Millions to see range of county’s amenities represented in high-profile ad
Meadville, May 2, 2022 – Crawford County, PA will be featured amid the bright lights of New York City’s Times Square this spring and summer as a part of a new campaign by the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote tourism in the local area.
“When the opportunity presented itself, it was one that we just could not refuse,” stated the Bureau’s Executive Director, Victoria Soff. “We know Crawford County is great, so now it is time for us to be noticed on a larger scale with national and international travelers.”
To produce the 15-second video ad, the Bureau collaborated with two local agencies with expertise in destination marketing, Bull Moose Marketing in Meadville and Continuum Creative Media based in Titusville. The ad’s concept relied on the Bureau’s larger marketing strategy to promote the area as a destination visitors can best experience through a combination of the county’s natural, cultural and historical amenities.
The final production included high-resolution footage of people kayaking, biking and camping in the county along with shots of locally-produced wine, events such as the Thurston Balloon Classic and amenities like the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad to tell a visual story that represents the Crawford County experience.
The high-profile ad also marks the initial rollout of the Bureau’s county-wide branding initiative presented to area business, municipal and community leaders in March. Using the tagline “There’s A Story Here,” the initiative’s goal is to attract visitors through positive storytelling that conveys the best Crawford County has to offer in a personalized, authentic way. The county’s brand identity will be further enhanced with the upcoming launch of a new website and mobile app.
“The Times Square project is a fantastic opportunity to unveil a set of products that should make us stand out when tourists are exploring vacation opportunities,” said Josh Sherretts, who sits on the Bureau’s Board of Directors as a representative of the Crawford County Historical Society. “I’m excited we’ll not only have a great website, branding and mobile app, but the exposure in NYC to get our area fully appreciated!”
The strategy seems to be working as the Bureau has already seen substantial year-over-year increases in revenue compared to 2019’s numbers, Sherretts noted, adding that more money translates into more ways, like the billboard, for continuing to promote the county.
The billboard ad, which runs on a loop every 15 minutes, encourages viewers to visit the Bureau’s website and follow the hashtag #TheresAStoryHere on social media. Starting May 2, the video will run in Times Square for 8 weeks at a spot dubbed “the Polo Screen” where it will be viewed by an estimated 1.8 million people weekly.
“People often remark that Crawford County is a hidden gem, and this opportunity, along with the new campaign, will help put this unique destination into the limelight and spread the word far and wide,” Soff noted.
The Bureau intends to share a modified version of the video that, unlike the Times Square ad, includes an audio track that will be posted on its Facebook and Instagram channels. Area retailers, restaurants, amenities and other entities supporting local tourism are encouraged to participate in the county’s tourism efforts by visiting www.visitcrawford.org and by using #TheresAStoryHere on their own social media profiles.
For additional information contact:
Victoria Soff, Executive Director of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Email: vsoff@visitcrawford.org