Willamette Valley Oregon Wine Country FY 2016-17 July 1, 2016
Willamette Valley: Objectives A. Build capacity to develop and execute the regional plan. B. Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through Global Marketing & Global Sales. C. Support efforts for Destination Development.
Willamette Valley Oregon Wine Country Here you will find lush vineyards and farms, tended by families who are passionate about growing the best wine grapes and freshest foods. You ll meet chefs who turn this bounty into mouthwatering farm-to-table cuisine. You ll sip some of the world s finest Pinot noir. And you ll discover rivers, trails and mountains beckoning to your inner explorer. From the crest of the Coast Range to the crest of the West Cascades; from Newberg to the north and Cottage Grove to the south; from historic towns to quirky cities; craft brews to scenic bikeways the Willamette Valley offers inviting escapes to travelers and locals alike.
Objective A: Build capacity to develop and execute the regional plan. #1. Project Management Contract with Visit Corvallis for full-time project manager A strong team is critical to developing and executing a successful regional plan. With the high demands on each of the DMOs in the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, moving our part-time Project Manager to a full-time, benefited position is a critical first step to building capacity. The Project Manager leads volunteer committees and manages projects for PR/Social Media, Marketing and Tour/Travel efforts. Outcome: - With leadership from the WVVA Board, the Project Manager coordinates budget, marketing and PR/social media efforts and reports results
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #2. Content Development Regular content meetings Content driven influencer tours Hired contractor/s Contributions from DMOs Collaborate with Oregon Wine Board, winery associations and other regional organizations that align with WVVA s mission Fresh and diverse content not only engages visitors but is important to our industry partners. It also assists in driving SEO traffic to our website. Content targeted for this year includes photos, itineraries/regional trails, story lines, regional trails. The WVVA PR team meets regularly, and quarterly with Travel Oregon, to share story ideas and content plans. Outcomes: - Maintain content calendar that reflects the region s brand and uses consistent messaging across platforms, prioritizing seasonal pitches and campaigns (website, e-news, blogs, social media, media pitch calendar) - 6 photos - 6 itineraries/regional trails for use by consumers and travel trade - Improved outdoor recreation content and listings
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #3. Content Delivery Channels Website SEO enewsletters Social Media Fulfillment Regular communication with fans is needed to maintain engagement. The PR Team is responsible for maintaining high quality content through all WVVA channels and DMOs will be responsible for updating content, events and listings through the Orb. Strong content created by the PR team that is optimized for search is one of the best ways to reach the right visitors with relevant content. Outcomes: - Quarterly enewsletters/blog updates - Daily posts to Facebook - Instagram posts 2-3 times per week reflecting brand messaging and seasonal focuses - Trip itineraries/regional trails posted on OregonWineCountry.org, TravelOregon.com and used with tour/travel and media clients - Increased web traffic delivered through SEO content strategies - Visitor Guide fulfillment through TORP and WVVA Regional Pack
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #4. Advertising Leverage ad partnerships to increase the share of voice for Oregon Wine Country Run a SEM campaign yearround to drive traffic to OregonWineCountry.org See Paid Advertising Flowchart for detail Content is at the core of all strategies with an emphasis placed on a wine plus or pairing message to call out wine/culinary tourism as the primary travel motivator paired with outdoor recreation, culture, cuisine, history, family travel or agritourism. A priority will be placed on content that supports year-round tourism. WVVA s media buy aligns with Travel Oregon s strategies to leverage their efforts and increase the share of voice for Oregon Wine Country. The plan includes: - Travel Oregon co-ops in Fall, Spring, and Winter - SEM year-round - Social Media: build fan base & increase engagement - Brand USA (TBD) Outcome: - Specifics to be determined. (See Paid Advertising Flowchart for details)
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #5. Sponsorships Sponsor Chef Station at Feast Portland s Grand Tasting Wine Terrace. The Willamette Valley Visitors Association will once again sponsor the Wine Terrace at the Feast Portland Grand Tasting event held at Pioneer Square. In addition, this year we will add the Sandwich Invitational and Night Market to our sponsorship. This allows us to showcase the Willamette Valley as a culinary mecca and connect product to place. Outcome: - Increased recognition of the Willamette Valley as Oregon Wine Country - Minimum of four stories resulting from the Pre Feast Media Tour - Connect culinary products presented at Feast Portland to the locations in the Willamette Valley where the products are grown/produced
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #6. Earned Media Direct story pitches Deskside Tours Travel & Words Conference Press Trips Follow-up with story requests from Travel Oregon as needed The WVVA PR team actively engages with domestic and international media and responds quickly to opportunities presented by Travel Oregon. Personal interactions return the highest results so Deskside Tours (including participating in a trip to New York coordinated by Travel Oregon - pending confirmation from Travel Oregon s Communications Director) and the media conference Travel & Words (which will be held in Salem) have been added to this year s plan. Quarterly communication with Travel Oregon s Integrated Marketing Team and regular media pitches to Lane PR are also priorities for the WVVA PR team. Outcome: - 72 articles resulting from WVVA PR team efforts
