Team up with Explore Minnesota in the marketplace to increase tourism to and within Minnesota.
Who can participate?
The program is available to Minnesota tourism-related businesses in the public and private sector such as:
Convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce and tourism bureaus
Hotels, resorts, and other lodging properties
Breweries, wineries, distilleries, and destination restaurants
Attractions, museums, sightseeing companies, and destination retailers
Theaters and performing arts groups
Outdoor recreation outfitters
Golf courses
Events open to the public
To see if a certain business would qualify to participate, contact Derek Ramthun (information below).
Why participate?
The program is a great way to stretch your marketing dollars, try a new/emerging tactic at less of a risk or get into a prominent publication/run a campaign that perhaps your budget doesn't allow on its own.
How do I sign up, purchase, or get more information?
If you're interested in more information on a program or ready to purchase, reach out to the contact listed under each program's description. That person will work with you to get your campaign up and running and answer any questions you may have regarding their program.
What else should I know?
The co-op purchasing period is open through the end of May, and all campaigns must wrap by the end of June. Note: some programs have deadlines or could sell out earlier. Check with each program's contact for availability.
There are Explore Minnesota co-branding requirements for all digital/social and tv/video programs. Please refer to each program's listing for details.
The purpose and messaging of your co-op ad or content must be promoting your destination or business as a tourist destination or activity.
Explore Minnesota co-op programs are not eligible for reimbursement under any Explore Minnesota grant programs.
Co-op Contact:
Derek Ramthun
612-231-3889
Send an Email
Influence more travelers more efficiently by using the latest in machine learning and data science. This program through Sojern will identify people looking for travel and show them an ad wherever they are online. Sojern's data scientists are constantly tracking, measuring, and optimizing campaigns, and you'll be updated regularly on the performance of your ads. You'll also get your own online account that gives you access to insights and reporting. At the end of the campaign, Sojern will help you understand the economic impact of your campaign.
You have the choice of running display, native or pre-roll video at the discounted rates of $5eCPM, $6eCPM and $14eCPM, respectively. Explore Minnesota and Sojern will each match your investment, up to $5,000, tripling your campaign's exposure. Each participant ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo (for videos, it needs to be present at the beginning and end frames or in the corner throughout).
Rates: Starting at $500/month for a minimum three months
Beer Dabbler exists to elevate the craft beer industry and connect consumers with craft beer brands to forge lasting bonds, increase consumer education, and broaden brand awareness. The Land of 10,000 Drinks Map is an online, mobile-friendly, interactive map of Minnesota's craft breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries. Users can search the map by a specific location or business name or allow their mobile devices to use their location to see what's immediately around them. From there, they can narrow their search by viewing just breweries, wineries, cideries, or distilleries, and/ or filter by amenities, including food, outdoor seating, live entertainment, tours, and off-sale product availability. These features allow users to discover what's important to them among Minnesota's hundreds of craft beverage producers.
Explore Minnesota and Beer Dabbler are teaming up to offer Minnesota Tourism Industry businesses the opportunity to purchase co-op exclusive rates for a Point of Interest (POI) on the map, and/or a Results Column Banner Ad (400x158px) in six or 12-month packages.
Reach the largest, most engaged paddle sport audience in the world through this co-op with Rapid Media. With over 2.5 million unique users consuming over 7.7 million pageviews of web and magazine content every year, Paddling Magazine and Kayak Angler are the world's leading paddle sports and kayak fishing communities and resources.
Grow awareness by attracting, inspiring, and engaging potential customers with attention-grabbing magazine, website, email, and native advertising solutions. Each participant in this program will receive one half-page ad in Paddling Magazine or Kayak Angler, a newsletter sponsorship in Paddling This Week or Kayak Angler This Week, and digital display advertising on paddlingmag.com. Each ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo, and any link will go directly to each industry participant's website.
Rate: $1,500
Limited: 6 programs available | One per industry participant
Paddling Magazine / Kayak Angler Social + Digital Content Program
Reach the largest, most engaged paddle sport audience in the world through this co-op with Rapid Media. With over 2.5 million unique users consuming over 7.7 million pageviews of web and magazine content every year, Paddling Magazine and Kayak Angler are the world's leading paddle sports and kayak fishing communities and resources.
