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Study: Marketing campaign drew 36,000 visitors to Syracuse

02/07/2009

Source: Syracuse.com

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A $357,000 marketing campaign lured 36,000 visitors to Syracuse from Albany, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania and Ottawa, according to a study done for the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau.

David Holder, president of the bureau, said the visitors who came to Syracuse as a direct result of the marketing campaign last year spent an estimated $4.2 million while they were here, generating $485,000 in sales and hotel tax revenue.

That translates into approximately $11.70 in incremental visitor spending, including $1.36 in tax revenue, for each ad dollar spent, he said.

"The campaign more than paid for itself in the tax revenues generated for the treasuries that help support the bureau's efforts," said Michael Erdman, senior vice president of Longwoods International, the Toronto research firm that conducted the study.

The study consisted of an online survey of 1,030 people in the three targeted cities, all within a day's drive of Syracuse.

In light of the campaign's success, the Convention & Visitors Bureau plans to run another ad campaign in the three cities in the spring, summer and fall, said Danica Bryant, communications manager for the bureau.

Starting in March, the bureau began running print and television advertisements, distributing marketing materials and launching public relations initiatives promoting Syracuse as a destination for business and leisure travelers. Suggested activities included shopping, dining, outdoor recreation and sports events, such as Syracuse University basketball.

It then spent $45,000 on the study by Longwoods International to determine whether the campaign was worth the cost.

Longwoods concluded the campaign directly generated 36,000 trips from the three cities. A trip was defined as one person making one visit to

Syracuse. A group of, say, three people visiting Syracuse together would be counted as three trips.

Longwoods said the campaign had a favorable impact on people's impressions of Syracuse in almost every category measured. They included excitement, suitability for families and adults, an abundance of things to see and do, popularity, and a worry-free atmosphere, the company said.

Bryant said the research also showed that additional marketing in the three cities could lure even more visitors to Syracuse.

"Even though it was successful, we really did just scratch the surface," she said.