MTA 2011 CVB of the Year

Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau

Since 1997, the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) has had the primary goal of promoting and bringing visitors to the destination.  As the years have accrued, the branding may have changed and the product may have expanded, but the one thing that has stayed consistent and worked well is the TCVB’s ability to work cooperatively with the casino industry.

The TCVB originally determined key markets and knew that to be successful in marketing the destination they had to extend reach and maximize dollars.  A cooperative program was developed for the casinos to buy-into.  Over the past 18 months, the CVB has leveraged their marketing dollars of $900,000 with industry partner dollars of $600,000 for a combined total of $1.5 million in the following campaigns:

Spring 2010 / 20K Getaway Giveaway – $700,000 cooperative campaign in Little Rock, Huntsville and Birmingham that included television, radio, outdoor, print and interactive.  This campaign resulted in 80,513 registrations, 16,362 guides mailed and 19,350 opted-in e-mails added to the database.

 

 

Fall 2010 / Branding to Memphis – $200,000 campaign to remind Memphians about Tunica using television, radio, mobile billboards, interactive and street teams in downtown Memphis and at local college football tailgates that distributed over 8,000 casino branded items, 138 premium comps and 10,000 flyers.

 

 

Spring 2011 / Everyday Getaway Giveaway – $600,000 cooperative campaign in Birmingham, Little Rock and Nashville awarding over 40 contest winners with one-night stays to Tunica casino hotels from a total 20,289 registrations.

 

 

Spring 2011 / Facebook Road Trip for You & Five Friends – Part of the Everyday Getaway Giveaway campaign that focused on obtaining additional TunicaMS likes on Facebook.  Increased TunicaMS Facebook page by 25,000+ likes.

Social Media

The TCVB has always strived to be on the cutting edge of the tourism industry.  In 2009, the TCVB, with their advertising agency, created pages on both Facebook and Twitter, and began building a database of visitors that actively wanted information and updates about Tunica. The TCVB has successfully branded the Tunica name across multiple platforms including TunicaTravel.com and Down The Road.TunicaTravel.com blog, as well as the Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.  There are currently three staff members that actively post and manage updates and giveaways on the various channels.


Comp Closet & Contests

After the initial launch of the new social media pages, a giveaway medium was implemented called the TunicaMS Comp Closet.  The TCVB requests comps from all the local casinos and attractions to be used as giveaways for specific contests.  Previous contests have included Fan/Follower of the Week, Super Social Super Bowl Giveaway, and Twelve Days of Christmas.  An ongoing contest is the Find the Comp Closet Key on TunicaTravel.com.

 

Down the Road Blog

The TCVB manages a comprehensive blog that highlights and promotes local activities, attractions, casinos and contests, as well as gaming insight from an insider’s perspective.  All blog posts are promoted via Facebook and Twitter.

 

SoMeT Symposium

 

After an extensive social media campaign, Tunica was announced as the host site for the 2011 Social Media Tourism Symposium, November 9-11. SoMeT is a conference that brings together tourism professionals from around the US and features several presentations and panel discussions on the impact of social media in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.  Tunica competed against 37 destinations like Cleveland, Ohio, Savannah, Georgia, and Knoxville, Tennessee, to ultimately win the top spot.  See Tunica’s 2011 Promotion of the Year Submission for additional information.

 


Public Relations – Flood of 2011 River Watch

During the Mississippi Flood of 2011, the TCVB was challenged to spread the word to visitors that all nine casinos would be closed.  Social media channels and the Down the Road River Watch blog became the main form of communication because of its immediacy and cost efficiency.  Multiple posts were made with up-to-date information as the flood was happening and the casinos were eventually able to reopen.

Other projects managed this year by the TCVB for Tunica County facilities include, but are not limited to:

• In the spring of 2010, Tunica welcomed AirTran Airways scheduled service between Tunica and Atlanta.  The TCVB, with their advertising agency, developed a campaign to announce the new offering to the local market of business and leisure travelers.  The marketed area included Memphis south to Hwy. 82 and east to I-55 and featured newspaper front-page banners and ads, outdoor billboards and interactive banners online.

• In the spring of 2011, Tunica welcomed Vision Airlines scheduled service between Tunica and Destin, Florida with a press event at the new Tunica Airport terminal during the inaugural Destin flight.

• In 2010, the Tunica RiverPark’s marketing efforts to the weddings market was increased dramatically with a program focused on attendance at local market weddings shows.  The TCVB managed the development of tradeshow roll-up banners, fact card, post card, premium giveaway and a new website, RiverParkWeddings.com.

Additional links:

TunicaTravel.com
DownTheRoad.TunicaTravel.com
Facebook.com/TunicaMS
Twitter.com/TunicaMS
RiverParkWeddings.com
SoMeTunica.com
TunicaAirport.com

Click here for the 2-page PDF of the 2011 MTA CVB of the Year $750,000+ Nomination copy.

 

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