Client Success: Helping a Government Agency Promote Local Tourist Destinations Through Long-Form Storytelling

The COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life across the United States and around the globe, but few businesses experienced as dramatic a short-term disruption as those in the tourism industry.

Almost overnight, tourism reservations and other plans were abruptly canceled. Even as other industries gradually opened up and resumed operations, tourism lagged far behind: the International Monetary Fund argues that global tourism receipts did not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

Contracted tourism activity has impacted not only businesses in this industry, but also entire economies reliant on incoming tourism revenue. To help rebuild its local tourism economy, one Southeastern tourism department decided to reach out to Cox Media for help building awareness of what the state has to offer.

The Goal

By the time state tourism leaders connected with Cox Media, the department was already envisioning a promotional campaign highlighting the pillars of its local tourism economy—in particular, its local food, culture, and tourist attractions.

By investing in a campaign that created awareness around the state’s tourism offerings, the department was hopeful that consumers would consider these featured destinations when making plans for upcoming trips—turning increased awareness into a pipeline for incoming tourism revenue.

The Solution

Given the primary goal of raising awareness of local tourism attractions, Cox Media’s experts suggested an original promotional campaign built around long-form video storytelling capable of showcasing all the features these destinations have to offer.

The initial project was built around six thirty-minute episodes of original programming delivered via Cox Media’s YurView service partner. Each episode would operate as original travel programming featuring local leaders and experts as they introduced viewers to a wide range of destinations and attractions, including museums, nature excursions, food, music, sporting events, and more.

This original programming was also promoted through additional digital advertising channels—including ads on YurView’s GameTime service and sponsorships of local college and professional sporting events—to further increase viewership, engagement and, ultimately, awareness of the state’s many tourist attractions.

Cox media partnered with YurView to secure a monthly thirty-minute special for an initial six-month period, with the possibility of renewing this deal for an additional six-month term.

The Results

Cox Media’s professional production of original tourism programming proved to be an instant hit for the Southeastern tourism department, increasing awareness for local tourist attractions that has made a clear impact on the local economy.

In addition to this short-term impact, YurView’s innovative content delivery options has helped the original programming achieve frequent engagement among a relevant audience, turning this high-quality video series into evergreen content that continues to deliver a return on the department’s investment.

“Our experience in working with the team over at Cox has been easy and accommodating in helping our office gain more exposure in promoting all of the great things our state has to offer,” says one government official. “Also, the production value has been exemplary.”

From cost-efficient campaigns to long-form storytelling delivered through innovative digital channels, Cox Media’s experts can help your organization plan and execute digital campaigns aligned with your advertising goals. Contact us today to learn more.