Destinations Council Destiny Awards > Public Relations Campaign

Finger Lakes Region "Beyond Wine"

About This Entry:

We were tasked with increasing tourism to 14 counties located within central New York under the regional designation of the Finger Lakes.

Setting out to attract drive-market and national tourists alike, our goal was to secure a steady stream of top-tier print, broadcast and online coverage to grow the region’s visibility and brand awareness, strengthening its assertion as a top U.S. destination. We also aimed to secure one “big” national feature placement that would transform a relatively unknown area of New York state into a chic and trendy, yet attainable, top-tier destination for the domestic audience.

We identified the most compelling attractions, natural beauty, culinary developments and accessibility that would thrust the region into the spotlight beyond what it was already known for – wine. Based on the client’s feedback, the following regional themes were identified as top priority: history, culinary developments, wellness and weddings.

Our target audience included drive markets such as New York City, Boston, Pennsylvania, etc. as well as the greater United States. Honing in on travelers both young and old, most Americans fell within the scope of our target audience. We wanted to reach potential visitors with a college degree, average income of $80,000, and an interest in culinary, family and lifestyle-oriented travel. Most of our audience is comprised of female decision makers in their 40’s.

Campaign Strategy:

Instead of promoting 14 counties separately, our strategy was to strengthen the “Finger Lakes Region” brand by ensuring the Finger Lakes region verbiage was present in all outreach and results. Differentiating our outreach from similar destinations, we focused on activities aside from what the region was best known for – wine. A diverse destination, the PR team unified the region’s counties as a customizable getaway suitable for every type of traveler.

The PR agency team took part in a week-long FAM trip with individual county tourism promotion agencies (TPAs) to garner extensive firsthand experiences and a deeper understanding of the destination.

To better position the myriad of attributes available in the region beyond wine, we worked with the TPAs to determine key coverage theme priorities, including: farm-to-table dining, romance/weddings, health and wellness, history, outdoor recreation, craft beer/cider/spirits and boutique accommodations.

Based on these themes, we strategically pitched a variety of angles related to new restaurants, wellness retreats, destination spas, American history stops, wedding venues, beverage trails and distinct hotel features to build awareness for the array of diverse experiences a visitor can enjoy.

We provided hands-on media experiences by inviting 14 top-tier journalists to experience the region via customized, one-off visits. We also executed tasting events and media tours that brought the region to journalists in the NYC market.

Results:

We FAR exceeded our goals by producing over 2.1 billion impressions and nearly 500 placements.

The following lists our key results. We were given five huge national features. We had 10-pages in Conde Nast Traveler, a full page in New York Times 36 Hours piece, Los Angeles Times Travel cover story, TODAY Show segment, full-page Runner’s World feature, full-page Passport Magazine profile, two-page West Jet in-flight magazine feature, Departures Magazine, and an AAA’s Car & Travel cover story.

Key drive-market coverage: Time Out New York full-page story, CBS New York segment, Newsday, Hudson Valley Getaways magazine, NJ Family, two full-page Philadelphia Gay News print features, Boston Herald, Fox Binghamton segment.

Other top-tier hits: New York Times Travel section (three stories), Travel + Leisure (three times), Architectural Digest, USA Today, AP syndication, Tribune Newspapers full feature, Gannett Insider syndication, Business Insider, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Travel Channel, Martha Stewart Living, Redbook, U.S. News & World Report, etc.

We secured coverage for all regional theme priorities. Culinary-themed placements went viral with 147 in outlets such as NYT, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, First We Feast, Tasting Table, Huffington Post, and more. We received history-oriented coverage in Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, LA Times, Smithsonian, Martha Stewart Living, Bustle, Reader’s Digest, Huffington Post, and Travel Channel. We had wellness retreat placements including SELF, Shape, and Dr. Oz’s “The Good Life Magazine”. We received features in major romance/bridal stories including New York Times Vows column, BRIDES (six plus stories), The Knot, Ultimate Weddings, Destination Weddings, Brit & Co and Essence. We had boutique accommodation inclusion in Robb Report, ELLE, DuJour, Inside Hook, Glamour, Country Living, and PureWow. We were also nominated and secured a USA Today 10Best award for a local restaurant, which resulted in the inundation of their reservation systems and months sold out.

Estimated out-of-pocket expenses aside from the PR monthly retainer was approximately $49,600. This encompassed budget for one-off media visits (airfare, overnight accommodations and meals) and travel associated with the New York media tours and events.

Why This Is A Finalist: 

The campaign has a really clear vision and strategy and was well-executed with excellent results. It was smart to focus on specific themes and target coverage. The timing was right, and the place is beautiful, so the Finger Lakes did a great job highlighting the region. The campaign had an impressive strategy and amazing press pickup with great impact on local businesses. The results exceeded their goals, including excellent coverage from huge print and digital outlets.