................................................................24 SIDE BAR ADS.............................................................................................25 MALL DIRECTORY BOARDS....................................................................26 GUERILLA ....................................................................................................27 TV ...................................................................................................................30 RADIO SCRIPT..............................................................................................31 SOCIAL MEDIA........................................................................................................32 FACEBOOK....................................................................................................33 GROUPON,TWITTER, INSTAGRAM.......................................................35 YOUTUBE, TUMBLR....................................................................................36 PINTEREST.....................................................................................................37 SOCIAL CONTENT CALENDAR..........................................................................38 WEBSITE....................................................................................................................39 DIGITAL ADVERTISING .......................................................................................43 SPONSORED CONTENT .....................................................................................48 BUDGET.....................................................................................................................52 MEDIA SCHEDULE ...............................................................................................53 APPENDIX................................................................................................................55

Big Cheese Communications: Meet Our Team

Alexandra Sandstrom Team Leader & Copywriter Gina Tomilonus Designer

Andrew Abraham Team Leader & Account Executive

Madeline Bok Copywriter

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Kevin Hines Media Austin Figueroa Social Media and PR

Hannah Fuller Research

Alex Morask Social Media and PR

Tashina Williams Designer

Not Pictured

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Executive Summary
Wisconsin is the ______-est state in the country. To us, its the greatest, the funnest (alright, most fun), and most importantly, the nicest of all 50 states. But thats an opinion. Empirically speaking, Wisconsin really does rank #1 in several categories: It hosts the worlds largest music festival, has the worlds largest waterpark resorts, the greenest bed and breakfast... Its no wonder that tourism is on the rise. In 2011 over 87 million people chose to spend their vacation days in Wisconsin. Most of them were part of the mature age group. Most of them are white and have families, and they come from those flat states in the middle- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan. In an effort to target this demographic, agencies that handle the Wisconsin Tourism campaign have used video montages that boast beautiful scenery and active people. Boelter-Lincoln claimed that in Wisconsin, Lifes so good and when Laughlin Constable had the account, they positioned the state as the origin of fun. But fun is ambiguous- it means something different to everyone, and it cant exactly be claimed, so Wisconsin is threatened by the campaigns of similar states. Oregon, Michigan, and Maine have all established themselves as destinations for outdoor adventure and serenity (Apendix). But Wisconsin doesnt want a flag on that mountain; we are the state that makes you feel at home when youre not at home. The Tourism Department has expressed this through social media including Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter. Across each, the department has nearly 800,000 followers and has the ability to reach millions of vacationers instantly. See Appendix for more details.

Situation Analysis
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has tried a variety of bait to reel in tourists, and different agencies have handled the account. See Appendix for more details.

HISTORY

Wisconsin has the best of both worlds: big cities and country life, thrilling waterparks and serene lakes, huge music festivals and cozy art galleries. The one thing Wisconsin has that other Midwest states do not is Wisconsin residents. The people here take hospitality to another level and as a result, traveling is easy and enjoyable. The service in Wisconsin makes guests feel like theyre at home even when theyre not.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

THE COMPETITION
See Appendix for more information.

Pure Michigan

Escape the Hustle and Bustle

The Maine Thing

A Quiet Getaway

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has had success because theyve covered all their bases. They have a strong social media presence across Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Their Sweatertalk videos have gone viral, and their digital media made even watching leaves fall seem fun. Print ads boasted beautiful landscapes with happy families, and television spots showed that even the Milwaukee orchestra isnt stuffy; they had a snowball fight mid-performance!

CURRENT MEDIA STRATEGIES

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Research
Wisconsin is funded largely by breweries and tourism- that speaks for itself; the state is fun. But people dont always vacation just for fun. We know that they want to spend time with family, relax away from big cities and enjoy good company. People come to Wisconsin for the same reason they get two scoops of ice cream instead of one- to enjoy, to indulge, to feel good. Maybe tourists arent exactly sure what the feeling is that theyre looking for, but theyll know it when they race down a waterslide at Noahs Ark or when they hear their favorite band at Summerfest. By reminding tourists that the people, activities, and amenities in Wisconsin will make them feel great, we hope to increase heads in beds by 4% next year (Appendix).

Research
Vacationers percieve Wisconsin as the most fun state in the Midwest because of opportunities like the Fall Color Tour, small-town experiences, fishing and camping. They like to go to Door County and Lake Geneva, and the top three cities to travel to are Milwaukee, Madison and the Wisconsin Dells (Yahoo News). The Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Zoo, Miller Park, festivals, beaches and various brewery tours tend to draw big crowds (travbuddy.com). Our primary research consisted of a 16-question survey and a five-person focus group. The survey gathered 86 responses that assured us that most of our assumptions had been right on:

The following percentages of the Matures, Generation X, Boomers, and Millenials age groups visit Wisconsin in the summer.

MATURES 59%

GEN X 58%

BABY BOOMERS 57%

MILLENIALS 55%

Older people enjoyed their trips so much that they said theyd tell their friends to vacation in Wisconsin, but Millenials were less impressed and reported that while they found the state to be down to earth and friendly, it was not exactly exciting. (Wisconsin Department of Tourism).

In our focus group, Milwaukee moms told us that traveling in Wisconsin is perfect when they dont have a lot of time. Also, cabins and lake houses up north are family favorites, and the moms were sure to remind us that traditions and family time are very important to them (Apendix). The moms all seemed to try to explain a sentiment about being with their families that they just couldnt find the words for- a feeling brought to them by Wisconsin.

