inspiring people to visit oregon
TRANSCRIPT
Oregon: A Winter Wonderland
2016/17 PR PlanPresented by LANE | September 2016
Winter Wonderland 2016/17
Campaign Overview
• During the winter months, fewer people travel throughout the state of Oregon, leading to less tourism activity and fewer
overnight stays.
• In winter 2016/17, Travel Oregon aims to devote more time and resources to ensuring that local businesses throughout the
state get a boost this time of year and to entice travelers to get out of their usual winter rut.
• With help from the PR and marketing teams, Travel Oregon will execute a campaign that invites consumers to delight in and
discover the variety of activities and experiences the state has to offer throughout the colder months.
• LANE will work with the PR team to ensure the campaign will drive strategic media opportunities leading to both long-lead
and short-lead feature opportunities in a variety of local, regional and national publications.
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Winter Wonderland 2016/17
Timeline
• October–March
PR Objectives
• Inspire travel to Oregon during the winter months that is inclusive of all
regions and showcases a wide variety of activities.
• Raise awareness among media, influencers and consumers that Oregon
is a premier winter destination with a wealth of opportunities for
visitors to choose from.
• Generate high-quality earned news coverage that highlights Oregon’s
many winter destinations, experiences and activities along with the
natural beauty of the state this time of year.
• Target Publications (sample):
• Travel + Leisure
• New York Times
• Sunset
Goals
• Inspire influential travelers and adventurers to experience winter in
Oregon.
• Boost overnight stays and visits throughout Oregon during the winter.
• Generate positive buzz and sharing on social media.
• Drive traffic to TravelOregon.com. 3
Oregon Weather Compass
Oregon Weather Compass
Overview
• A mobile site will act as a virtual compass to point you in the direction of sun, rain or snow throughout the winter
months.
• The site will illustrate that Oregon has all kinds of weather across the state, all of which can be enjoyed with the right
travel tip.
• The site will highlight the fact that some of our most memorable winter activities take place on blustery days.
• Timing:
• Media launch Dec. 1.
• Soft launch in November (pending availability of inspirational video).
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News Outlet Weather Partner(s)
KGW
(Portland)Matt Zaffino
KATU
(Portland)Rhonda Shelby
KOIN
(Portland)Kristen Van Dyke
KPTV
(Portland)Andy Carson
KTVZ
(Central Oregon)Samantha O’Connor
KEZI
(Willamette Valley)Marisa Woloszyn
KVAL
(Willamette Valley)Al Peterson
KMTR
(Willamette Valley)Carley Gomez
KDRV
(Southern Oregon)Kate McKenna
KOBI
(Southern Oregon)Adam Colpack
KTVL
(Southern Oregon)Milt Radford
Media Partnership
• Explore partnership opportunities with local weather
anchors/partners in Oregon.
• Use local weather anchors to direct travelers to the online
compass to promote the types of activities and
experiences that can be enjoyed in all kinds of weather.
• Timing:
• Outreach early November.
• Secure opportunities for week of Nov. 21
(Thanksgiving holiday) to push content out to the
media/consumers.
Oregon Weather Compass
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News Outlet Non-Weather Partner(s)
KGW (Portland)Steph Stricklen, Cassidy Quinn, Chris McGinnis, Grant McComie
of Grant’s Getaways
KATU (Portland) Katherine Kisiel, AM Northwest
Oregon Weather Compass
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Launch Outreach
• Press Release:
Draft and develop a press release announcing the details of
the mobile site launch and where to follow along on
@traveloregon.
• Media Targets:
All statewide media, trade publications.
• Timing:
In conjunction with the launch of the mobile site in December.
Oregon Weather Compass
National Pitch Strategy
Making Lemonade Scenario
• It’s been raining for 21 days straight. If this happened anywhere else
in the country, people might be panicking. But here in Oregon it’s
really no big deal. Highlight rainy-day activities and use the weather
compass to show how easy it is to escape, or revel in, winter weather.
• Leverage Twitter to reach out to national reporters and anchors to alert
them of Oregon’s unpredictable weather patterns like rain for 21 days
straight and snow on Thanksgiving.
Media Targets: National morning shows and relevant outlets.
• The Today Show
• Good Morning America
• Huffington Post
• The Onion
• Buzzfeed
• Lonely Planet
• USA Today
• UrbanDaddy
Timing:
• During heavy rain or snow. LANE to develop pitch and media list to
ensure timely distribution. 10
Winter: Tales from Oregon
Winter: Tales from Oregon
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Proactive Media Outreach
• Generate high-quality earned media coverage that highlights destinations where you can enjoy sun, rain or snow
throughout the winter.
