inspiring people to visit oregon

Oregon: A Winter Wonderland

2016/17 PR PlanPresented by LANE | September 2016

Winter Wonderland 2016/17

Campaign Overview

• During the winter months, fewer people travel throughout the state of Oregon, leading to less tourism activity and fewer

overnight stays.

• In winter 2016/17, Travel Oregon aims to devote more time and resources to ensuring that local businesses throughout the

state get a boost this time of year and to entice travelers to get out of their usual winter rut.

• With help from the PR and marketing teams, Travel Oregon will execute a campaign that invites consumers to delight in and

discover the variety of activities and experiences the state has to offer throughout the colder months.

• LANE will work with the PR team to ensure the campaign will drive strategic media opportunities leading to both long-lead

and short-lead feature opportunities in a variety of local, regional and national publications.

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Winter Wonderland 2016/17

Timeline

• October–March

PR Objectives

• Inspire travel to Oregon during the winter months that is inclusive of all

regions and showcases a wide variety of activities.

• Raise awareness among media, influencers and consumers that Oregon

is a premier winter destination with a wealth of opportunities for

visitors to choose from.

• Generate high-quality earned news coverage that highlights Oregon’s

many winter destinations, experiences and activities along with the

natural beauty of the state this time of year.

• Target Publications (sample):

• Travel + Leisure

• New York Times

• Sunset

Goals

• Inspire influential travelers and adventurers to experience winter in

Oregon.

• Boost overnight stays and visits throughout Oregon during the winter.

• Generate positive buzz and sharing on social media.

• Drive traffic to TravelOregon.com. 3

Oregon Weather Compass


Overview

• A mobile site will act as a virtual compass to point you in the direction of sun, rain or snow throughout the winter

months.

• The site will illustrate that Oregon has all kinds of weather across the state, all of which can be enjoyed with the right

travel tip.

• The site will highlight the fact that some of our most memorable winter activities take place on blustery days.

• Timing:

• Media launch Dec. 1.

• Soft launch in November (pending availability of inspirational video).

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News Outlet Weather Partner(s)

KGW

(Portland)Matt Zaffino

KATU

(Portland)Rhonda Shelby

KOIN

(Portland)Kristen Van Dyke

KPTV

(Portland)Andy Carson

KTVZ

(Central Oregon)Samantha O’Connor

KEZI

(Willamette Valley)Marisa Woloszyn

KVAL

(Willamette Valley)Al Peterson

KMTR

(Willamette Valley)Carley Gomez

KDRV

(Southern Oregon)Kate McKenna

KOBI

(Southern Oregon)Adam Colpack

KTVL

(Southern Oregon)Milt Radford

Media Partnership

• Explore partnership opportunities with local weather

anchors/partners in Oregon.

• Use local weather anchors to direct travelers to the online

compass to promote the types of activities and

experiences that can be enjoyed in all kinds of weather.

• Timing:

• Outreach early November.

• Secure opportunities for week of Nov. 21

(Thanksgiving holiday) to push content out to the

media/consumers.


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News Outlet Non-Weather Partner(s)

KGW (Portland)Steph Stricklen, Cassidy Quinn, Chris McGinnis, Grant McComie

of Grant’s Getaways

KATU (Portland) Katherine Kisiel, AM Northwest


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Launch Outreach

• Press Release:

Draft and develop a press release announcing the details of

the mobile site launch and where to follow along on

@traveloregon.

• Media Targets:

All statewide media, trade publications.

• Timing:

In conjunction with the launch of the mobile site in December.


National Pitch Strategy

Making Lemonade Scenario

• It’s been raining for 21 days straight. If this happened anywhere else

in the country, people might be panicking. But here in Oregon it’s

really no big deal. Highlight rainy-day activities and use the weather

compass to show how easy it is to escape, or revel in, winter weather.

• Leverage Twitter to reach out to national reporters and anchors to alert

them of Oregon’s unpredictable weather patterns like rain for 21 days

straight and snow on Thanksgiving.

Media Targets: National morning shows and relevant outlets.

• The Today Show

• Good Morning America

• Huffington Post

• The Onion

• Buzzfeed

• Lonely Planet

• USA Today

• UrbanDaddy

Timing:

• During heavy rain or snow. LANE to develop pitch and media list to

ensure timely distribution. 10

Winter: Tales from Oregon


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Proactive Media Outreach

• Generate high-quality earned media coverage that highlights destinations where you can enjoy sun, rain or snow

throughout the winter.

