Winter marketing efforts looked a little different this year due to the pandemic and subsequent Dial Back, Minnesota restrictions on travel and hospitality businesses. Still, Explore Minnesota began promoting safer outdoor activities with our Winter Recreation niche campaign on Dec. 14 in Minnesota only. The winter season is always a special time in Minnesota, and our campaign strived to merchandise appealing wintry visuals on the campaign landing page. Digital and social ads will be served to consumers who are passionate about a winter sport.
In January, we will introduce an updated winter Find Your True North TV spot, “ Time to Recharge,” which depicts safe, socially-distanced winter activities, along with additional winter assets, including digital banner ads, emails, paid social posts and select print advertising in the Spokesman Recorder and La Prensa. Due to current concerns about COVID-19 incidence rates, these winter campaigns will only target Minnesota residents.
Minnesota will still be top-of-mind in surrounding states this January, however, as we launch a transitional :30 spot, “ Worth the Wait,” which encourages people to start dreaming of summer travel and promises that Minnesota is worth the wait. This spot will run on cable, OTT and CTV in Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Omaha, and northern Illinois (excluding Chicago) and be supported with digital banners ads and paid social through Feb. 28.
Other winter efforts include:
Explore Minnesota launched the winter rendition of the Find Your True North campaign, which includes all-new winter focused advertising materials, including a TV commercial, radio spot, digital banner ads, rich media digital ads, paid social posts and select print advertising.
The national niche strategy continues into the winter season, focused on three new activities: destination shopping, performing arts and winter recreation. Digital and social ads will be served to consumers who are passionate about one of these activities and have an identifiable affinity for Minnesota. Niche media timing is a phased approach, based on the timing of travel-planning activity associated with each niche.
The new winter TV spot will air on broadcast, cable TV and Connected TV (streaming services) in Minneapolis, greater Minnesota, Sioux Falls, Des Moines, Eau Claire, Omaha and Winnipeg. Advertorial will appear in the December issue of Delta Sky magazine. New campaign photography and video will appear throughout advertising tactics, on our website, in partnership advertising and other communications pieces to inspire consumers to get out and enjoy the season.
Other winter efforts include:
Don't hibernate this winter—get out and enjoy it! Join @Explore Minnesota's #ChillOutChallenge and try something new. Share a photo on Instagram or Twitter using #ChillOutChallenge for your chance to win an awesome MN swag box with lots of MN Made goodies. www.exploreminnesota.com/chilloutchallenge
Show the world why winter is Minnesota's hottest season. Whether it's hitting the slopes or riding the trails on a snowmobile, we want to see how you do winter #OnlyinMN. All participants will be automatically entered to win a box of totally cool Minnesota-made swag.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Contest runs from Noon on Feb. 6 – March 4, 2020. Entrants must be 21 years of age. Visit exploreminnesota.com/chilloutchallenge for official rules.
Don't hibernate this winter! Get out and try something new with @exploreminn's #ChillOutChallenge. Share a photo or video of your favorite Minnesota winter activity for your chance to win a box of MN Made swag! Learn more: www.exploreminnesota.com/chilloutchallenge #OnlyinMN
For a full breakdown of the winter media plan, download the PDF flowchart (subject to change). You can also download the winter campaign recap.
This winter, prospective travelers will be greeted with compelling visuals from the winter wanderland that is Minnesota. The campaign creative touches on several facets including outdoor recreation, diversions in all corners of the state, and some of the seasonal events and festivals that are not to be missed. Running through February, the advertising campaign crosses a wide variety of mediums to provide multiple inspirational touchpoints across the winter months. A few highlights include a robust digital effort, broadcast TV, paid social media, in-flight magazine advertising, and a Winter Olympics sponsorship. Approximately 25% of the budget has been allocated specifically to Super Bowl tactics that leverage Super Bowl LII as a platform for telling a broader story about Minnesota’s appeal as a four season destination.
The #OnlyinMN campaign was initially created and launched to highlight the many unique places and authentic experiences Minnesota has to offer. The platform has successfully moved Explore Minnesota’s tourism efforts forward with nearly a million hashtag usages since launch. More recently, the campaign evolved from breadth of experiences to focus on depth, featuring fewer places but focusing on richer experiences that showcase the unexpected and lasting memories created by vacationing in Minnesota. This transition brings the emotional side of travel to the forefront, and aims to excite and inspire travelers to consider Minnesota as their next travel destination.
Explore Minnesota will ease into the summer travel season this year with our :30 bridge spot, "Worth the Wait," which began running out-of-state this winter and will continue through March – with the addition of the Minnesota market. The spot encourages people to start dreaming of summer travel and promises that Minnesota adventures are worth the wait.