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SWOT Analysis
strengths
Diverse locations wide number of attractions, everything from woods to cities Friendly local population Price (affordable) the target lives close

Target Audience
Most people who travel to Wisconsin in the summer are Matures and their families who come from the Midwest, specifically Chicago (54%) and the Twin Cities (52%) DMA. Logically, our primary target will be the mothers of these families (Appendix). Dads might wear the pants, but moms control the pockets, and they make the majority of travel decisions. We also want to focus on newlyweds as a niche market. Young couples typically dont have a lot of money, but they enjoy doing a large variety of things. They may want a romantic getaway or a rowdy brewery tour, and Wisconsin can offer both at a low cost (Appendix). The senior citizen market is another niche of interest, as it controls 77% of all assets held in the United States. Well emphasize the fact that they dont have to fly to get here and that they can be as adventurous or low-key as they want to.

weaknesses
Competitors similair locations Popular miconceptions farmland not your typical vacation Weather varies immensly between seasons unpredictable climate

opportunities
Potential client base Economy good value niche markets Off the beaten path

threats
Other destinations Michigan Illinois Minnesota Ohio

some have larger budgets Economy less disposible income

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Media Scan

Media Scan

Our television campaign will be focused mainly on Chicago and Minneapolis DMAs. The :30 spot commercials will air on broadcast networks during morning programming and evening news shows. Although prime time programming will be beyond our budget, with a flighting strategy that will allow for bursts of advertising followed by breaks, we will reach mothers who plan trips for their families

TV

Google Adwords, Microsoft Ad Center, and Bing will be utilized so we can take advantage of planners who begin looking into vacations by confucting online research.

PAID SEARCH

Radio is a cost-effective way to communicate to our target. :30 and :60 spots will air throughout northern Illinois, northern Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota. Placed during peak driving hours like the morning and evening drive, we will reach the target with high frequency.

RADIO

Googles display network will be a priority because of the ability to hyper target highly visual ads. We can target our display ads by location (the Midwest) by the context of the hosting website (travel sites, travel blogs), by the time of day, and more.

GOOGLE DISPLAY NETWORK

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Most of our print material will be placed in magazines where images are high resolution and can be seen by mothers. Well maintain placement in lifestyle, health, and home magazines throughout the year.

PRINT

On websites that prove to have high traffic from our target audience, we will buy space that we can maintain consistently throughout the campaign.

MANUAL AD BUYS

Posters will be placed in mall directories and other high traffic areas of Minneapolis and Chicago throughout the year. In addition, heated skywalks will feature floor decals with the Travel Wisconsin Logo.

OUTDOOR

The goal of our non-traditional advertising is to allude to the experience that can only be found in Wisconsin. Pedicure flip-flops at salons, little free libraries, embroidererd robes at gyms, misters at state fairs, and a radio contest will incentivize mothers to bring their families to Wisconsin.

NON-TRADITIONAL

Facebook sponsored sories, Facebook ads, Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon Discovery, and Pinterest will be integral to our social media strategy. We hope that stay-at-home moms and mommy bloggers will help make our efforts go viral.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Consumer Profile
Its 6:00 AM when Stacy, 38, wakes up to the sound of talk radio on a winter morning. As she gets out of bed wishing she had five more minutes to sleep, she slides into her slippers and robe and goes downstairs to let the dog outside. Her husband, Mike, wakes up at the same time and gets ready for work at the bank. Stacy makes a pot of coffee and then runs back upstairs to take a shower. At around 6:45, she wakes up her three children, Luke, 14, Maggie, 11, and Lauren, 6, so they can get ready for school. Mike pours Purina dog food into the dish on his way out the door, and Stacey breaks up a fight between the kids before she pours their Kashi cereal. When everyone is fed and ready to go, Stacy locks up the house, piles everyone into the hybrid SUV and drives to school. First, she has to drop Luke off at the high school, then Maggie off at middle school for her second semester of sixth grade, then she heads to the elementary school where Lauren is in kindergarten and where her own class of second graders await their teacher. Throughout her work day, Stacy shares her passion for the outdoors with her second graders as she talks to her class about eating healthy and staying active. During her lunch break, she has a few minutes to make her after school errands list, which involves grocery shopping, taking Maggie and Luke to soccer practice, making dinner and creating a lesson plan for the next week of school. She eats her well-balanced lunch while listening to the radio for fifteen minutes and finishes her lunch break by checking her Gmail and looking quickly at her Facebook app on her iPhone. After school, Stacy stops to pick up Maggie from the middle school on her way home and listens to the radio while she waits. When the four get home at around 3:45, Maggie and Luke rush upstairs to get their soccer gear while Lauren watches ABC Family. Stacy lets the dog out once more and jots down a grocery list on the back of a receipt from dinner at Applebees. At 4:15, the family all gets back in the car to go to soccer practice and the grocery store. At the store, Stacy becomes frustrated by several things. Her cart is squeaking, the products are too high on the shelves, and the lines are long. As she waits to check out with coupons in hand, she picks up recent issues of Lifestyle Magazine and Home & Gardens. Lauren gets a Nickelodeon magazine for her good behavior. Luke and Maggie are ready to be picked up at 5:15 and they all head home where they are met by Mike who came home from work early. Stacy starts dinner as Mike helps the kids with their homework. After dinner, they all help with the dishes before sitting down with a bowl of ice cream to watch Modern Family together before bedtime. When the show is over, Stacy and Mike put their kids to bed at 9. Afterwards, they watch Scandal and then the 10 PM local news. While Mike prepares some work for the next day and responds to e-mails on his Blackberry, Stacy scans Pinterest looking for recipes for tomorrows dinner. She pins a few images, checks her e-mail again, and tweets goodnight before heading upstairs.