• Highlight winter facts, trends, and new and unique destinations that focus on sun, rain and snow.

• Weave storyboard messaging throughout the pitch efforts to spark additional interest in what’s going on in Oregon.

• Timing: October-March


LANE will work with Travel Oregon’s PR and Integrated Marketing teams to pitch the following

stories to align with Travel Oregon’s winter content and to further elevate these winter activity

stories. These stories from MediAmerica will be used for proactive pitching and outreach

throughout the entirety of the winter season.

Willamette Valley

• Top trails for winter mountain biking: A roundup of adventurous spots for thrilling rides in the

undiscovered season

• Urban wine touring in the valley: Winter may not be the best time for vineyard hopping, but

wineries and tasting rooms within city limits make for an entirely different experience that’s perfect

for winter

Greater Portland

• Artisanal chocolate makers: Bean-to-bar chocolatiers include those beyond the city limits and are

another jewel in Portland’s culinary crown — we dub this America’s craftiest chocolate town

• A night out, Portland style: Late-night pastimes include an underrated comedy scene, New York

Times-approved karaoke clubs, indie rock venues and brew ‘n’ view movie theaters

Oregon Coast

• Wildlife watching: Popular and lesser-known spots for seeing whales, seals, sea lions, birds and

other coastal critters in the wild

• “Merroir” — Oregon’s distinct oysters: A roundup of where to go to taste the freshest oysters, with

a focus on Xin Liu of Oregon Oyster Farms

Mt. Hood & the Columbia River Gorge

• Family ski trip to Cooper Spur: Families of snow sports junkies will find a sometimes-overlooked

resort on the north side of Mt. Hood

• A dog’s guide to winter in the Gorge and Mt. Hood: Fun spots for winter hikes, icy waterfalls, snow

play, dog parks and Fido-friendly dining 13


Central Oregon

• Cozy cabin getaways: A list of mini winter itineraries focusing on lodges,

cabins and snowy activities, including Elk Lake Resort, the Suttle Lodge and

Black Butte Ranch

• Old school in Central Oregon: A wintery roundup of everything rural, quirky

and old school around Bend, including rock hounding at a ranch, cowboy

dives in Prineville, stalwart diners, etc.

Southern Oregon

• Woodstock for birders: An insider’s look at the Winter Wings Festival and

majestic bald eagles in Southern Oregon

• Winter fishing in Southern Oregon: A number of scenic rivers make this a

fisher’s dream destination

Eastern Oregon

• Top snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails: Eastern Oregon offers a

range of excellent and seemingly undiscovered trails

• A road trip back in time: Time travelers and budding paleontologists won’t

want to miss an opportunity for fossil hunting in the John Day Fossil Beds,

which are less busy during the winter months (also, many visitors don’t

understand the differences between the three distinct units, which this story

can explain)

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Podcast Partnerships • Create audio files of winter sounds across Oregon (e.g., fireplace crackling, Oregon coast waves, raindrops, etc.).

• Conduct outreach to select group of food and travel podcasts and invite them to come to Oregon and experience first-

hand the “Sounds of Oregon’s Winter.”

• The outreach would include sharing the audio sounds with a select group of podcast producers who would

promote the file to their audiences as a sort of preview of their podcast from Oregon.

• The pitch would include an invite to Jacobsen Salt’s “Salt + Fire + Water” Event on Saturday, December 3

and a visit to their facility in Netarts Bay.

• Timing:

• Begin outreach in October with visits in December.

• Podcasts to launch in late December / early January.


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Proactive Media Outreach

Oregon’s Epic Snowstorms

• Piggyback on the first big snowstorms of the year in each region to celebrate the

official kick-off of snow season. Highlight snow-day activities and ski resort

stats to inspire winter travel.

Media Targets: National travel online reporters, regional dailies and outdoor adventure

outlets

• Outside Magazine

• Powder Magazine

• Adventure Journal

• San Francisco Chronicle

• Seattle Times

• LA Times Online

• AFAR Magazine Online

• Travel + Leisure Online

• USA Today

Timing:

• In conjunction with the first big snowfall of the year. LANE to develop the pitch

and media list in October to ensure timely distribution when the time comes.


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Proactive Media OutreachBest Snow Day Ever

• Pitch local weather anchors a story about how to have the best snow

day ever — no matter what you’re into. Pull on your boots and walk to

your favorite dive bar to keep warm, load up the car and hit the slopes,

or cozy up to a fireplace at a new hotel for a snow-staycation.

