Town of Taos Reference Guide for Taos Marketing Updated 1/25/10
2010 Taos traveler education theme:
“Escape the Modern Day. Rejuvenate in Taos. Return to Sacred Places”
Initial content deadline for national media roll out: February 15, 2010
Many members of the greater Taos community have inquired about ‘how the marketing works today’ for the Town of Taos given the shift of players’ roles two years ago. Not all the various players and/or elements are listed here – but many primary efforts are outlined to make your life easier when it comes to ‘figuring it out’ and connecting in a manner that benefits you and your effort.
As usual, my comments are straightforward – everyone is important to the marketing we do, but I’ve tried to capture the subtleties of strength and the different priorities for each entity based on my subjective evaluation – and how the Town marketing team interfaces with each. I’m sure some readers will disagree with my assessments, and certainly everyone’s roles change over time.
Should anyone have further questions, email me – and thank you all for your Taos marketing efforts, including those of you who may not have major funds for marketing but keep things aesthetically welcoming, are friendly and helpful when visitors get here, and stay open late Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (aside from other extended hours).
NOTE: Concerning this year’s theme, the web site does a good job of outlining the intent of this traveler education program, www.TaosSacredPlaces.com, and the Taos Vacation Guide site, www.TaosVacationGuide.com. The content generated will be longer lasting than just this year, and certainly it goes deeper to the ‘why’ of Taos and its attraction than last year’s effort. However, for some figuring out how best to participate may take some extra effort, so please contact me or Joan Griffin to help figure it out. Many of the individuals and organizations listed here can also be of assistance, and most are open to partnering.
Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Director, Town of Taos, , or give me a call 575-751-2001.
Marketing Leads 2010 as of 1/15/10:
1) The Town of Taos Direct Marketing Contract: The Town of Taos has a marketing/advertising/public relations (free media) contract with Griffin & Associates, headed by Joan Griffin, . This was awarded through a Town request for proposal (RFP) process in July 2007 and contractually launched/funded starting in October, 2007.
This coming Griffin annual budget for 2009-2010 (fiscal year July through June) is $300,000 ($100,000 short of the desired budget). The Griffin contract requires a “match” be made of another $150,000 worth of marketing, bringing the effective tourism out-of-the-area marketing contract budget to approximately $450,000.
I manage the Griffin contract for the Town, assisting with strategic and tactical decisions as well as Council/community interface about it. The focus for Griffin activity is to bring tourists to Taos – increasing “heads on beds” as well as Gross Receipt Tax (GRT)-generating visitor spending. This contract does not specifically underwrite events.
My “other job” is to function as the local community-related public relations/public affairs director for the Town, for which I have a local/regional marketing budget of approximately $89,000. I report directly to/am managed by the Town Manager, Daniel Miera.
Jeanne Kitzman, head of marketing/group and meeting sales for the Town and its Convention & Visitor Center on Civic Plaza Dr., is also a major part of the marketing team, as is the Town-run, Taos Visitor Center staff, headed by Michelle Hammer, . Both Jeanne and Michelle report to Ron Yachinich, Director, Taos Convention Center/Visitor Center, . Ron has a completely separate, and additional, Town budget for running the Convention Center, plus the Taos Visitor Center facility and its staff. Conventions this year is approximately $458,000 and Visitor Center is $269,000. This budget includes the Town’s fulfillment of information (via mailings, phone calls and/or emails) in partnership with the Taos County Lodgers Association (see more details below) to those requesting “information about Taos” via the Taos Visitor Center (including stop ins, phone calls, the web site, and emails).
The intent by the Town of Taos Mayor/Council is to continue to increase the tourism direct-marketing budget as the economy – and revenues – again increase. The results of this program have been sound – particularly given that national tourism is down on average by 20-30%. Taos’ tourism revenues are holding relatively steady, only down approximately 4%. It takes all of us working together to accomplish this type of positive impact.