Campaign Focus
Our focus: THE FEELING

The feeling people get when they vacation here is indescribable, but our goal is to describe it.

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Our objective: INCREASE TOURISM TO WI DURING THE SUMMER BY 4%

by reminding them why they like to travel evoking emotion through familiar feelings citing things in Wisconsin that can recreate those feelings

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Strategies and Tactics

Strategies and Tactics

Objective: Increase WI Tourism by 4%

Measurement: Heads in Beds

Strategy 2: Drive Media Attention

Tactic 2: Social Media Postings
Measurements: Social Media Chatter, Mentions and Shares

Measurements: Media Stories Generated Social Media Shares & Mentions Web Content Engagement

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Strategy 1: Communicate the Good Feeling Wisconsin Instills (The Brand Essence)
Tactic 2: TV Campaign
Measurements: Domain-Specific Call to Action Web Traffic Nielsen Ratings

Tactic 1: Guerilla Strategy

Measurements: Before and After Surveys

Tactic 3: Website Content Strategy

Measurements: Content Shares Inbound Links Traffic

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Measurements: Press Stories Generated

Tactic 4: Social Campaigns

Measurements: Twitter and Facebook Shares

Tactic 5: Sponsored Content

Measurements: Impressions Referral Traffic

Tactic 1: Print Advertising

Measurements: Domain-Specific Call to Action Media Mentions

Tactic 3: Radio Spots

Measurements: Domain-Specific Call to Action Station Ratings

Tactic 4: Guerilla Strategy

Tactic 5: Out of Home

Measurements: Press Stories Generated Social Media Chatter, Mentions and Shares Guerilla Goods Consumed

Tactic 6: Facebook Campaign

Measurements: Contest Entries Social Media Shares

Measurements: Domain-Specific Call to Action Media Mentions

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Strategies and Tactics

Strategy 3: Dramatically Increase Web Presence
Tactic 2: Sponsored Content
Measurements: Impressions Referral Traffic Measurements: Website Traffic

Creative
See Appendix

Social Media Community Growth & Engagement

Lead Generation Online Media Mentions

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Tactic 1: Content Strategy (Blogs, eBooks, Etc.)

Measurements: Website Visitors Email Signups Content Downloads Inbound Links

Tactic 3: Social Media Posting

Measurements: Social Media Engagement

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Tactic 4: Social Campaigns

Measurements: Twitter and Facebook Shares Entries

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Tools Used to Help with Measurement: Google Analytics Google Alerts Radian 6 Email Databases See Appendix for More Information

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In Wisconsin, a perfect summer day is made with good weather, fun friends and unique local beers. Combine all of that on the Pedal Tavern, a traveling bar that pedals through the streets of Milwaukee, and youll be taken back to your rst bike- minus the skinned knees and glittery helmet. For more information on scheduling your party visit print.TravelWisconsin.com

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In Wisconsin, tailgating is more than just a pre-game cookout; its a ritual. We are a neighborhood of Brewers fansthe truck beds are our open houses and Miller Park is our town hall. Over whi e ball and brats we join in comaraderie before marching into the game towards victory. Join us by going to print.TravelWisconsin.com to check out the Brewers schedule and get tickets.

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Sidebar Ads

Mall Directory Boards

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Guerilla Mock-Ups
Pedicure flip-flops distributed at salons give clients a feeling of luxury and relaxation. These will be provided to 15 salons in Chicago, Minneapolis, DesMoines and Milwaukee with a slogan that says This feeling brought to you by Travel Wisconsin.

Guerilla Mock-Ups
Comfortable bath robes make the gym locker room feel like your home bathroom. Embroidered with This feeling brought to you by Travel Wisconsin, the robes will encourage clients to visit our website.

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Little Free Libraries containing magazines that feature Travel Wisconsin print ads will be constructed in public parks in our target cities.

Because our target is mothers who frequently shop for groceries, we have touchpoints in both the shopping carts and the baskets of grocery stores in our four target cities.

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Guerilla Mock-Ups
TV Spot

TV Story Board
Client Spot Travel Wisconsin TV :30 Title Job # Hooked On a WI Feeling 1

Shot 1: 2 women, Sue and Jan, talking Dialogue: Jan asking Sue about her vacation.

Shot 2: Close up of Sues face SFX: Party noise, kids playing (throughout) Dialogue: Sue asking Jan about trip

Shot 3: Pan out to see both women Dialogue: Jans vacation continued

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Shot 4: Video Montage of fun times in WI begins Music: Hooked On a Feeling
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Shot 5: Videos continue Music: Continues Shot 6: Videos continue Voiceover: Call to Action

When youre sweating at a state fair, all you want is relief from the heat. We will sponsor misting stations where families can cool down and be reminded of the refreshing feeling of Wisconsin.

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Radio Ad
Travel Wisconsin
:60 Radio Hooked on a feeling
SFX: NOISES IN A COFFEE HOUSE VOICE OF MOM 1: Hey Sue so how was your family vacation out east? VOICE OF MOM 2: Oh Jan it was a nightmare. First our flight got delayed two hours, then we forgot sunscreen and all got burnt on the first day. Oh and the city was just so overcrowded- the lines for all of the museums were so long and the kids were not happythe hotel didnt even have a pool! And turns out Jimmys allergic to shrimp! VOICE OF MOM 1: Oh Sue thats terrible! My vacation was quite the opposite! Bob and I took the kids to Wisconsin (optional) VOICE OF MOM 2: What on earth could you have done there? VOICE OF MOM 1: Well we went to the Wisconsin Dells- the water park capitol of the worldtooks the kids to a brewer game and Mikey caught a homerun ball! Then we camped for a few days in _____, roasted Smores under the bright starsahh [music starts] I just cant quite describe it[music continues] We want you to fall in love with Wisconsin this summer and get hooked on a good feeling. (optional) Summerfest, the nations largest music festival will be held in Milwaukee on ____ tickets are on sale now. (optional) {information & promotion of upcoming events in Wisconsin

Social Media

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Facebook

Facebook
Hooked On A Feeling

cooking and crafting heftyan and book application will their giveaway E book application will giveaway an Ec Wisconsin dishes as thought up by 128k Wisconsin dishes as thought up by c email address and contact informat email address and contact informat kids alike will have tons of fun introd kids alike will have tons of fun introd Eat Like a more the cookbook is used, the mo more the cookbook is used, the mo Wisconsinite Objectives: Keep Wisconsin in top-o Objectives: Keep Wisconsin in top-o database. database.