• Possible pitch angle to include recent studies on Oregon women and

depression, and how getting outside can help with Seasonal Affective

Disorder (SAD).

Media Targets: Oregon weather anchors and parenting outlets

• KGW

• KOIN

• KATU

• KPTV

• KTVZ

• KEZI

• KVAL

• KVRD

• KOBI

• KTVL

• Oregon Family Magazine

• Portland Family Magazine

• PDX Parent

• NW Kids

• MOM Magazine

Timing:

• During heavy snow season, likely January timing. LANE to develop pitch

and media list to ensure timely distribution.

Winter: Tales from OregonCustom Media Mailers

All the Feels: Winter Edition

• Custom media mailers highlight the different “feels” (i.e., sights, sounds and

smells) of the season across the state.

• Send an accompanying letter. The mailer will include items representing each

of the seven regions. LANE recommends sending the box to 10 top regional or

niche media as well as national media who responded positively to the spring

mailers, including the following categories:

• Travel

• Lifestyle

• Food & Beverage

• Outdoor

• Senior Lifestyle

Contents:

• Cozy Pendleton socks from Eastern Oregon

• Make your own Mitten Kit from Southern Oregon

• Scented fir candle from the Gorge

• Hot cocoa mix from Mt. Hood Territory

• “Sounds of the Season: Winter Storm” playlist from the Coast

• Poler Beanie from Portland

• Mulled wine kit from Willamette Valley

Timing:

• Send out to media in January 19


Outbound Media Tours

• Secure one-on-one desksides with key media in San Francisco, Southern California and New York during the winter campaign.

• Invite Travel Oregon spokespeople as well as regional representatives.

• Provide talking points that contain unique winter facts, such as the longest ski season is in Oregon (Mt. Hood), as well as winter

trends and unique destinations.

• Schedule and execute three media tours during the winter season: San Francisco with Southern Oregon, Southern California with

Central Oregon and New York with Willamette Valley.

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San Francisco Media Tour

Partner: Southern Oregon

Timing: January 9–13

Media Targets:

• AFAR

• Sunset

• San Francisco Chronicle

Southern California Media Tour

Partner: Central Oregon

Timing: January 30 – February 3

*Travel Portland – Early 2017

Media Targets:

• Los Angeles Times

• Los Angeles Magazine

• Freelancers (Krista Simmons)

New York Media Tour

Partner: Willamette Valley

Timing: January 23–27 (NY Times Travel Show

Week)

Media Targets:

• NY Times

• Travel + Leisure

• Conde Nast Traveler


Media Visits

Choose Your Own Adventure: Winter Edition

• Invite one or two media representatives on a customized winter tour of

Oregon. Each visit will take the participants on a two- to three-day

seasonal adventure. These trips will target active publications and

editors who will want to get their adrenaline pumping on the slopes

as well as enjoy a little après-ski beer.

• From snowboarding on Mt. Hood to dogsledding in Bend to crabbing

on the coast to beer tasting in the Gorge, each trip will let the editor

experience Oregon’s many kinds of winter and use the compass as a

tool for navigating.

Media Targets: Top-tier national publications’ fitness / outdoor editors

• SELF

• Outside

• Women’s Health

• Men’s Health

Timing:

• Outreach: Begin outreach in early December

• Hosting: 2 or 3 media in January / February

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Timeline

Timeline2016/17 Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March

Refinement of Plan / Preparation for

LaunchPlanning and preparation

Oregon Weather Compass:

Media Partners, National pitch

opportunities

Outreach to

media partners

Press release

distribution

National pitch

opp

National pitch

opp

Winter: Tales from Oregon podcasts Outreach Podcast visit Podcasts run

Outbound Media Tours:

San Francisco, SoCal, NYC

Planning/

OutreachOutreach

San Fran, SoCal,

NYCFollow up

All the Feels Media Mailers Distribution Follow up

Choose Your Oregon Adventure: Winter

Edition Media Visits

Planning/

OutreachMedia Visits Media Visits

Regional Pitching Focus (Aligned with

Social Media Content)Oregon Coast

Portland

Central Oregon

Willamette

Valley

Hood / Gorge

Eastern OregonSouthern Oregon

Winter: Tales from Oregon Proactive

PitchingOngoing Outreach

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Thank You.

inspiring people to visit oregon

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