Changing the Perception: How a Heartland Hub Expanded Its Base
OBJECTIVE
Surrounded by pristine lakes in the scenic Ozark Mountains, Branson, Mo., has enjoyed a reputation as a destination for family fun and live entertainment for generations. With a product set that includes luxurious resorts and hotels, versatile convention and event venues, creative dining, and world-class golf courses, this Heartland hub is also a proven meetings magnet for national associations, as well as corporate and faith-based groups. Assets such as Ballparks of America, which features five Major League replica fields, also have made Branson a power player in the youth sports market.
Still, that’s news to some people, particularly on the coasts.
“We continue to face the perception that we’re a flyover location with nothing to offer for meetings, especially at the high-end,” says Samantha Gutting, senior vice president and chief sales officer for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, known as Explore Branson. “But that is completely inaccurate. Branson has proven that it excels at productive business meetings and high-performance events. However, while we are confident in our ability to deliver, we know we need to increase brand and destination awareness through education in order to correct misperceptions and negative views about what we are.”
Branson was built by determined entrepreneurs who remain loyal to the city. Local buy-in is fundamental to our success. Much of our visitor infrastructure — from our convention center and the attached Hilton headquarters hotel to our theme parks and our hundreds of small businesses — is locally owned.
Samantha Gutting, senior vice president and chief sales officer, Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention
STRATEGY
Rooted in community values and local ownership, Branson has long cultivated a strong positive image as a trusted visitor destination. Protecting and elevating that brand identity was a key factor in formulating the marketing plan.
“Branson was built by determined entrepreneurs who remain loyal to the city,” Gutting explains. “Local buy-in is fundamental to our success. Much of our visitor infrastructure — from our convention center and the attached Hilton headquarters hotel to our theme parks and our hundreds of small businesses — is locally owned. Our funding boards recognize the economic impact that we generate, and they support the continuing growth of our organization. Naturally, the plan had to serve the best interests of our partners.”
Critical, too, was finding the right forums for connecting with a target audience of meeting planners and sports organizers. “Marketing meetings differs from overall CVB or DMO marketing, which is geared more toward leisure,” she notes. “We are talking savvy, discerning customers who know specifically what they want and do not waste time.”
With its brand and messaging well established, Explore Branson knew it needed face-to-face opportunities to present the Branson story, ideally in-market. “We know from experience that once we get leisure and business prospects here, they’ll book and they’ll come back,” says Gutting. “However, as a small organization, we needed outside help. This required due diligence. It was critical that we join forces with a strategic partner that would understand who we are and share the vision of what we wanted to achieve.”
Explore Branson found that partnership match with Northstar Meetings Group.
“They listened, asked questions, embraced our vision, and then collaborated with us in developing and deploying a full-year multiplatform campaign,” Gutting says.
EXECUTION
Program components have included sponsoring, attending and hosting meetings, and educational, leadership and other industry events both on the road and in Branson.
“These are optimal vehicles for telling our story, gaining visibility, establishing relationships, and building trust,” Gutting says. “From podium time and video presentations to one-on-one appointments and networking, we’re able to show our target audience who we are and how serious we are about working with them.”
Explore Branson’s sponsorship of the 2023 Independent Planner Education Conference, hosted by Northstar in Memphis, Tenn., this past January, exemplifies the point.
As Gutting explains, “We feel a true connection with independent planners, in terms of like-minded entrepreneurial grit and shared values. Because they are not associated with larger third-party agencies and consortiums, they work harder and get hit hardest when commissions are cut. That spoke to us. Sponsoring the event was our opportunity to acknowledge that kinship and their critical role in booking meetings. This included discussing ways to be supportive, such as augmenting hotel commissions as necessary. The engagement was invaluable, and even brought us an invitation to join their advisory board.”
Rooted in community values and local ownership, Branson has long cultivated a strong positive image as a trusted visitor destination.
This September, Northstar’s premier hosted-buyer event, Destination Midwest, will be held in Branson. Attracting highly qualified meeting professionals seeking to place programs in the Midwest, the three-day gathering will provide Branson with the all-important in-market exposure it knows it needs.
Prioritizing database enrichment and lead generation also is part of the strategy, so Explore Branson sponsored Northstar’s partnership with Destinations International, a global leader in supporting destination marketing organizations, on a comprehensive digital content program with a strong emphasis on social marketing. Presented on Northstar’s proprietary “Learning Academy” platform, the program, called “How to Get More from Your DMO Partnership,” featured newsletters, webinars and a “Discover Branson” quiz with a four-day hosted trip as the prize.
For the sports component of the campaign, marketing activities included attendance at leading events like TEAMS, creating and distributing videos showcasing Branson’s ability to host sporting events, and targeted e-mail blasts to well-known sporting-events organizers.
PERFORMANCE
From Branson’s perspective, the ongoing campaign has exceeded expectations and benchmarks on all fronts.
“From RFPs and site-inspection requests to expressions of intent and actual bookings, we have gotten high ROI and conversion from the events that we sponsored and attended,” Gutting says.
One such actual booking came from the DL Rogers Corp., which is bringing its annual convention to Branson in 2025. The event is expected to draw 1,000 attendees and generate $1.5 million in economic impact, helping to support more than 300 jobs.
With 2,226 and counting unique pageviews since October 2022, Northstar’s Learning Academy has generated more than 400 nurtured leads and above-average metrics, including an exceptional 5 minutes and 17 seconds of average page-viewing time. Strong performers included the newsletter, with a click-to-open rate (CTOR) of 10 percent, way above the 0.03 percent average. LinkedIn had a click-through-rate of 63 percent, nearly triple the average, with more strong numbers on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Click-through to the Branson website for more information also was high.
“2022 was a great year, with $67 million in total economic impact from meetings, conventions and sporting events,” says Gutting. “Leads were up by 8 percent in 2022 over 2021. Additionally, the D.C./Virginia area now represents our number-two feeder market for national association meetings, and the Branson Convention Center turned a profit, which is unheard of in the industry. From expanding our internal database and bringing in new planners and buyers, to getting us in front of different audiences, the program has been a total success.”