The Hooked on a Feeling promotion will be a full-scale video entry contest hosted on Travel W Travel Wisconsin March 11 Travel Wisconsin March 11 Travel W Facebook using the Wildre Social Suite. The focus of the campaign is to have fans produce March 11 March 11 short, funny videos of themselves dancing, partying and singing along to Rumor has it that Headwaters Restaurant & Tavern in the song, Hooked Boulder Junction, WI has one of THE BEST sh frysin how it would feel to Rumor has it that Headwaters Restaurant & Tavern on a Feeling by Blue Swede. The objective is for contestants to express in the entire Midwest. Travel Wisconsins own Guest Boulder Junction, WI has one of THE BEST sh frys Blogger, Mike the Big Travel Ragu, investigates win a weeklong, Midwest vacation, and to so solely through song and dance. Both Travel in do the entire Midwest. Wisconsins own Guest -- http://goo.gl/EVtXa Mike the Big Ragu, investigates Wisconsin Judges and Facebook fans willBlogger, vote for the winner, who will win this week long -http://goo.gl/EVtXa vacation to the Wisconsin vacation spot of their choosing. Like Comment Share Like Comment Like Comment Share Like Comment Objectives: Build brand awareness, drive social chatter and collect consumer information for 25 People l 25 People like this database. 25 People like this 25 People l
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Travel Wisconsin

128,000 Likes- 1,232 talking about this

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Hooked On A Feeling Eat Like a Wisconsinite

The Hooked on a Feeling promotion will be a full-scale video entry contest hosted on Facebook using the Wildre Social Suite. The focus of the campaign is to have fans produce short, funny videos of themselves dancing, partying and singing along to the song, Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede. The objective is for contestants to express how it would feel to win a weeklong, Midwest vacation, and to do soTravel solely through song and dance. Both Travel Wisconsin Wisconsin Judges and Facebook fans will vote for the winner, who will win this week long March 11 vacation to the Wisconsin vacation spot of their choosing. Objectives: Build brand awareness, drive social chatter and collect consumer information for Rumor has it that Headwaters Restaurant & Tavern in database. Boulder Junction, WI has one of THE BEST sh frys Even beyond state borders, its well known that Wisconsin puts a great amount pride into in the entireof Midwest. Travel Wisconsins own Guest cooking and crafting their hefty and hearty delicacies. The Eat Like a Wisconsinite FaceBlogger, Mike the Big Ragu, investigates book application will giveaway an E-Cookbook that features some of best traditional --the http://goo.gl/EVtXa Wisconsin dishes as thought up by chefs across the state. In exchange, fans will supply their email address and contact information to be added to the CRM database. Moms, Dads and Like Comment Share kids alike will have tons of fun introducing these new dishes to the dinner table. And the more the cookbook is used, the more Wisconsin culture stays top-of-mind. People like this consumer information for Objectives: Keep Wisconsin in top-of-mind 25 awareness and collect database.
Travel Wisconsin
March 11 Rumor has it that Headwaters Restaurant & Tavern in Boulder Junction, WI has one of THE BEST sh frys in the entire Midwest. Travel Wisconsins own Guest Blogger, Mike the Big Ragu, investigates -- http://goo.gl/EVtXa

Even beyond state borders, its well known that Wisconsin puts a great amount of pride into Travel Wisconsin March 11 Travel Wisconsin cooking and crafting their hefty and hearty delicacies. The Eat Like a Wisconsinite Face- 34 March 11 book application will giveaway an E-Cookbook that features some of the best traditional How to take a killer ski-trip on a budget: Wisconsin Style | Our to guest and editors have worked tirelessly How takebloggers a killer ski-trip on a budget: Wisconsin Style Wisconsin dishes as thought up by chefs across the state. In exchange, fans will supply their to put together this lovely travel package; complete | Our guest bloggers and editors have worked tirelessly with hotel, food,this activities Living Social discounts to to put together lovely and travel package; complete email address and contact information to be added to the CRM database. ensure you can book a budget-friendly ski-trip withoutto Moms, Dads and with hotel, food, activities and Living Social discounts snapping your in half with frustration! ensure you canski-poles book a budget-friendly ski-trip without kids alike will have tons of fun introducing these dishes to the dinner table. And the | http://goo.gl/Q2KVU snapping your new ski-poles in half with frustration! | http://goo.gl/Q2KVU more the cookbook is used, the more Wisconsin culture stays top-of-mind. Like Comment Share Like Comment Share Objectives: Keep Wisconsin in top-of-mind awareness and collect consumer information for 25 People like this 25 People like this database.
Travel Wisconsin
March 11

Maria from Elmhurst, IL is DEFINITELY hooked on the feeling! Watch as her and her 3 adorable kids dance their way to a top spot in our Video Contest voting! Cast your vote for who best shows the Wisconsin feeling!

