According to a study conducted by the Texas A&M University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Sciences, Visit Buffalo Niagara’s (VBN) recent marketing push to attract Ontario women to Buffalo has resulted in $28 million dollars in new visitor spending. That’s a hefty increase, and welcome news for the Buffalo tourism industry. The recent push has been directed to those who can easily make a trip to Buffalo, without putting a major dent in the wallet – or clutch in this case.
According the report, the marketing initiative commanded “nearly 25,000 visitor parties, more than 75,000 room nights and $28 million in incremental visitor spending.” It appears as if the marketing investment has paid off. Research is showing that for every $8 invested in the multi-faceted marketing effort, the initiative garnered $381 in visitor spending.
“This is a very impressive ROI and we’re thrilled that our positioning of Buffalo Niagara as the ‘Nearest Faraway Place’ appears to be resonating with Canadian women,” said Patrick Kaler, Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO. “We did our homework, identified our key target markets and tailored our message using every tool we have at our disposal. Fishing where the fish are is the key to a successful campaign.”
Funding from NYS and incentive programs run by Brand USA allowed VBM and the Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp (NTCC) to move forward with the Canadian Marketing Initiative. In order to profoundly influence the targeted market, the team opted to utilize as many marketing avenues as it could, including search marketing, rich media digital display, lead generation, e-newsletters, original blog content, social marketing, TV spots, print ads, a printed (and digitized) shopping guide and sponsorship of the National Women’s Show in Toronto.
“Our region’s proximity to Southern Ontario represents a market opportunity of eight million potential visitors,” said John Percy, President and CEO of the NTCC. “Our research suggested that a consistent advertising and marketing presence in this key market would increase visitation and lengths of stay. The Texas A&M study confirms this premise was right on the money.”
Ultimately it was a series of focus groups in the Greater Toronto Area that led the marketing group to understand that the target market was relatively unfamiliar with Buffalo (other than the occasional shopping excursions). When it came to cultural assets, fine dining, theater or nightlife, there was a lack of understanding and appreciation for this city’s widespread offerings.
Now that the numbers are in, and there is a tangible study and report to reference, the marketing team plans on continuing to drive the message into 2016. While we’re tapping into the Ontario market, which is delivering such remarkable results, we should also be looking at what other low hanging fruit is looking ripe in the mega-region.
Below is an example of an ad that ran in the Toronto Star.