From barns painted with “See Rock City” messaging and “I Love New York” iconography to today’s evolved marketing, great destination campaigns always captivate and charm their best audience.
When Discover Siskiyou asked the agency to create a campaign that positions the Siskiyou, California destination as the ultimate off-the-grid destination, Augustine saw the opportunity to connect with travelers post-COVID-19 and took on the challenge.
Discover Siskiyou has a well-defined brand identity but needed to tap into a greater emotional connection with travelers by showcasing more people-forward visual assets that allow travelers to see themselves in the destination.
Research told us that there are many options for people who want to travel to destinations in California, but Siskiyou offers a different experience for an elite group of outdoor enthusiasts that want more out of a getaway. And that’s what Millennials are looking for (80% of young consumers seek a unique travel experience, not the tried and true).
They want something more. Something EPIC.
The “EPIC in Every Direction” campaign was created to amplify the emotional connection with this key audience by showing immersive experiences in a way that could be communicated simply across social, digital ads and short and long-form print. After all, with four unique areas, Siskiyou is “Epic in Every Direction.
As part of the EPIC campaign, seasonal digital billboards were placed along some of California’s most traveled highways in early 2023. Designed with unique photography angles and perspectives – along with clever placement of the word “EPIC” – the billboards were created to spark an emotional connection with this key demographic.
The billboards finished strong with CTR above industry average engagement and quickly became a new landmark. With each mobile device that passed a billboard served retargeted ads, the winter campaign delivered more than one million impressions and CTR of .63%, among the highest in the nation. By the end of the winter campaign, more than 13 million California travelers had been reached with an overall CTR that was more than double the standard benchmark (.34% for billboards and 2% and 2.8% for Meta CTR and Meta Engagement Rate, respectively).
While some numbers are confidential, we can share that both Digital ads and Social Engagement were both over client’s goal and the Discover Siskiyou was thrilled that the impact was seen the very first week.
Equally important, our client’s Vision was achieved and they couldn’t wait to share their excitement with us.
Heather Dodds, Director of Marketing at Discover Siskiyou, boasted about the results and Augustine’s role in the campaign. “Working with Augustine is what set our destination apart,” said Dodds. “Our first-ever billboards paired with the digital retargeting ads finished strong with our CTR well above the industry average, which was so awesome to see.”
Discover Siskiyou’s spring campaign ran throughout the month of April with billboards in the Sacramento area, along with retargeted advertising. Early results, according to Dodds, are strong
The allure to experience the wonder of Siskiyou’s four regions of incredible wilderness – an outdoor enthusiast’s dream – is strong. This powerful campaign, with the best tools and the creativity of a strong team, has been able to deliver travelers to Siskiyou and raise awareness of its natural beauty.
Unprecedented results. Happy clients. Vision accomplished. The “EPIC in Every Direction” campaign proved to be an EPIC success.