Like Comment Share 25 People like this

Travel Wisconsin
March 11

Travel Wisconsin
March 11 How to take a killer ski-trip on a budget: Wisconsin Style | Our guest bloggers and editors have worked tirelessly to put together this lovely travel package; complete with hotel, food, activities and Living Social discounts to

Maria from Elmhurst, IL is DEFINITELY hooked on the feeling! Watch as her and her 3 adorable kids dance their way to a top spot in our Video Contest voting! Cast your vote for who best shows the Wisconsin feeling!

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Like Comment Share

Like Comment Share

Groupon-Twitter-Instagram
1. Pay $10 for a $20 gift certificate to Kopps Frozen Custard. 2. Pay $15 for 2 general admission tickets to Summerfest. Included are two slices of pizza to be redeemed at the event. 3. Pay $160 for a 3-night stay at Skyline Hotel and Suites in Wisconsin Dells. Included are 4 passes to Mt. Olympus Water Park and free dinner at the hotel every night. 4. Pay $70 for 2 passes for the Shipwreck Half-Day tours at Living Adventure in Red Cliff, WI. Cost includes all instruction, tandem (2-person) kayak and associated gear, wetsuit (if necessary), dry bag for personal gear and a snack en route. There is a 12 years of age and 100 pounds minimum for participants. The tour is about 3 miles long.

YouTube-Tumblr.

We will produce a viral video incorporating the song Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede. We will also produce video reviews for popular local restaurants, bed and breakfast places and resorts.

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For the most part we will continue what Travel Wisconsin is doing with their Twitter strategy. We will also encourage people to Tweet their good experiences traveling to Wisconsin or what gives them a Wisconsin feeling and use #Wiscospitality. Many of these will get retweeted. We will also be sure to answer all tweets in a timely manner.

Tumblr will be used to promote pictures as well as our viral videos. We will promote our blog as well as users Pinterest boards.

Take a picture of something uniquely Wisconsin or something that gives you that Wisconsin feeling tag the picture with #Wiscospitality. Our favorite picture of the week will get regrammed by the offical Instagram page of Travel Wisconsin.

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Pinterest

Social Content Calendar

Example Week: For full content see Appendix

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We will encourage people to make a board of their ideal Wisconsin vaction and of things that they associate with the Wisconsin feeling. Our favorite boards will be promoted through our other social media sites.

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Website
Our entire campaign rests on the feelings that Wisconsin instills in the folks that visit it. The feeling of a light wind gliding through an open-roofed Miller Park in the summertime, of your snowboard touching fresh snow for the very first time at Devils Head, or of the musical vibrations running through your skin during an acoustic bath at the Kohler Water Spaall of these experiences are key touch points. Theyre portals through which future travelers can glimpse into the feelings that encompasses our state. For this reason, weve made these experiences the underlying theme of our campaigns content strategy. The mini-site, which will operate in a news-feed style, will continuously publish tips, stories, ideas, hotspots and reviews and serve as a main content hub for the campaignour content headquarters, if you will.

Website
Content Strategy at a Glance
Best-of Investigations Finding the Finest Fish-Fry The Insider Guide to Wisconsin Golf Resorts Travel Blogger Journal My Trip to the Greatest College Sports Town Around Cycling Tips I Picked Up at the Wheel & Sprocket Expo Special Interest Posts Date Night in Wisconsin: 5 Romantic Spots for the Vacationing Love Birds The Shopaholics All-in-One Guide to Wisconsins Small-Town Boutiques Interviews How to Build an Award Winning Brewery: An Interview With Russ Klische, Owner of Lakefront Brewery Lions, Tigers & Bears A Day in the Life of a Wisconsin Zoo Keeper Travel Packages Milwaukee in 48 Hours A Trip for the Architectural Connoisseur See Wisconsin on Horseback With This Awesome Farm-Filled Trip Event Guides

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Travel Blogger
With experiences established as the focal point of our campaign, we figured whom better to write about Wisconsin than those whove experienced it themselves. Thats why a full-scale, Travel Blogger Program will be used to generate large amounts of high quality content for the mini-site. Bloggers will pitch ideas through an out-sourced writer marketplace and the marketing team will select and publish the content that fits their strategy and editorial calendar. Writer compensation will be based on the quality of the author and the quality/depth of the content.

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Content Formats
Too many words can get boring. Thats why different content formats will be used to drive higher interaction and more interest from our readers and guests. Other formats, which can be submitted through the blogger program or produced by our team, include: Video Infographics Podcasts E-books Photos & Albums These different content formats can be used anywhere in the content strategy. For example, a Travel Blogger Journal can come in the form of a text article, a video, a photo album or a combination of them all. The same holds true for the other content tactics. Writers will be compensated more for these content formats since they require more work and are more engaging.

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Website
RECORD YOUR DANCE, WIN A TRIP
Enter the Travel Wisconsin Hooked On A Feeling video contest for your chance to win a free weeks vacation to a spot of your choice.

