Montana Office of Tourism

2011 WINTER IN-STATE CAMPAIGN

OVERVIEW

The Montana Office of Tourism (MTOT)'s in-state campaign is designed to motivate Montanans to expand their boundaries and spend more time exploring our great state. Dubbed "Get Lost (in Montana)," the campaign is about motivating us to step out of our comfort zones: go to places we've never been before, do things we've never done before, and learn more about our state in the process. "Getting Lost" - interpreted either literally or figuratively - speaks to a state of mind where we lose ourselves in the vast backroad beauty of Montana.

MTOT is charged with increasing travel in the shoulder seasons, particularly winter. Residents are the perfect audience for growing visitation during our lesser-traveled seasons and areas: they already love Montana, are well-versed in traveling its off-peak seasons, and appreciate the calm that comes with a slower time of year. While the campaign includes a hefty dose of traditional media advertising, the cornerstone of the campaign is a unique community-driven website where Montanans can share their favorite places. By creating a forum for shared experiences, the goal is to inspire residents with in-state travel ideas and to create a sense of curiosity that leads to action.

MEDIA & CREATIVE

TV: Two :30 spots that employ a "go find it" style of storytelling. One spot features a family-owned Montana ski area—complete with the great snow, cozy lodge, and unpretentious spirit you'll find at one of Montana's best-kept secrets: the local ski hill. Another spot features a quintessential Montana town—its charming downtown, vibrant shops and eateries, and gracious locals. Neither spot reveals the identity of the speaker, the location, or the business(es) featured. What they are designed to do is intrigue the viewer, suggesting that there are so many undiscovered places across Montana we have yet to experience. The spots close with a call-to-action to visit the website, www.getlostmt.com, for travel ideas that are delightfully unexpected, unusual, and worth traveling out of your way for. (For those who can't stand being stumped—the TV spots feature Showdown Ski Area, south of Great Falls; and the community of Philipsburg.)

Get Lost Montana - Philipsburg from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

Get Lost Montana - Showdown from Montana Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

WEBSITE: Revamped for 2011's in-state marketing efforts, www.getlostmt.com takes what worked so well in the 2010 spring/summer campaign (user-generated stories, sharing, mapping) and ramps up the usability. The site's focus is on the things we all want to know when we're traveling, and we're asking Montanans for their suggestions. For 10 weeks, the website will ask a daily question designed to get at the heart of Montana's unexpected, unusual, off-the-beaten path treasures that sometimes only locals (or the most well-traveled!) seem to know: Where's the best place for a burger? If there's only one thing I do while I'm in town, what is it? If I wanted to stay at a historic inn or hotel, where should I go? The goal is to get people off the highway, exploring our small towns and showcasing the state's lesser-known gems.

NEWSPAPER: Major dailies and weekly entertainment newspapers from across the state will run black and white newspaper ads. Creative is simple to allow the advertising to stand out in the cluttered newspaper environment: mostly all image, with a headline that borrows the question-style concept from the website ("What's your favorite bar with animal heads on the wall?" or "What's your favorite wacky winter spectator sport?") to pique the interest of readers. Some newspaper advertising will be cooperative placements in which MTOT and other Montana tourism partners share the cost—and the message—of the ad.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

ONLINE: Banner advertising borrows its design from the newspaper format: simple (image and question-style headline) and black and white (for potential to stand out in often oversaturated news site environment, as well as leverage familiarity built by newspaper ads). Banner ads will push to www.getlostmt.com. Placement includes websites for major Montana newspapers and TV news stations, as well as text advertising on Facebook.

Animal Heads

Wacky Winter

MARKETS
Montana

BUDGET
$282,000

TIMING
January 18, 2010-March 18, 2010

FOR MORE INFO
Katy Peterson, Consumer Marketing Manager, Montana Office of Tourism
kapeterson@mt.gov or 406-841-2896