WM A& P finding groove with targeted ads

WM A& P finding groove with targeted ads

Elvis Week, Heritage Classic- themed spots garner big hits

news@theeveningtimes.com

Tourism is big business in the Mid-South. Politicians never tire of pointing out that agriculture and tourism are the right and left hands shaping our local economy. None of that is lost on West Memphis Tourism Director Jim Jackson who told Advertising and Promotions Commissioners he has targeted Elvis. “We have been doing some target marketing through digital campaigns,” said Jackson at the September meeting.

Ads linked to key words in Internet searches have driven results. Google and Facebook provided a way to get West Memphis in front of prospective Memphis tourist. A big football game and Elvis week provided advertising targets for West Memphis to aim at landing tourists to stay and dine in the Wonder City.

“We done ads specific to big known events,” said Jackson. “Our most recent one was the Southern Heritage Classic football game. We’ve also run with an Elvis theme.”

Jackson provided results and passed around samples of the digital ads.

TripAdvisor, Google Ad-Words and Facebook performance results were documented on spreadsheets for commissioners.

Interaction with key ad words and phrases were correlated to the number of impressions made. In all nearly 3.5 million impressions were logged for a $7,800 cost.

Commissioners were impressed

with ad campaigns

and the results. Hotel owner and A& P Commissioner Mike Patel said had customers as during Elvis week as a direct result of the ads. Councilwoman Ramona Taylor reacted to the sampling.

“I thought the creative part of the Elvis week ads was really good,” said Taylor.

Jackson said maintaining a consistent look increased recognition as mid-south tourists consider lodging reservations.

“We are being consistent with our colors and our logos,” said Jackson. We’ve gone light hearted with the Elvis message.

We’ve gotten impressive results.

We are getting

attention.

They know we are here.”

Aiming at the Internet was just part of the marketing

plan Jackson

revealed. A well placed magazine ad aimed at meeting and destination decision makers is in the offing. The ad touting the technology upgrades

at Eugene

Woods Civic Center is slated for an upcoming Arkansas Business and Planning Guide.

“We got photos of each room and the innovation we now have here,” said Jackson. “The ad looks good, again consistent with our colors and logo.”

The ad moves up to a half page, an increase over the previous quarter page commitment.

Commissioners fed on the excitement and stepped up plans to complete upgrades all around the center and explored the idea of actively marketing the municipal meeting space.

By John Rech