October 26, 2011
Eastern North CarolinaHeritage Tourism Marketing Strategies
Heritage Tourism Committee MeetingNorth Carolina Eastern Region Office, Kinston
This project received support from:
The Project Branding to promote the region Set of universal practices Easily recognizable theme Easily adapted by county and tourism
sites Drive tourism traffic
Marketing Strategies: A Two-Track Approach
Marketing Strategy Recommendations – Approved at the May 2011 meeting
Heritage Area Theme Categories and Statements
Marketing Strategy Recommendations
1) Adopt the concept of a technology-based strategy.
2) Approve creation of marketing messages designed for use through these technologies. Create a “look” (graphic design) and a message that can easily be incorporated or adopted by tourism agencies and heritage attractions.
Marketing Strategy Recommendations
3) Approve a marketing message strategy that focuses on places and people.
4) Begin developing plans to provide technical assistance to tourism agencies and heritage sites to fully benefit from the technology-based marketing plans.
Overarching Theme: Rivers to Sounds to Sea
The confluence of human activity and the interconnected waterways of eastern North Carolina have shaped the region’s past, defined its unique present character and charted a course for the future.
Settling a New World
Facing untold hardship with equal determination, early habitants capitalized on Eastern North Carolina’s prominence on the Atlantic coast to create a home and livelihoods and eventually to influence the establishment of a new nation which encompassed the region’s inherent struggle between freedom and enslavement.
Living with the Land and Water
Eastern North Carolina’s distinctive landscape of coastal plain, piney woods, banks and waters gave rise to all manner of livelihood, from those who scratched out a living to those who amassed prosperity from maritime and agricultural enterprises, shaping daily life and impacting regional and national historical events.
Defense of a Nation
Since its first settlement, the military has been a strong presence in Eastern North Carolina, giving the region a critical role in establishing a new nation in the Revolutionary War era, in reflecting the struggle of a nation torn apart by Civil War, and in defending America’s ideals in 20th and 21st century wars.
Living Traditions
Present-day residents are preserving the region’s history by carrying on traditions such as food ways, cultural arts, religion, working traditions and recreation that have often been handed down in families for many generations or sharing the region’s legacies by preserving the built and natural environment and interpreting stories of the past.
The “Look” and the Message
The “Look” and the Message
Chart Your Course Continues nautical theme
Speaks directly to the potential visitor – invites them to plan a trip
Easy to use in a variety of promotional venues
Eastern North Carolina’s Heritage Website
Make it the “go-to” source for planning heritage-focused travel
Include unique and in-depth content not found on other tourism websites
Connect heritage sites to people – past and present
Highlight the region’s themes Serve as the foundation for social
media promotions
Key Elements of the Website
Theme and message
Introduction Special places –
special people Exploration
routes Travel Tools
Itineraries Events Photos Restaurants Social media
symbols Links and
maps
Introductory Section:Explore Eastern North Carolina’s Heritage
Overview of the region’s characteristics
Why the region is a special place to visit
Special Places – Special People
Build section as a unique resource to share stories of people past and present
Invite submissions of stories
Exploration Routes
Settling a New World Living with the Land and Water Defense of a Nation Living Traditions
Sub-themes are an entrance pointfor trip planning.
Settling a New World
Introduction
First Americans
Fort Raleigh
Roanoke Island
Festival Park
African Americans
Bellamy Mansion
Hope Plantation
Princeville
Colonial Life
Historic Bath
Beaufort
Burgwin-Wright House
New Bern
Old World Origins
Albemarle, Edenton, Bath,
Brunswick
Neuse and Trent Rivers
The Struggle to Settle
Dismal Swamp
Halifax
Travel Tools and Itineraries
Events and Programs
The website is home base to make travel planning smooth…
Social Media Marketing Tools
Traditional tourism promotion:
Show, tell, persuade
New tourism promotion:
Facilitate, orchestrate,
enable
Facebook – 28 million users over age 45
o Can be updated regularly
o Interactive format
The average user: Has 130 friends Spends 15½ hours
a month on Facebook
Visits 40 times per month
Connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
Begin with a Tab page on Coast Host
What should be on the Facebook page?
A regular feature will encourage repeat visitation.
What is this and where is it?
What should be on the Facebook page?
Links to new blog entries
Event or program info
Pictures or videos of tours
Ask “friends” to talk about places they visit
Links to publicity Restaurant
reviews
Blogs can give in-depth info New blogs encourage
regular check-ins Blogs can link from all social
media avenues
How can Blogs be used?
Behind-the-scenes for heritage events
Happenings at the sites Review books on
heritage sites and encourage discussions
Ask visitors to share their travel experience – compile responses with the best ideas
Share current publicity
Twitter – A quick way to reach visitors
Heading to North Carolina in late November and can’t decide – mountains or surf? Blue Ridge or Outer Bank?
One week road trip starts today. First stop Outer Banks, North Carolina
USS North Carolina turns 50: Wilmington is marking the 50th anniversary of landing the battleship.
2 Ways to Use Twitter1. Link potential visitors to websites,
blogs or Facebook for info on activities and special deals.
2. Monitor discussions from visitors in the region and help them find things to see and do.
Seattle tweets reach thousands of visitors
@SeattleMaven is a “know-it-all/concierge extraordinaire”
Tweets about city’s happenings
Monitors visitor conversations and jumps in with suggestions of things to see and do
Flickr™ combines social networking with photo library
Baker City, Oregon
Used Flickr™ to create a high quality, low cost photo library
700+ photos submitted Builds photo collection for
small attractions Provides images for media
QR Codes make more information accessible to visitors
By the end of 2011, half of Americans will own a smartphone. Source: CNN report, July 2011
How Eastern NC can use QR Codes
Brochures Interpretiv
e Signage Videos
Deadwood, SD posted QR Codes on historic buildings, linking to historic photos.
Building an Internet andSocial Media Network –
3 Strategies
Placement of Heritage Area Website
1. Stand-alone website – register domain name
2. Landing page on Coast Host
Training and technical assistance for tourism agencies and heritage sites
Find champions Connect with
bloggers Collect
testimonials Work with travel
writers
Top Related