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #7. Trade Shows Oregon Wine Country representation at IPW, ITB and Active America China One sales event in Western Canada Leads are distributed to WVVA partners WVVA partners are responsible for notifying their suppliers of opportunities Note: WVVA partners will distribute leads to industry partners from all Travel Oregon and Oregon Tour & Travel Alliance domestic and international shows. Aligns with Travel Oregon programs, and the needs of our region, to provide greater presence with trade and generate leads from Tour Operators and Receptive Operators. WVVA allocates funds to WVVA partners attending international shows to offset their costs in exchange for their representation of Oregon Wine Country. Outcomes: - Leads provided to DMOs for individual follow up - Increased overnight product as measured if tour extracts can be provided by Travel Oregon
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #8. Research Trips Participate in Oregon Road Rally Participate in pre/post fams related to Active America China (Portland 2017) Support research trips supporting Oregon product itineraries that include the Willamette Valley Support media research trips coordinated by Travel Oregon Host media resulting from Deskside Tours and proactive media pitches Aligns with Travel Oregon programs, and the needs of our region. The Oregon Road Rally, and the Active America pre/post fams are seen as opportunities to introduce product planners to our destination with the goal of new product that overnights in the Willamette Valley. All other fams seen as a way to support existing product. Note: Suppliers in the Willamette Valley have been generous in hosting fams, but are not always able to provide complimentary goods and services. Each WVVA partner has a budget allocation to cover costs not covered by the suppliers. Outcome: - Increased overnight product as measured if tour extracts can be provided by Travel Oregon - Increased number of stories resulting from press trips
Objective B: Build awareness for the Willamette Valley as a premier year-round travel destination through marketing & sales #9. Wine Country Plate Funds Continue programs outlined in FY15/16 plans - Region 1 Web strategies Social Media engagement Video development Implement PR and Airport Activations - Regions 1 & 2 WVVA is currently the tourism promotion agency assigned the responsibility of stewarding funds allocated through the Wine Country Plate program to benefit Regions 1 & 2. In the current program year, the plan has been designed to benefit sub-regions in proportion to the amount of wine grape production acreage in each area. Region 1 has a larger budget with a robust, multifaceted program of work with a portion allocated towards Region 2 s program targeted for May 2017 (Oregon Wine Month). Outcome: - Increase of earned media - Activation in one or more airports served by Alaska Airlines - Increases to Region 1 partners in web traffic, social media engagement - Three 2-minute videos representing Region 1 - Development of Absolutely Charming Wine Trail for Region 1
Objective C: Destination Development #10. Convene Stakeholder Gatherings Support Travel Oregon regional stakeholder gatherings Participate in state-wide conversations Convene topical regional gatherings WVVA will support development programs that provide a regionwide opportunity for benefit or impact. Stakeholder gatherings to solve short-term issues as well as strategize towards the 10-Year Strategic Vision for tourism. Statewide conversations on transportation, wayfinding, frontline training, sustainability and land-use issues. WVVA will convene regional gatherings around shorter term issues that need to be solved such as year-round tourism. WVVA does not have organizational capacity to support all of the individual community projects that deserve attention. In the Willamette Valley, there is more capacity at the DMO level. Therefore, when individual communities participate in programs such as the Oregon Tourism Studios, or apply for scenic bikeway designation, the local DMO will support the project to the best of their ability. Outcome: - Annual Stakeholder Gathering held in three communities - Participation in appropriate conversations on state-wide issues - Regional gathering/s on transportation
Examples
Examples
RCTP Committee & Process The Willamette Valley region includes Benton, Linn, Marion, Polk, Yamhill and portions of Clackamas and Lane Counties. The region stretches from the crest of the Coast Range to the crest of the West Cascades. Each board member represents all of the communities in their county. RCTP Committee: Marketing is done by the entire WVVA Board led by Jeannine Breshears and Natalie Inouye. The Board (WVVA Partners) are represented by: Jeannine Breshears Destination Marketing Manager, Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs (Clackamas County) Natalie Inouye VP Tourism Marketing, Travel Lane County (Lane County) Jimmie Lucht Executive Director, Albany Visitors Association (Linn County) Irene Bernards Executive Vice President/Marketing & PR Director, Travel Salem (Marion & Polk Counties) Mary Pat Parker Executive Director, Visit Corvallis (Benton County) Sheryl Kelsh President/CEO, Chahalem Valley Chamber of Commerce (Yamhill County)
RCTP Committee & Process Public Relations is led by Becca Barnhart The committee includes: Stephen Hoshaw Public Relations & Social Media Manager, Travel Lane County Annie Bailey Communications & Public Relations Coordinator, Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Kara Kuh Public Relations Manager, Travel Salem Mary Pat Parker Executive Director, Visit Corvallis Sherri Pagliari Group Marketing & Media Relations, Albany Visitors Association Sheryl Kelsh President/CEO, Chahalem Valley Chamber of Commerce
RCTP Committee & Process Tour & Travel is led by Meg Trendler & Samara Phelps The committee includes: Meg Trendler, Tourism Sales Manager, Travel Lane County Samara Phelps, Destination Development Manager, Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Debbie McCune, VP/Director of Sales, Travel Salem Sherri Pagliari, Group Marketing & Media Relations, Albany Visitors Association Brandi Ebner, Travel Trade Industry/Conference Services Manager, Visit Corvallis. Sheryl Kelsh, President/CEO, Chahalem Valley Chamber of Commerce
RCTP Committee & Process Planning Process: There is an annual planning retreat where the WVVA Board, PR and Tour/Travel committees all meet together to begin development of the next year s plan and then have individual program meetings. Each of these groups will meet separately on a quarterly basis to evaluate the plan. The Stakeholder Gathering process will be incorporated into the RCTP planning process to allow greater input from groups and organizations with special invitations to wine associations and RTS committees. Intra-Region Communication: Each WVVA Partner is responsible for sharing the draft RCMP plan with their constituents and then a link to the final plan on Travel Oregon s Industry Website through their normal communication channels.