RMO Targets Niche Audiences to Boost Tourism

"Green Thumbs in the Green Mountains" is a cultural tourism marketing campaign sponsored by the Southern Vermont Regional Marketing Organization. The idea behind the campaign is to celebrate Windham County culture and the splendor of the landscape as the summer tourism season heats up.
In honor of award-winning gardens and world-renown gardeners, the festivities will include garden tours and workshops, Iris and Daylily festivals, farmers markets, musical events, craft shows, puppeteers and all things Vermont.
Statistics prove that cultural tourism is an important niche market for Vermont. This campaign highlights the region as one of taste, quality and culture and encourages visitors to discover the "undiscovered jewel" of summer in Southern Vermont.
The promotion that packages over 50 summer events and venues, includes a press release and CD mailing to over 400 top travel media across the country, a special insert and editorial coverage in Southern Vermont Adventures magazine and an invitation to key travel media to experience the area and write about it.
In addition, the campaign features a travel brochure ad in a special Vermont section of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, along with a print co-op campaign with the Vermont Department of Marketing & Tourism targeting the New York metropolitan market in regional additions of publications such as Bon Appetit, House & Garden and the New York Times. A calendar of over 50 events is available and downloadable on the southernvermont.com Web site.
Nationally known local designer Skip Morrow created the "Green Thumbs" logo that will be featured in advertising and promotional materials.
Other RMO marketing activities include desk side visits to key media in New York, development of a cultural heritage summit, enhancements to the southernvermont.com Web site, a special events outreach program, and enhancements to local tourism booths.
The 2004 grants enhancement program has been developed by the Regional Marketing Organization's roundtable board made up of the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Mount Snow Area Chamber of Commerce, the Londonderry Area Chamber of Commerce, the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, in addition to Brattleboro Development & Credit Corp, Windham Regional Commission, Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance, RAMP, Townshend Business Association, and the Holiday Inn Express. The grant is approved by the Vermont Department of Marketing & Tourism. The RMOs activities have been designed to leverage earned media and improve and enhance existing marketing tools.