• Highlight winter facts, trends, and new and unique destinations that focus on sun, rain and snow.
• Weave storyboard messaging throughout the pitch efforts to spark additional interest in what’s going on in Oregon.
• Timing: October-March
Winter: Tales from Oregon
LANE will work with Travel Oregon’s PR and Integrated Marketing teams to pitch the following
stories to align with Travel Oregon’s winter content and to further elevate these winter activity
stories. These stories from MediAmerica will be used for proactive pitching and outreach
throughout the entirety of the winter season.
Willamette Valley
• Top trails for winter mountain biking: A roundup of adventurous spots for thrilling rides in the
undiscovered season
• Urban wine touring in the valley: Winter may not be the best time for vineyard hopping, but
wineries and tasting rooms within city limits make for an entirely different experience that’s perfect
for winter
Greater Portland
• Artisanal chocolate makers: Bean-to-bar chocolatiers include those beyond the city limits and are
another jewel in Portland’s culinary crown — we dub this America’s craftiest chocolate town
• A night out, Portland style: Late-night pastimes include an underrated comedy scene, New York
Times-approved karaoke clubs, indie rock venues and brew ‘n’ view movie theaters
Oregon Coast
• Wildlife watching: Popular and lesser-known spots for seeing whales, seals, sea lions, birds and
other coastal critters in the wild
• “Merroir” — Oregon’s distinct oysters: A roundup of where to go to taste the freshest oysters, with
a focus on Xin Liu of Oregon Oyster Farms
Mt. Hood & the Columbia River Gorge
• Family ski trip to Cooper Spur: Families of snow sports junkies will find a sometimes-overlooked
resort on the north side of Mt. Hood
• A dog’s guide to winter in the Gorge and Mt. Hood: Fun spots for winter hikes, icy waterfalls, snow
play, dog parks and Fido-friendly dining 13
Winter: Tales from Oregon
Central Oregon
• Cozy cabin getaways: A list of mini winter itineraries focusing on lodges,
cabins and snowy activities, including Elk Lake Resort, the Suttle Lodge and
Black Butte Ranch
• Old school in Central Oregon: A wintery roundup of everything rural, quirky
and old school around Bend, including rock hounding at a ranch, cowboy
dives in Prineville, stalwart diners, etc.
Southern Oregon
• Woodstock for birders: An insider’s look at the Winter Wings Festival and
majestic bald eagles in Southern Oregon
• Winter fishing in Southern Oregon: A number of scenic rivers make this a
fisher’s dream destination
Eastern Oregon
• Top snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails: Eastern Oregon offers a
range of excellent and seemingly undiscovered trails
• A road trip back in time: Time travelers and budding paleontologists won’t
want to miss an opportunity for fossil hunting in the John Day Fossil Beds,
which are less busy during the winter months (also, many visitors don’t
understand the differences between the three distinct units, which this story
can explain)
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Podcast Partnerships • Create audio files of winter sounds across Oregon (e.g., fireplace crackling, Oregon coast waves, raindrops, etc.).
• Conduct outreach to select group of food and travel podcasts and invite them to come to Oregon and experience first-
hand the “Sounds of Oregon’s Winter.”
• The outreach would include sharing the audio sounds with a select group of podcast producers who would
promote the file to their audiences as a sort of preview of their podcast from Oregon.
• The pitch would include an invite to Jacobsen Salt’s “Salt + Fire + Water” Event on Saturday, December 3
and a visit to their facility in Netarts Bay.
• Timing:
• Begin outreach in October with visits in December.
• Podcasts to launch in late December / early January.
Winter: Tales from Oregon
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Winter: Tales from Oregon
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Proactive Media Outreach
Oregon’s Epic Snowstorms
• Piggyback on the first big snowstorms of the year in each region to celebrate the
official kick-off of snow season. Highlight snow-day activities and ski resort
stats to inspire winter travel.
Media Targets: National travel online reporters, regional dailies and outdoor adventure
outlets
• Outside Magazine
• Powder Magazine
• Adventure Journal
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Seattle Times
• LA Times Online
• AFAR Magazine Online
• Travel + Leisure Online
• USA Today
Timing:
• In conjunction with the first big snowfall of the year. LANE to develop the pitch
and media list in October to ensure timely distribution when the time comes.