Understanding the customer and knowing the type of content matching each stage of the sales cycle, allows the Rapid Media team to create unique, authentic, and engaging content that connects, inspires and converts. Each participant in this program will receive one created article created/published, newsletter content promotion, and social media content promotion on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. The article will be accessible via a Minnesota page on paddlingmag.com or kayakangler.com.
Rate: $1,750
Limited: 6 programs available | One per industry participant
Through Targeted Digital Advertising you can reach your most likely visitors in a remarkably affordable manner. Your ads will be targeted to visitors in markets of your choice. Based on overlaying credit card spend in Minnesota, your advertising will reach those drive market travelers who had visited during the past 12 months. Ads will be delivered to prior visitors to your destination from key source markets as they visit one or more of the brand-safe websites in our curated network. These sites are in three main categories: News, Travel, and Lifestyle. Each ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo, and link directly to each industry participant's website.
Social Media marketing continues to be one of the greatest ways to reach and engage with potential visitors. The Star Tribune can assist in building that engagement and relationship through this Facebook and Instagram co-op. This campaign is priced on a cost per click platform across both social channels. In addition to driving clicks to your website, this type of advertising and engagement has a further effect on generating post comments, likes and shares, conversation and deeper brand advocacy. Posts will be run through the Explore Minnesota Facebook and Instagram accounts, so you can leverage the strong brand that has been built over the years. Your message will also include the hashtag #OnlyinMN, which has been used over a million times on Instagram alone! Each package also includes 150,000 StarTribune.com impressions per participant, a $1,500 value add.
Rate: $2,000 for 3,000+ guaranteed clicks
Limited: 20 programs available | One per industry participant
Savings: 82%
Contact: Paul Haga | paul.haga@startribune.com | 612-673-4392
If content creation is a need for your business or organization, the Star Tribune and its Foundry 425 Content Team is offering this co-op that provides a custom written article (including embedded photos, videos and social media feeds) plus native advertising. Native is one of the strongest ways to get people to learn about tourism businesses and organizations. Star Tribune has the most read website in the state as well as a wide network of targeted sites to place participant articles (based on geography, demographics, and behaviors).
Your native ad will be placed next to organic content online, giving users high-impact, natural exposure to your sponsored content. Each native ad will drive traffic to the article page and will include either the Explore Minnesota logo (or brand hashtag, #OnlyinMN, in the headline or copy of the ad if the logo cannot be accommodated). The Explore Minnesota logo will also be present at the bottom of the article page. Each package also includes 150,000 StarTribune.com impressions per participant, a $1,500 value add.
Rate: $2,000 for a custom written article and 1,200+ guaranteed clicks.
Space Deadline: Two weeks prior to targeted start date
Limited: 10 available | One per industry participant
Savings: 80%
Contact: Paul Haga | paul.haga@startribune.com | 612-673-4392
Behaviorally targeted emails are still one of the most effective ways to reach a highly engaged audience for tourism-related businesses, destinations, and events. Through this program, you'll leverage the Star Tribune's unsurpassed behavioral reach and enhanced email capabilities to pinpoint the ideal traveler's inbox.
Star Tribune will send email deployments to 100,000 targeted active consumers. Email list can be customized by participant (geo, demo and behavioral targets). Each email will include an Explore Minnesota header and footer, with the body of the email dedicated/linking to the industry participant's website. Each email program also includes the added value of a Star Tribune Travel FYI email deployment to 15,000 recipients ($1,000 value).
Rate: $1,000 per email
Limited: 20 Available | One per industry participant
Savings: 90%
Contact: Paul Haga | paul.haga@startribune.com | 612-673-4392
Explore Minnesota and Dotdash Meredith are joining forces to promote Minnesota's diverse destinations and experiences through the Travel + Leisure brand. Minnesota delivers a world of incredible experiences that'll keep consumers energized and refreshed during the spring and summer months. Told through innovative and engaging flip cards, we'll launch a digital destination on TravelandLeisure.com that spotlights the best of Minnesota. In addition to Minnesota mainstays like the Mississippi River and the northern lights, a limited number of flip cards are available, ensuring your destination or business is top-of-mind among the breadth of Minnesota's travel opportunities. The digital destination will be promoted through a paid media plan through Travel + Leisure and across the Dotdash Meredith network.