2) The Taos County Lodgers Association. Led this year by the Sagebrush’s Louise Blair, , and La Fonda’s Steve Slick, , this organization contracts with consultant Janet Webb, Webb Design, , and annually develops/publishes the award winning Taos Vacation Guide, related program rack cards/brochures, secures the back page ad on the New Mexico Vacation Guide, and develops/manages the corresponding web site, www.TaosVacationGuide.com. This is where the ‘Visitor Center’ web page lives, in addition to the Taos “Press Room” information for free media, copies of the monthly e-magazine blasts, and select A-List Travel Story clips. The Taos County Lodger Association package is used by the Town as its leading fulfillment program/package when it comes to tourist inquiries, travel shows, media familiarization trips, free media content referrals, etc. (see http://www.taosvacationguide.com/sign_up for advertising information). Editorial comment: if you’re marketing to Taos visitors, and you’re not in this guide/web site, you should consider it. Just in the last six months, free media editorial efforts have driven approximately 1 billion (that’s with a “b”) reader impressions to the Taos Vacation Guide materials and web site. With this activity, plus the 2009 and 2010 traveler education themes and sweepstakes, monthly visits to the TVG web site have doubled – averaging 20,000-plus a month.
New ‘moves’ for the guide that have been implemented or are being implemented this year:
· A recreation page
· A shopping map/listings page
· An “Experience Taos” page for workshops, classes, lectures, readings, exhibits, etc.
· Transportation info – glam’ing the New Mexico Rail Runner connection, and other new forms of transportation in our area such as the Taos Express Shuttle
· Things-to-do for kids on vacation here
· Web marketing within the social network structures (Twitter, Facebook, etc. Griffin is already doing this with great success).
The TVG program is predominantly focused on causing travelers to make the decision to visit Taos based on gorgeous images and copy focused on our key messages, travel options/information, annually scheduled events, wonderful lodging, workshop/class offerings, the spectrum of unique offerings and activities, the atmosphere, etc. We work hand-in-glove with the Association, not only with regard to content in the Guide, on the web site, and in co-op advertising/sweepstakes, but in relation to sharing the mail-out costs/postage responsibilities for the guide (the Town paid approx $18,000 during 2009, plus staff time). The Association’s annual marketing budget, based on grants and advertising revenues, is in the neighborhood of $185,000.
3) State of New Mexico Tourism Department, Region 5 Marketing, and New Mexico Magazine: Steve Slick/La Fonda is also the Taos area representative on the State of New Mexico Tourism Department’s Region 5 Marketing Team – a committee that has a budget composed of funds from the state in addition to regional-players’ contributions. Region 5 includes not only Taos, but Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Taos Ski Valley/the Enchanted Circle, Abiquiu, and Chama. Region 5 retains its own advertising and public relations consultants. Email Steve for more information about the Region 5 marketing plans for 2009-10 (including some cool Isotopes game promotions). Obviously the State of New Mexico Tourism Department itself, its tourism web site, http://www.newmexico.org/, the New Mexico Vacation print guide, New Mexico Magazine http://www.nmmagazine.com/ (yes, it’s published/owned by the State), and its current public relations firm, Ballentine’s, are also successful elements/partners in the Taos area direct marketing mix. If you would like specific connection information for ‘players’ at the state level for tourism, email one of us for added details.
4) Taos Pueblo: As of earlier this month, Taos Pueblo did not have a director of tourism – they’ve been interviewing. However, Marcie Winters continues to coordinate tourism activities/budget, . Taos Pueblo, the only United Nations Living World Heritage Site in the U.S. and on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s designated list, is among the top destination-drivers for Taos. They are effective and critical partners in the overall Taos tourism effort, contributing much to all our activities.
5) The Taos Gallery Association: Co-Chaired this year by gallery owners Jennifer Howell, , and Rob Nightingale, . This is another key element to the Town’s marketing regarding our ‘Original Art Colony’ status, and art related marketing/free media content as well as co-op advertising partnerships. The TGA is an independent association, and they raise funds each year for advertising. Jan Mellor, , is ‘point’ on the TGA’s marketing activities.
6) The Taos News: Once visitors get themselves into New Mexico, the large-sized Taos Visitor Guide (Summer and Winter editions), published by the Taos News, is an invaluable guide, along with the calendar/TEMPO section of the newspaper, particularly for current activity/event information. The Taos News also publishes a variety of other special sections that are also visitor oriented including the Wedding Guide, Dining Guide, Real Estate Guide, the Taos Summer of Love Guide last year – and this year the “Escape the Modern Day. Rejuvenate in Taos. Return to Sacred Places” guide. These guides are underwritten by advertising revenues. Chris Baker, publisher, .
The Taos Visitor Summer and Winter Guides are distributed across the counter at the Town of Taos Visitor Center – not only for its hefty themed trip content, but also for its clear map(s) which include designated free parking, bathrooms, etc. We are hoping the Taos News will publish a navigatable shopping map – a new look and feel – starting in 2011.