Winter: Tales from Oregon
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Proactive Media OutreachBest Snow Day Ever
• Pitch local weather anchors a story about how to have the best snow
day ever — no matter what you’re into. Pull on your boots and walk to
your favorite dive bar to keep warm, load up the car and hit the slopes,
or cozy up to a fireplace at a new hotel for a snow-staycation.
• Possible pitch angle to include recent studies on Oregon women and
depression, and how getting outside can help with Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD).
Media Targets: Oregon weather anchors and parenting outlets
• KGW
• KOIN
• KATU
• KPTV
• KTVZ
• KEZI
• KVAL
• KVRD
• KOBI
• KTVL
• Oregon Family Magazine
• Portland Family Magazine
• PDX Parent
• NW Kids
• MOM Magazine
Timing:
• During heavy snow season, likely January timing. LANE to develop pitch
and media list to ensure timely distribution.
Winter: Tales from OregonCustom Media Mailers
All the Feels: Winter Edition
• Custom media mailers highlight the different “feels” (i.e., sights, sounds and
smells) of the season across the state.
• Send an accompanying letter. The mailer will include items representing each
of the seven regions. LANE recommends sending the box to 10 top regional or
niche media as well as national media who responded positively to the spring
mailers, including the following categories:
• Travel
• Lifestyle
• Food & Beverage
• Outdoor
• Senior Lifestyle
Contents:
• Cozy Pendleton socks from Eastern Oregon
• Make your own Mitten Kit from Southern Oregon
• Scented fir candle from the Gorge
• Hot cocoa mix from Mt. Hood Territory
• “Sounds of the Season: Winter Storm” playlist from the Coast
• Poler Beanie from Portland
• Mulled wine kit from Willamette Valley
Timing:
• Send out to media in January 19
Winter: Tales from Oregon
Outbound Media Tours
• Secure one-on-one desksides with key media in San Francisco, Southern California and New York during the winter campaign.
• Invite Travel Oregon spokespeople as well as regional representatives.
• Provide talking points that contain unique winter facts, such as the longest ski season is in Oregon (Mt. Hood), as well as winter
trends and unique destinations.
• Schedule and execute three media tours during the winter season: San Francisco with Southern Oregon, Southern California with
Central Oregon and New York with Willamette Valley.
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San Francisco Media Tour
Partner: Southern Oregon
Timing: January 9–13
Media Targets:
• AFAR
• Sunset
• San Francisco Chronicle
Southern California Media Tour
Partner: Central Oregon
Timing: January 30 – February 3
*Travel Portland – Early 2017
Media Targets:
• Los Angeles Times
• Los Angeles Magazine
• Freelancers (Krista Simmons)
New York Media Tour
Partner: Willamette Valley
Timing: January 23–27 (NY Times Travel Show
Week)
Media Targets:
• NY Times
• Travel + Leisure
• Conde Nast Traveler
Winter: Tales from Oregon
Media Visits
Choose Your Own Adventure: Winter Edition
• Invite one or two media representatives on a customized winter tour of
Oregon. Each visit will take the participants on a two- to three-day
seasonal adventure. These trips will target active publications and
editors who will want to get their adrenaline pumping on the slopes
as well as enjoy a little après-ski beer.
• From snowboarding on Mt. Hood to dogsledding in Bend to crabbing
on the coast to beer tasting in the Gorge, each trip will let the editor
experience Oregon’s many kinds of winter and use the compass as a
tool for navigating.
Media Targets: Top-tier national publications’ fitness / outdoor editors
• SELF
• Outside
• Women’s Health
• Men’s Health
Timing:
• Outreach: Begin outreach in early December
• Hosting: 2 or 3 media in January / February
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Timeline
Timeline2016/17 Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March
Refinement of Plan / Preparation for
LaunchPlanning and preparation
Oregon Weather Compass:
Media Partners, National pitch
opportunities
Outreach to
media partners
Press release
distribution
National pitch
opp
National pitch
opp
Winter: Tales from Oregon podcasts Outreach Podcast visit Podcasts run
Outbound Media Tours:
San Francisco, SoCal, NYC
Planning/
OutreachOutreach
San Fran, SoCal,
NYCFollow up
All the Feels Media Mailers Distribution Follow up
Choose Your Oregon Adventure: Winter
Edition Media Visits
Planning/
OutreachMedia Visits Media Visits
Regional Pitching Focus (Aligned with
Social Media Content)Oregon Coast
Portland
Central Oregon
Willamette
Valley
Hood / Gorge
Eastern OregonSouthern Oregon
Winter: Tales from Oregon Proactive
PitchingOngoing Outreach
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Thank You.