Click here to view an example of the flip card page on travelandleisure.com
Rate: $2,500
Limited: 8 Available | One flip card per industry participant
Travel intent advertising is an exciting new strategy developed by Orange142 specifically for the Tourism industry. Through Orange142's 35+ data partners, they can monitor consumers' travel intent for your destination or business to utilize in an outreach digital advertising campaign. This allows Orange142 to advertise your destination or business to those consumers who are actively planning and/or dreaming of their next vacation or weekend getaway.
This package includes display advertising utilizes a cost per click (CPC) rate structure that allows for guaranteed clicks to your website. Each participant ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo.
Rate: $2,500 for 2,500+ Clicks
Limited: 10 available | One per industry participant
Travel intent advertising is an exciting new strategy developed by Orange142 specifically for the Tourism industry. Through Orange142's 35+ data partners, they can monitor consumers' travel intent for your destination or business to utilize in an outreach digital advertising campaign. This allows Orange142 to advertise your destination or business to those consumers who are actively planning and/or dreaming of their next vacation or weekend getaway.
This package includes display advertising and native advertising that utilizes a cost per click (CPC) rate structure that allows for guaranteed clicks to your website. Also included in this package is programmatic video advertising that utilizes a cost per view (CPV) structure that guarantees video views. Each participant ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo (for videos, it needs to be present at the beginning and end frames or in the corner throughout).
Rate: $6,500 for 2,500+ Display Clicks, 1,250+ Native Clicks and 8,333+ Video Views
Limited: 10 available | One per industry participant
Effectv is here to help you achieve your marketing and advertising goals. They deliver TV and premium digital video advertising to reach audiences through high-quality content at any time, on any device. Effectv brings together all the elements of a successful campaign:
Audience insights based on Comcast first-party viewership data and third-party data
Audience-targeted impressions based on geography, demographics, and lifestyles
Multiscreen coverage across devices and platforms, including TV, streaming, and video on demand
Measurable, actionable results that are easy to understand
Custom creative to make a meaningful connection between your brand and your target audience (for an additional cost)
Personalized campaign planning to maximize your budget and elevate ad effectiveness.
Explore Minnesota is working with Effectv Advertising to help the Minnesota tourism industry target their potential visitors. Effectv delivers hyper-local audience targeted messages to the zones or Interconnects that align with your best consumer. There are 66 markets to choose from. For targeting outside of the Comcast footprint, you can zip code target audiences that are watching their favorite video content across all screens. The result is a highly customized campaign strategy to achieve each individual participant's goals whether that be building awareness, increasing consideration, or boosting sales, TV and video advertising can help you do it. All videos need to include the Explore Minnesota logo in the corner throughout the video or at the beginning and end of each video.
Rates:
Tier 1: $1,000 for 50,000 impressions or between 334-1,000 linear TV spots
Tier 2: $3,000 for 150,000 impressions or between 1,000-3,000 linear TV spots
Tier 3: $5,000 for 250,000 impressions or between 1,667-5,000 linear TV spots
Clicktivated's interactive video technology directly connects viewers to any individual location, attraction etc. of interest with a simple click, tap or touch as they watch. Creating endless engagement opportunities and a new and powerful form of measurable in-video viewer engagement data for both onsite video and paid media as well. The goal: to deliver a best-in-class interactive video experience for on-site distribution and the option for an optimized paid media campaign to reach a target audience to promote tourism within Minnesota.
Powerful: 45%+ Interaction rate & 18%+ CTR averages on site
Quick: < 24-hour activation
Innovative: An evolved, clean and modern experience that speaks to today's consumer.
Robust: A brand new granular set of viewer interaction data
Format Friendly: Mobile & Desktop
16:9 and vertical video.
Rates: $180 per video per month for on-site videos
Optional add-on: $4,000 custom paid media campaign including 540,000 impressions
Reach today's engaged audiences in the living room big screen like never before and gain access to over-the-top (OTT) premium inventory through 125 Premium networks, direct purchase, and website attribution. Gray Destination Marketing's Connected TV program connects your :15 or :30 second video ad with users cross device via smart TV platforms, gaming consoles or dedicated streaming devices like Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and more. Gray Destination Marketing dashboards allow you to isolate campaign data to pinpoint how your target customers engage with your messaging in real time. All videos need to include the Explore Minnesota logo in the corner throughout the video or at the beginning and end of each video.