The Visitor Guides and supplements are inserted in the Taos News’ editions, plus used by Griffin selectively for distribution to media, at travel shows, and is distributed, along with the Lodgers’ Vacation Guide, at all State of New Mexico Visitor Centers. Publisher Baker works with the Town, and many others in the area, to produce a product that is valuable for visitors particularly with regard to ‘on-the-ground what-to-do’ content -- where to go, photograph, eat, play, spa, shop, etc. The guide’s content is also on the Taos News’ web site www.taosnews.com – the site and newspaper being essential elements to the overall Taos tourism picture since travelers wanting to know “what do I do this week?” go to the newspaper/web site and its TEMPO section/calendar for current event information. All Taos News guides are distributed and mailed directly by the newspaper (they pay for this) and requests for this guide that come to the Taos Visitor Center staff are referred to them for action.
7) The Taos County Chamber of Commerce, Steve Fuhlendorf, Executive Director, . The Chamber is now located on Kit Carson in the Town’s Historic District, and it continues to distribute information/literature to visitors at that location and be helpful in responding to inquiries. For many, calling the local Chamber of Commerce for this type of information is a travel tradition – and the Chamber’s staff has valuable input into Taos’ marketing efforts. It also continues to have visitor information on the Chamber’s web site, www.taoschamber.com
but for two years funding has not allowed for this site to be substantively updated. During the last two years the Chamber’s core business membership/services has been their focus, including public affairs and business advocacy issues – not out-of-the-area marketing. Moving forward this may change as the Chamber successfully completes its reorganization and turns to focus energy into one of its Economic Development sub-committees that is being designed for Taos sports and recreation-related marketing. The Chamber, along with the Taos Center for the Arts (TCA) is also working with Town of Taos Community & Economic Development Director Matthew Spriggs, on establishing the new Arts & Cultural District in the Town of Taos through the State. For more information, contact . One tourism information initiative that is being spearheaded by the Chamber is content for the ‘Recreation Info Page’ for the Taos Vacation Guide and other web sites. If you have information to contribute, please email Steve Fuhlendorf or Wild Earth Llama Adventures, Stuart Wilde (putting it all together), .
8) Taos Ski Valley: Taos Ski Valley Inc., www.skitaos.org, has elected to use the Taos County Lodgers Association’s Taos Vacation Guide as its marketing fulfillment piece for many of its out of the area ski/snowboard shows. It obviously also produces its own added materials/web site, has its own expert in-house marketing/public relations team, marketing budget, and marketing consultants. Adrianna Blake is a primary contact for Taos Ski Valley Inc,’s marketing/public relations. In addition, the Taos Ski Valley Chamber and its municipal Village Council do all they can to partner and help market the region. Allyson Hyder, Executive Director, Taos Ski Valley Chamber of Commerce, can be contacted for further information, . Last year’s TSV Music Festival was a resounding success, so there are plans to host it once again this coming summer 2010.
9) Enchanted Circle Marketing Group: This group has made great strides this past year in increasing their budget, co-op partnering, and organizing effectively for the region’s marketing (see their web site that’s just been redone, www.enchantedcircle.org). Rebecca Latham, Red River, , leads this group, comprised of all marketing municipalities/areas along the Enchanted Circle drive:
TAOS: Visitor Center / ChamberTAOS SKI VALLEY: Village / Chamber
ANGEL FIRE: Village / Chamber
RED RIVER: Visitor Center / Chamber
EAGLE NEST: Village / Chamber
QUESTA: Village / Chamber
Obviously each of the above noted entities is also marketing individually – everyone with different budget levels, staff, priorities and capabilities, but with united objectives for the Northern New Mexico area.
10) Individual and Important Marketers Around Taos: The Taos Tourism Council is a group that has formed to assist tourism efforts in the area with co-op advertising partnerships, generate new content, organize new sweepstakes (very effective for capturing and educating new travelers for Taos), and to provide a lean, mean group of area marketers to collectively take advantage of ideas, fast-moving opportunities, etc. Jamie Tedesco, marketing director, The Taos Inn, is its leader, . Wendi Gelfound, , a consultant who works with Ojo Caliente as its marketing director, is also a Taos Tourism member. There is no fee for membership in this group. Both Jamie and Wendi are active partners for Taos marketing opportunities/co-ops.