Digital Advertising
GUEST BLOGGERS

REVIEWS/HOTSPOTS REGIONS

WISCONSIN BY INTEREST

TRAVEL PACKAGES FREE RESOURCES

EVENTS

Outbrain.com

Objective: Build Brand Awareness / Measurement: Site Traffic Budget/Cost: $10,000

RECENT POSTS
Check Out This Fun-Filled, Summer Vacation Package For the Adventurous Midwestern Family
May 3rd, 2012 | Family Fun

The Shopaholics All-In-One Guide to Wisconsins Best Small-Town Boutiques

September 1st, 2012 | Shopping, Local Shops

Finding Wisconsins Greatest Fish-Fry, a Travel Wisconsin special investigation by Mike the Big Ragu
February 17th, 2013 |Restaurants

Date Night in Wisconsin: 5 Romantic Spots for the Vacationing Love Birds

December 12th, 2012 | Dates & Romance

Relive the Dorm Days With a Trip to the Greatest College Sports Town Around

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October 28th, 2012 | Sports Lovers

Heres the Insider Guide to Wisconsins Most Luxurious Golf Resorts

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June 14th, 2012 | Golf

Spa Day: Guest Blogger, Grace Eckland, Reviews 3 of Wisconsins Best Spots to Get Away From it All
May 12th, 2012 | Spa Day

Post 4: The Architecture Buffs Dream Vacation Package Brought To You By Wisconsin
December 18th, 2012 | Architecture

Calling All Cyclists: Dont Miss the 2013 Wheel & Sprocket Bike Expo

March 24th, 2013 | Cycling

Outbrain.com is an online content discovery engine. Their software helps brands push their content farther by placing it on major blogs, news sites and online magazines with high viewership. Well be using Outbrains content amplification program to promote the best posts and articles on our site by pushing them to more reputable, higher trafficked sites. Well be using their package that comes with a dedicated account manager to ensure we get the most amplification for our money.

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Digital Advertising
Google Display Network Visual Ads
Objective: Drive Targeted Traffic / Measurement: Website Traffic & Conversions Budget/Cost: $50,000

Digital Advertising
Google Adwords Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU)
Objective: Increase Tourism / Measurement: Trip Package Purchases & Heads in Beds Cost/Budget: $30,000

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The Google Display Network will allow us to place aesthetically pleasing, multimedia ads on contextually relevant websites. We can serve ads to sites based on their context, their audience, their geographic location and more. Google Display Network also gives us the opportunity for remarketing (targeting those who have been to our site before). The ads we run will promote our sites video contest, our higher-level content (feature articles and Travel Guides) and our content giveaways (Recipe books, Coupons & Deals).

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Strategy: Through Google Adwords, well run search ads targeted at lower funnel, Midwest vacation keywords like the one you see above. These keywords represent the intent of a searcher ready to purchase rather than one looking for new vacation ideas. Well be setting high bids for money/purchase keywords such as: Midwest Vacation Deals Cheap Midwest Vacations Midwest Vacation Packages Wisconsin Vacation Deals Wisconsin Vacation Packages

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CLICK HERE FOR THE ULTIMATE WISCONSIN CAMPING GUIDE

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Digital Advertising
Google Adwords Middle of the Funnel (MOFU)
Objective: Increase Lead Generation / Measurement: Email Signups Budget/Cost: $30,000/Year

Digital Advertising
Facebook Ads
Objective: Drive Traffic to Contest / Measurement: Ad Clicks, Contest Entries Budget/Cost: $30,000/Year

Facebook Ad 1: Summer Vacation Focus

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Facebook Ad 2: Dancing Focus

Strategy: Well also use Google Adwords to target travelers in the middle of the funnel, i.e. people who have decided they want to take a vacation, but have yet to decide where. The search keywords well be targeted represent the intent of searchers looking for vacation ideas and destinations that might be of interest to them. Some of the keywords well target include: Midwest Family Vacation Ideas Midwest Vacation Ideas Family Friendly Midwest Vacation Midwest Vacation Ideas for Couples Wisconsin Vacation Ideas

With these ads, we aim to increase traffic of ready-to-vacation travelers to our conversion-focused content and build our database. Strategy: Through Facebook, well look to tap into an interactive audience thats already socially connected. To do this, well use Facebooks PPC advertising system to drive social traffic to the Hooked on a Feeling Video Contest page. A key to maximizing the efficiency of Facebook advertising is split testing. Therefore, well be running two different ads, each with a different unique selling proposition to see which drives more traffic.

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Digital Advertising
Pinbooster
Objective: Grow Brand Awareness Through Social Mentions / Measurement: Content Repins, Wisconsin-Based Pins, Social Media Mentions Budget/Cost: $30,000/Year

Sponsored Content
In web 2.0, where social media and content are driving forces behind consumer actions, its vital that the online portion of our campaign reaches our target audience in their natural web-based habitats. To do this, we will seek out websites, blogs and forums where our target audience hangs out and create meaningful touch points with them through what is called native advertising or sponsored content. The following are the web entities weve chosen for our outreach campaigns and how we intend to use them.

Objectives:

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Increase Media Mentions by 30% Measurement: Social & Media Mentions - Social Media Listening, Google Alerts, Radian 6. Increase Email Conversions by 10% Measurement: aEmail Signups How did you hear about us?

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Strategy: To really tap into and reach our target audience, we need to give special attention to Pinterest, the social network where they most frequently hang out. Although we have a day-today campaign strategy for Pinterest (see Pinterest section), we also want to extend the reach of our overall Pinterest content. However, Pinterest does not offer paid advertising yet. Therefore, well be using Pinbooster, a 3rd party Pinterest advertising platform. Essentially, Pinboost gives us the ability to create Pinterest campaigns and send them to handselected ambassadors who will share and comment on them in exchange for payment. We can select ambassadors based on topic, audience size, influence level, budget, and location. With these capabilities, we can use word-of-mouth to tap into our most valuable target on their most used social network, all while sticking with the theme of the Wisconsin Feeling.

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Sponsored Content
CafeMom
Profile: CafeMom is the largest and most vibrant meeting place for moms online. Moms come to CafeMom to connect, give and get advice, be entertained, and make friends. Launched in late 2006, CafeMom now welcomes over 10 million unique visitors each month.

