Covid-19 hit the travel industry like a ton of Augusta bricks. Luckily for the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau, they already had a new campaign in the works at W/S. Even with all the restaurant closures and hotel vacancies this summer, Augusta has a lot to be proud of. If you don’t believe us… come see us.
Come See Us
AGENCY SERVICES
Strategy
Branding
Perception Surveys
Visual Identity
Campaign Development
Paid Media
Collateral Design
Merchandise Design
Custom Illustration
For years, we’ve seen the landscape in Augusta evolve. Sure, we still have some vacant buildings downtown, but we also have Noble Jones, Bodega Ultima, the canal, the river, Frog Hollow, the Miller, the Imperial, Edgar’s Above Broad… You get the picture. We have plenty of stuff to create an AWESOME weekend itinerary in Augusta.
After surveying past visitors and doing our industry research, we found our challenges. Most folks were coming to Augusta to visit friends or family. They obviously weren’t coming for a beach, an amusement park or a zoo. They were coming to spend time with friends enjoying brunch on the patio, drinks on a rooftop, outdoor attractions, etc. So how do we send them to the places the locals enjoy most?
Tons of local Augustans completed an online survey telling us their favorite restaurants, attractions and activities. Their responses heavily directed this campaign.
Our Solution
Bennish Brown / CEO
“With this new campaign we’re building the destination brand for the benefit of locals and visitors. We’re highlighting what separates Augusta from other destinations saying loud and proud what we can authentically promise and deliver. Our community will benefit from having this exciting and defining identity and campaign to rally behind.”
SURVEY SAYSA glance in the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau mirror. In March of 2020, W/S developed three brand perception surveys to better understand ACVB’s audiences: leisure travelers, community partners and event planner contacts. The online surveys were deployed via email and social media. All data collected informed our strategies and communications from that point forward. The original survey was sent to a list of 3,956 existing email addresses.
The Perception
Only 2.5% of travelers surveyed described Augusta as “youthful”. Followed with only 4.7% describing the destination as “trendy” or “fresh”. Only 1 of every 5 respondents described Augusta as “fun”. We personally know tons of fun stuff in the city. Clearly, we’ve got a perception issue. Some good news, 40.2% of respondents described Augusta as “charming” and 29.7% called it “authentic”. And only 1% said Augusta was expensive. Now we’re getting somewhere…
The Purpose
Our research showed that most folks are coming to Augusta to visit family and friends (41.4%) or to enjoy the restaurant scene (39.2%). The vast majority of those travelers arrived by car (84.5%), not a bad way to get around during Covid. In fact, in April of this year, reports showed air traffic down by 95%. People began taking road trips when planes felt too risky. Cars were the top transportation choice, favored by 97% according to a study by AAA.
The Path
As soon as we knew who our target was and what they were coming here for, we knew our message should focus on our biggest asset – our people. The diverse, fun, energetic, vibrant, charming, authentic folks that call this city home. They’re bringing our visitors here, so let’s amp up these defacto tour guides. Their personally curated weekend itineraries take the spotlight in this campaign.
