HSMAI honors Wyoming Office of Tourism with two Adrian Awards for outstanding travel marketing
WOT receives recognition for its WY Responsibly campaign and Yellowstone recovery efforts
March 3, 2023 — Cheyenne, Wyo. – The Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) was recognized at the 2022 Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards Celebration February 23. WOT, in partnership with its advertising agency, BVK, received a platinum award for the WY Responsibly campaign. WY Responsibly launched amidst COVID-19, reminding Wyoming visitors to be mindful stewards for our land, animals, culture and communities. WOT continues to evolve the messaging with tips for travelers on how to adventure responsibly and maintain Wyoming as a wide open safe haven and source of inspiration. HSMAI also honored WOT and its public relations agency, Percepture, with a silver Adrian Award for their public relations efforts for the Yellowstone National Park flood recovery. The two partners worked together to quickly relay information to travelers on the park’s temporary closure and keep everyone informed on the latest developments of the situation. This included updates on road closures, the reopening and accessibility of the park as well as the promotion of alternate destinations to explore throughout the state. The Adrian Awards are one of the most prestigious awards competitions for global travel marketing. More than 600 entries were submitted and judged during this year’s award ceremony.
“We know our work is good, but to have it recognized at this level is an absolute honor,” said Diane Shober, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism. “We are fortunate to work with such talented agencies like BVK and Percepture to elevate our Wyoming stories to a level that truly resonates with travelers. This recognition is a win for Wyoming and all of our partners.” WOT markets the state as a leisure destination in order to generate visitor spending that benefits local communities. To measure the effectiveness of these efforts, WOT has partnered with Strategic Marketing & Research Insights (SMARInsights) since 2007 to conduct an annual measure of paid advertising reach, impact and return on investment (ROI).
Below are the results of the 2022 Ad Effectiveness Study, stemming from the launch of the Modern Explorers campaign:
- Paid advertising reached 36.6 million travelers
- Earned media coverage extended reach of campaign by 5.9 million traveling households
- Campaign generated more than a million Wyoming visits in summer 2022
- Influenced visitor spending: $1.21 billion
- $13.50 in state sales taxes returned for every advertising dollar spent
On March 6, the Modern Explorers campaign is making its return with new and exciting developments through partnerships, video content and other tactics to encourage travel through Wyoming. The Modern Explorers campaign is a collection of unique stories of individuals who are exploring new paths through art, food, adventure and more. WOT has partnered with some of the biggest names in the industry, Jimmy Chin and Conde Nast, with more to come.