Sponsored Content
Traveling Mom
Profile: Traveling Mom is a website dedicated to helping moms navigate the intricacies of family travel. They employ guest bloggers who all specialize in different areas of travel (i.e. Midwest Traveling Mom, Abroad Traveling Mom). Their extensive network and broad coverage allow them to be an excellent source for Moms planning family travel.

Budget/Cost: $40,000 Site Metrics: 14.8 Million Monthly Visitors

Budget/Cost: $30,000 Site Metrics: 16K Monthly Visitors

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Strategy: Well be utilizing two different advertising programs offered by CafeMom. The first is the Word of Mouth Program. This program leverages influential mom-bloggers to write about our product. We will screen for mom-bloggers that have experience in Wisconsin travel to make sure theyll be writing from experience. The content will mostly be reviews and recommendations of Wisconsin vacation spots. The second is the Custom Video Program. Through the CafMom platform, we can deliver contextually relevant video content to this large, mom community. The videos will be fun, travel-related content that moms will find digestible and useful. Content Examples: How I Put Together a Top-Notch Family Vacation Without Leaving the Midwest Mommy Blogger Wisconsins Water Parks Are the Standard For Family Fun Mommy Blogger Answering Are We There Yet? 5 Ways Moms Can Make a Road Trip Fun Sponsored Video Content 5 iPhone Apps That Make Vacation Simple. Period Sponsored Video Content

Strategy: Our plan with Traveling Mom is to leverage their already well-versed Family Traveling Experts. Traveling Mom will work with us to create a marketing campaign on their platform where their expert bloggers (who have Midwest travel experience) can write about Wisconsin attractions, hot spots, restaurants, hotels and more. This content will be interspersed with Traveling Moms normal editorial, ensuring that the ads message will not be interruptive. Content Examples: 5 Family Fun Museums Sprinkled Throughout the Cheese State Traveling on a Budget: Why Wisconsin is the Top Choice Vacation in Milwaukee? Theres More Than Meets the Eye!

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Sponsored Content
The Chicagoist
Profile: Since its launch in May 2004, Chicagoist has grown to become the most popular local blog in the Windy City. It is dedicated to documenting the Second City and all its quirks. Its editors have made several appearances on local radio, TV, late night programming, and on panels of local media groups. The Chicagoist won the Readers Choice Award from Chicago Reader for best local blog.

Budget

Budget/Cost: $30,000 Site Metrics: 1.2 M Monthly Visitors

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According to the Chicagoist media kit:

Strategy: Using the Chicagoist platform, were going to target some of our secondary target markets. Chicago represents a large target area opportunity for Travel Wisconsin, so getting sponsored content in front of Chicagoans is a priority. Additionally, the demographics of the Chicagoan, despite most of them not being parents, are between 25 and 34 and have a pretty high income. We can target these readers, both men and women, with special content that appeals to their travel wants and needs. Content Examples: 10 Wisconsin Brewery Tours That Are Worth a Trip North 3 Reasons You Should Be Golfing in the Cheese State This Summer Cubs vs. Brewers Schedule: Catch a Summertime Game at Miller Park

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Media Schedule

Media Schedule

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Appendix
Regardless of the positioning of competitors, travellers know that when theyre craving cheese curds and a cold beer, Wisconsin is the place to be. What they dont know is that Wisconsin is the place to be for a lot of other reasons too, and the Department of Tourism needs to emphasize all that the state has to offer. Thanks to a location in the middle of the country, Wisconsin has a little bit of everything: four distinct seasons, festivals that represent German, Irish, Polish, Italian, and French cultures, beerbattered everything and a creampuff to go with it. Wisconsin gives you a feeling that you cant quite describe- its somewhere in between the nostalgia of smelling your moms cooking and the thrill of riding your bike down a hill with no hands. Its the feeling vacationers are looking for, and its brought to you by Wisconsin.

Appendix
The Fall Color Tour, small-town experiences, fishing and camping are the top reasons that people travel to Wisconsin. They do these things at popular destinations like Door County, the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Geneva (Yahoo news). The top three cities to travel to are Milwaukee, Madison and the Wisconsin Dells, and top attractions are the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Zoo, Miller Park, festivals, beaches and various brewery tours (travbuddy.com). Summer is the most popular season to travel to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism concluded that 57% of all tourists travel to the state in the summer. Furthermore, people tend to take longer vacations in the summer; 30% of vacationers stay for 3-7+ nights, which is more than any other season. The weather is warm, there are plenty of lakes, and everyone enjoys vacationing in warm climates. Travelers to Wisconsin can enjoy a variety of destinations. Quiet scenic locations, such as Door County, are visited the most. The beaches, quaint towns, and the scenic wilderness provide a vacationing family or couple with an array of summer activities. Fishing, boating, and camping are common parts of a Door county travel itinerary; Its no wonder why Door County is referred to as the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Roughly a quarter million people travel to Door County every summer, according to USA Today (Chavis 2012). However, Door County is not the only Wisconsin destination that provides a perfect venue for these activities. The rest of Northeastern and Northwestern Wisconsin provide similar vacation experiences. Scenic travel destinations are not for everybody. Luckily, Wisconsin is home to other great attractions that provide unique experiences for any traveler. The breweries, restaurants, museums and theaters provide a sophisticated fun experience for adult tourists. These attractions can be found all over the state, but the greatest concentrations exist in Wisconsins cities, like Milwaukee and Madison. In addition, the city of Milwaukee hosts numerous festivals throughout the summer. The biggest threats to Wisconsin are all those other states in the middle- while theyre not as great as Wisconsin, theyre pretty similar. Indiana and Iowa are seemingly two of the least exciting states in the country at first glance. In the Midwest, this means getting away from an urban or suburban area. Indiana and Iowa have positioned themselves as the quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of white-collar life in America. Although Portland has a very similar atmosphere and environment to the state of Wisconsin, the current commercials for Travel Portland position Portland as a hip city to visit (Appendix). The idea of the campaign is to identify things that seem to be uniquely Maine. The call to action encourages people to find their own Maine thing. Travel Michigan launched the Pure Michigan campaign in 2006 and it became one of the most successful travel campaigns in the country. See Appendix D for more details.

