Time flies for everyone. And what matters is what we do with our time. So we wanted to acknowledge that winter is also a time to discover South Dakota. We wanted to lean in even harder to “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” while reminding folks that it’s never too cold to have fun in South Dakota!
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
The campaign launched mid-November 2024 and will run through February 2025. Building off the momentum from Winter 2023-2024 efforts, tactics will continue showcasing the “So Much South Dakota” brand established during the past peak seasons. The campaign will not only influence visitation in the winter month but include an evergreen summer presence in creative that will help maintain and expand South Dakota’s brand awareness and capture early summer vacation planners.
AUDIENCES
Based on our data and past visitor behavior, we have identified these core audience segments that have been targeted during peak season efforts and will continue during the winter campaign:
- Memory Makers (Families, 25-44, HHI: $60-150K, Children in HH, Family is Everything)
- Moment Seekers (Older Couples, Age 50+, HHI: $100K+, No Children)
- Thrill Chasers (Younger Couples, 25-44, HHI: $50-100K, No Children)
- Known Travelers (visitors within each segment who have already shown an intent to book)
MARKETS
In-state: South Dakota
Statewide: North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois
DMAs: Denver, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Dallas
New: Florida and Phoenix DMA – Florida and Arizona continue to be growth markets and we’ll look to learn about the new warm-weather markets’ behaviors through creative testing within the campaign
TACTICS
We launched this year’s winter campaign by tapping into the ever-changing live programming landscape and honing in our television strategy with a targeted national video placement on Paramount+, YouTube TV, Peacock, and Hulu/Disney to maximize reach, complemented with television and cable focusing on live sports and prime programming on high-rated sporting events, prime and news programming.
Supplementing the national video placement are regional video efforts driving engagement across connected TV, pre-roll and social. Streaming audio, podcast audio, display, and paid social will continue to drive reach and frequency, along with travel endemic efforts on Expedia, TripAdvisor and Hopper driving lower-funnel conversions through the end of the campaign. Winter campaign creative will also be showcased as part of ongoing efforts in South Dakota Magazine.
CREATIVE EXAMPLES
Video
Display
Social
FOR INFORMATION
For more information, please contact Chief Marketing & Creative Officer Mike Gussiaas.