Tourism Board mulls 2013 media plan

Kathleen Goddeyne

The Fruita Tourism Advisory Board met Jan. 24 to discuss their 2013 Media Plan. Cobb & Associates Account Executive Jennifer Grossheim Harris brought a plan with prices and dates for each media outlet used by the board.

Tourism Advisory Board funding comes from the three percent tax on Fruita hotel lodging, which can only be used for tourism.

Cobb & Associates, a strategic marketing firm in Grand Junction, has been helping businesses organize and facilitate in advertising campaigns for more than 40 years.

“We have around $100,000 in tax dollars and we gave $61,000 to them (Cobb & Associates) to help with marketing,” said Council Liason and City Council Member Joel Kincaid. “We save the rest in contingency and we have that money available for other things, like our dollar for dollar match grants.”

In annual print and online advertising, the board will spend $9,175.75. This will include listings in the Official State Visitors Guide and Colorado.com, Colorado.com E-newsletter as well as the banner package, visitDenver.com, chamber services of the Denver Metro Chamber, Google Ad Words, and a Facebook campaign.

“Everyone thinks that social media is for teenagers, but it’s not,” Grossheim Harris said. “The highest demographic of Facebook users is actually women in their fifties.”

March through May media will use $6,240.25 of the funds as the board hopes to promote the scenic, adventurous biking Fruita has to offer before the “biking season” begins in spring. In accordance with this idea, the board and Cobb & Associates has arranged for ads in publications geared toward mountain biking and outdoor living such as Elevation Outdoors magazine website, Mountain Flyer magazine and website, and Bike Magazine.

The ads will run in February, March, April, and May of this year.

June and August media slows down a bit with a total of $3,620.75 for similar advertisements in both print and online advertising. Other funds will be spent on trail allocation, Gofruita.com mobilization, the Mike the Headless Chicken Website, and other expenses. Ultimately, the board’s expenses are spent on promoting patronage of Fruita businesses for both tourists and locals.
The Fruita Tourism Advisory Board meets at 11 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Fruita Civic Center at 325 E. Aspen Avenue.