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In 2007 Boelter Lincoln used important Wisconsin families; the autumn commercial featured the Leinenkugel family, who talked about the amber colors and the flavor of the season. Then the Davidson family recorded a voiceover while being shown riding Harleys along an open road. In 2008 the tagline became, Lifes so good. A live soundtrack introduced a montage of festivals, canoeing, hiking, water parks, golf and more. Similar approaches carried Wisconsin Tourism through the next few years until Laughlin Constable asked consumers, Are you up for some fun? Their 2011 commercial was called 4 Seasons of Fun and introduced exciting activities to do during the entire year. The fun theme continued in 2012, but LC moved away from the montage tactic and began using a slideshow for the commercial. The :30 spots each had a different theme (i.e. romantic adventure, family, girls getaway) and featured music from a local band. The success is credited to their revamped tourism department, Explore Minnesota Tourism. The declining economy actually helped Minnesotas tourism department because families no longer felt they could spend the money on long trips to the Bahamas or other luxurious destinations. Rather than concentrating on the nature that is in and surrounds the city their current campaign emphasizes everything that Portland has to offer. The spots seem to have a feel like an episode of Portlandia. Rather than saying what you can do in Portland they reference things that get accomplished in the city, such as publishing books and brewing beer. These Travel Portland commercials most often air on HGTV and the History Channel. The US Travel Association honored Travel Michigan for this campaign with a Mercury Award for the Best State Tourism Radio Advertising in 2009. The advertisements are narrated by actor/comedian Tim Allen. The campaign has become infamous for the very serene feeling that they present Michigan with. They have been able position the state of Michigan as the place to go for outdoors adventure. Recent studies conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism found that most of the travelers coming to Wisconsin are from Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota. During the summer in Wisconsin, approximately 59% of the matures age group, 58% of Gen X, 57% of Boomers and 55% of Millennials travel to Wisconsin. Although older generations stated they would likely recommend Wisconsin as a travel destination, the Millennials were less impressed and reported that while they found the state to be down to earth and friendly, it was not exactly exciting. Vacationers perceive Wisconsin as the most fun state in the Midwest, but say they come to Wisconsin to have fun, to visit family and friends, and to relax, and they do that in several ways (Wisconsin Department of Tourism).

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Appendix
TV- Radio- Focus Group Recordings

Appendix

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Place Disc Here

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Appendix
Guerilla:

Appendix
Little Free Libraries Chicago, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Minneapolis (25 per city) $4,000 Vacation Stories Radio Competition - Groupon Pack Prize Chicago, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Minneapolis $16,080 Salon Flip Flops Chicago, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Minneapolis (15 salons each city, 1,000 pairs per salon) $19,800 State Fair Misters Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin State Fairs $20,000 Gym Robes Chicago, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Minneapolis (10 gyms each city, 50 robes per gym) $50,000

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Objectives, Strategies & Tactics Main Objective: Increase Wisconsin Tourism by 4% Measurement: Heads in Beds Strategy #1: Communicate the Good Feeling Wisconsin Instills (The Brand Essence) Measurement: Before & After Surveys: Of Email Lists On Website Through Social Media At Points of Purchase Tactics for Strategy #1 & Their Specific Effectiveness Measurements: Print Advertising Domain-Specific Call to Action (TravelWisconsin.com/Print-Feeling) Media Mentions (Google Alerts) TV Campaign Domain-Specific Call to Action (TravelWisconsin.com/TV-Feeling) Web Traffic on Uploaded Commercials (YouTube & Our Website) Nielsen Ratings Radio Ads Domain-Specific Call to Action (TravelWisconsin.com/Radio-Feeling) Station Ratings
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Appendix
Guerilla Strategy Press Stories Generated Social Media Chatter, Mentions & Shares (Radian 6) Guerilla Goods Consumed Out-of-Home Domain-Specific Call to Action (TravelWisconsin.com/Outdoor-Feeling) Media Mentions (Google Alerts) Facebook Campaign Contest Entries Social Media Shares (Radian 6)

Strategy #2: Drive Media Attention Measurement: Media Stories Generated (Google Alerts) Social Media Shares & Mentions (Radian 6) Web Content Engagement (Google Analytics Tactics for Strategy #2 & Their Specific Effectiveness Measurements: Guerilla Strategy Press Stories Generated Social Media Posting Social Media Chatter, Mentions & Shares (Radian 6) Social Campaigns (Twitter & Facebook) Social Media Shares Website Content Strategy Content Shares Inbound Links Traffic (Google Analytics) Sponsored Content Impressions Referral Traffic Strategy #3: Dramatically Increase Web Presence Measurement: Website Traffic (Google Analytics) Social Media Community Growth & Engagement (Radian 6) Lead Generation (Email Signups) Online Media Mentions (Google Alerts) Tactics for Strategy #3 & Their Specific Effectiveness Measurements: Content Strategy (Blogs, E-Books, etc.) Website Visitors Email Signups (Content Downloads) Inbound Links Sponsored Content Impressions Referral Traffic Social Media Posting Social Media Engagement Social Campaigns (Facebook & Twitter) Entries Social Media Shares

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