Rates:
Tier 1: $1,700 for 100,000 impressions (30-day campaign)
Tier 2: $4,950 for 300,000 impressions (90-day campaign)
Influence more travelers more efficiently by using the latest in machine learning and data science. This program through Sojern will identify people looking for travel and show them an ad wherever they are online. Sojern's data scientists are constantly tracking, measuring, and optimizing campaigns, and you'll be updated regularly on the performance of your ads. You'll also get your own online account that gives you access to insights and reporting. At the end of the campaign, Sojern will help you understand the economic impact of your campaign.
You have the choice of running display, native or pre-roll video at the discounted rates of $5eCPM, $6eCPM and $14eCPM, respectively. Explore Minnesota and Sojern will each match your investment, up to $5,000, tripling your campaign's exposure. Each participant ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo (for videos, it needs to be present at the beginning and end frames or in the corner throughout).
Rates: Starting at $500/month for a minimum three months
Travel intent advertising is an exciting new strategy developed by Orange142 specifically for the Tourism industry. Through Orange142's 35+ data partners, they can monitor consumers' travel intent for your destination or business to utilize in an outreach digital advertising campaign. This allows Orange142 to advertise your destination or business to those consumers who are actively planning and/or dreaming of their next vacation or weekend getaway.
This package includes display advertising and native advertising that utilizes a cost per click (CPC) rate structure that allows for guaranteed clicks to your website. Also included in this package is programmatic video advertising that utilizes a cost per view (CPV) structure that guarantees video views. Each participant ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo (for videos, it needs to be present at the beginning and end frames or in the corner throughout).
Rate: $6,500 for 2,500+ Display Clicks, 1,250+ Native Clicks and 8,333+ Video Views
Limited: 10 available | One per industry participant
With nearly 2 billion unique users visiting YouTube each month, video ads offer an extraordinary opportunity to reach large audiences. This video marketing co-op offers you the ability to include YouTube in your marketing mix and diversify your reach across platforms. In addition to gaining more exposure, you'll reach target audiences using criteria such as demographics, geographics, topics, and viewer interests. MediaOne will help manage your channel, upload videos, and of course, promote (targeting includes both retargeting and prospecting new people through custom created audiences).
The in-stream ads play before, during or after another video. Viewers see the first five seconds of the video and can continue watching or choose to skip. Charges incur only when your video is watched for 30 seconds or to the end for shorter videos. Ads show on all devices including Connected TVs. The Explore Minnesota logo is not required on the video itself, as there will be an Explore Minnesota companion ad that accompanies each video.
Rates:
Tier 1: $1,500 for 25,000 guaranteed 30 second views
Tier 2: $3,500 for 70,000 guaranteed 30 second views
Tier 3: $5,500 for 122,222 guaranteed 30 second views
Invite AAA readers to experience your destination or attraction with a message in an Explore Minnesota four-page spread featured in the Spring and Fall 2023 issues. Reach over 870,000 Iowa and Minnesota readers per issue of AAA Living. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Each participant will receive:
Your location: Marked with corresponding number on map of Minnesota on pages 2-3.
Listing on pages 2-3 that includes photo, 25 words of text, and web address
Event/activity listing on the fourth page: one event/activity per issue that includes name of event or activity, dates, 20-word description and website (if applicable).
Added value of reader service listing to entire Midwest circulation of 2.1 million homes
Invite AAA readers to experience your destination or attraction with a message to bicyclists in an Explore Minnesota two-page spread featured in the Summer 2023 issue. Reach over 1 million readers in the Minnesota Bike Section; AAA members in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and Nebraska. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Each participant will receive:
Your location marked with corresponding number on map of Minnesota
Listing that includes a photo, 25 words of text, and website
Added value of reader service listing to entire Midwest circulation of 2.1 million homes
The Iowa Sportsman is an award-winning hunting and fishing magazine designed to reach the outdoor enthusiast. The statewide, subscription-based circulation hits your target audience of local hunters and anglers throughout Iowa. More than 65% of the magazine features editorial content, which results in higher readership and a long shelf life. The magazine is also distributed at Iowa's largest consumer hunting and fishing shows.