Beginning April 19, we'll invite travelers to consider Minnesota for their upcoming travel plans in our Spring/Summer advertising campaign. We know safety and well-being are priorities for travelers right now, therefore we are planning to meet consumers where they are at in their own travel planning in our Find Your Truth North messaging much of which directs consumers to ExploreMinnesota.com to find their perfect getaway in Minnesota this summer. The campaign hits full stride the week of May 4 with the full complement of digital tactics launching.
A new :30 spot, "Just Add Water," will run on broadcast, connected TV, digital and paid social in WI, IA, ND, SD, IL, MN, WY, MT + Omaha, Denver , Lincoln, & Kansas City. Featuring a diverse cast of real Minnesota families engaging in various water and water-adjacent activities throughout the state, this spot was concepted with input from focus groups that Explore Minnesota conducted last summer with Black and Latino travelers. "Just Add Water" will run in rotation with last year's summer spot "It's But a Blur," which features a lakeside family retreat in Central Minnesota. Supporting digital banner ads, rich media, content partnerships, paid social and print will run until June 30.
Three niche campaigns will also invite travelers who have found their True North passions to Minnesota this summer with media running in MN, ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, IL, IA, WI, MI, IN, OH, MT and WY.
The cherry on top this summer is The Minnesota Scoop, an ice cream experience that will invite independent shops in every region to create their best #OnlyinMN treat for travelers to enjoy. Beginning in June, curious ice cream lovers will be encouraged to visit multiple shops through a punch card system that rewards their exploration. When their punch card is full, they can redeem it for a limited-edition T-shirt and enter a sweepstakes to win fun summer prizes. Shop participants will receive a kit to execute and promote #MNScoop and the campaign will be supported through influencer outreach and paid social.
If your business or destination is participating in the Minnesota Scoop promotion, here are some sample social media posts you can use to promote the activation.
Other seasonal initiatives include:
Explore Minnesota launched our fall Find Your True North campaign Sept. 1, which aims to inspire people to rediscover the outdoor activities they love. The campaign includes a fall-focused video spot, digital banner ads, rich media, paid social posts and select print placements all driving travelers to discover more at exploreminnesota.com. Also, the 'See You Soon’ spot from the Recovery campaign will continue to selectively run to build awareness around the Minnesota spirit being ready for you when the time is right.
Leveraging the same library of colorful imagery from last Fall, the campaign emphasizes fall colors and outdoor activities that can be enjoyed within social distance guidelines. Digital ads, including our :30 spot on Connected TV and OTT, will run in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Omaha. For a a facet of the campaign, we will integrate artificial intelligence to deliver the appropriate ad to each person based on content and behavior indicators. Also, a special print advertorial will appear in the Sept/Oct edition of Midwest Living, encouraging readers to “Live in the Minnesota Moment” and featuring a range of resorts and activities in the state.
In addition to the general campaign, Explore Minnesota is targeting dog lovers and family road trippers within a 500-mile radius, as part of the continued niche strategy. Consumers passionate about one of these two areas will be served targeted ads, including :06 second videos (dog lovers / road trippers) that will run on paid social, native and display banners. Plus, we’re supporting these niches with two promotional campaigns:
Other fall efforts this year include:
For a full breakdown of the fall media plan, download the campaign flowchart (subject to change). Download the campaign recap.
Explore Minnesota launched the fall edition of the new Find Your True North campaign in late August. Highlights include a new fall-focused TV commercial, digital banner ads, rich media units, paid social posts, radio spots, and select print executions.
The new fall TV spot will air on broadcast and cable TV as well as Connected TV / OTT (streaming services) in Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, Des Moines and Omaha. With the fall leaves quickly changing, the storyline takes viewers along for the ride as one family hops in the car for a last minute road trip. As they put down their devices and reconnect with one another, they’re reminded of the power of exploring Minnesota amidst the magic of the fall season.
A high-impact print ad will appear in Delta Sky magazine. New video and photography were shot in fall 2018 to capture the fall colors in real time across the state. The colorful imagery will be used across all mediums, driving users to discover more and plan their fall trips on exploreminnesota.com.
In addition to the general campaign, the niche strategy that debuted this spring/summer will continue into fall, targeting audiences interested in one of three activities: biking , hiking and golf . Consumers passionate about one of these activities will be served digital and social ads that align with their passion.
Other fall efforts that will return this year include:
For a full breakdown of the fall media plan, download the campaign flowchart (subject to change). Download the campaign recap.
A few highlights pertaining to the campaign’s strategy:
· Built with inspiration in mind to stimulate action around last minute getaways that are synonymous with Fall
· Sourced a portion of the featured photography through user generated content and Instagrammers to draw on real travel experiences
· Extended reach of video through pre-roll digital media to deliver impact at scale
· Developed rich media custom unit to deliver interactive mobile experience tied to real-time fall color reports
· Generating site traffic, business listing views, & social growth/engagement continue to be top priorities
View screenshots of the 2018 Fall Campaign in action.
Download a demo of the ‘Pick Your Favorite Color’ interactive ad.