Minnesota will be featured a special four-page section in the December 2022 and May 2023 issues. Don't miss this opportunity to promote your destination to a highly targeted audience. Co-op advertisers will receive the added value of a banner ad on iowasportsman.com for 30 days, inclusion in the digital issues that will be on homepage of iowasportsman.com for 30 days and sent to 90,000+ verified emails. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Rates: $285 per 1/6-page ad
Space Deadlines: Dec. Issue: Oct. 7 | May Issue: Mar. 3
Midwest Rider and Wisconsin Snowmobile News will feature Minnesota in the November 2022 issues, which will include 1/6-page, full-color industry participant ads. Your message will be hand delivered to over 70,000 snowmobile households and reach over 200,000 targeted readers - 45,000 delivered to Wisconsin's AWSC members in Wisconsin Snowmobile News (WSN), another 25,000 directly mailed to Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, and Michigan's dedicated members and Midwest Rider (MWR) magazine's snowmobile enthusiasts. Plus, your print ad is embedded and linked online to over 10,000 additional digital readers per issue. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine provides timely, dependable, and interesting information to its readers about the people, places, and events that form the Minneapolis and St. Paul. The fundamental reason the magazine exists is to enhance people's lives by telling them the best places to go, what to see, what's new, and who's who. Published monthly by MSP Communications in St. Paul, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's more than 243,000 readers are smart, affluent, and responsive. The magazine is sold on newsstands throughout the Twin Cities area and the state of Minnesota and also distributed by subscription.
Mpls.St.Paul Magazine has teamed up with Explore Minnesota to offer you an opportunity to reach this affluent market in an Explore Minnesota insider's guide section within the September 2022, December 2022, March 2023, June 2023 and September 2023 issues of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Rates:
Ad Size
Co-op Net Rate
1/6 page
$675
1/3 page
$1,330
1/2 page
$1,995
Full Page
$3,995
Deadlines:
Sept 2022: Space Deadline: 7/20, Materials Deadline: 7/25
Dec 2022: Space Deadline: 10/19, Materials Deadline: 10/24
Mar 2023: Space Deadline: 1/19, Materials Deadline: 1/24
Jun 2023: Space Deadline: 4/20, Materials Deadline: 4/25
Sept 2023: Space Deadline: 7/20, Materials Deadline: 7/25
Reach the largest, most engaged paddle sport audience in the world through this co-op with Rapid Media. With over 2.5 million unique users consuming over 7.7 million pageviews of web and magazine content every year, Paddling Magazine and Kayak Angler are the world's leading paddle sports and kayak fishing communities and resources.
Grow awareness by attracting, inspiring, and engaging potential customers with attention-grabbing magazine, website, email, and native advertising solutions. Each participant in this program will receive one half-page ad in Paddling Magazine or Kayak Angler, a newsletter sponsorship in Paddling This Week or Kayak Angler This Week, and digital display advertising on paddlingmag.com. Each ad will include the Explore Minnesota logo, and any link will go directly to each industry participant's website.
Rate: $1,500
Limited: 6 programs available | One per industry participant
ROVA stands for road vacations, and it is about taking all roads—those less-taken or the most well-worn—to your destination. ROVA is for the road-trippers, the digital nomads, the outdoor adventurers, and the life-changers. A vibrant and youthful magazine centered around driving journeys in the United States, ROVA has established a loyal following in North America and Canada, as well as a growing audience in Europe. The outdoors culture has become a lifestyle unto itself, and ROVA readers aspire to be a part of this culture—to live a life that is outdoorsy, authentic, and adventurous, and to be seen doing so.
The April/May and August/September 2023 issues of ROVA will include an exclusive Explore Minnesota section with 1/6-page industry co-op ads within. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
Snow Goeris the premier media brand for snowmobile enthusiasts who live to ride. With the highest paid circulation magazine and a loyally followed digital assets, it validates consumers have come to trust Snow Goer. You will reach a national magazine audience of over 51,000 active snowmobilers and our more than 38,000 opt-in email list. Explore Minnesota will be featured in the January 2023 issue (issue starts mailing 12/7/22) with two to four pages of advertorial content along with space for 1/6-page, full-color industry ads. The entire section will also run in the Winter Snow Goer Great Escapes issue. Each participant will receive the added value of their logo with a link to their website in two Snow Goer subscriber eblasts to be sent in November and December. The purchase of advertising space has no relationship to editorial coverage in this publication.
