There is a tremendous opportunity to deepen the digital dialog with the California visitor through the application of a more relevant and timely engagement strategy. The two basic pillars of the 2009–2010 “dialog” strategy are to:

• Significantly grow and energize the opted-in user base via acquisition campaigns.
• Deepen the relationship with opted in visitors via an eCRM or retention framework.
  

To both engage the existing base and reach a new audience of respondents, we will engage in three acquisition campaigns supported by both digital (display and SEM) media, and a significant social media strategy. The acquisition campaigns will be designed to promote viral growth with the explicit goal of increasing the size of the existing visitor database. Specific campaign performance goals will be determined in advance of kickoff and used to guide media and creative optimization.

At least one of the 2009–2010 campaigns will offer incentives for participation in the form of a sweepstakes and a heavy call to action for viral activity. Most importantly, the campaigns will invite new users to engage in dialog with California Tourism, which will produce re-usable content and should generate earned media in the form of online PR and campaign mentions. Once campaigns have ended, participants who have opted in will be contacted as part of a new eCRM strategy designed to keep California top of mind during more phases of the traveler lifecycle.

eCRM
eCRM is often used as a proxy for e-mail marketing but actually encompasses any tactic, touchpoint or functionality that helps manage a differentiated relationship with the potential California visitor.

In 2009-2010, eCRM efforts will concentrate on creating an agile communication framework, starting with a simple e-mail profile page and basic e-mail newsletter. Efforts will grow to include multiple communications that are increasingly relevant and segmented as we deepen our understanding of the California visitor.

The proper application of an eCRM platform has a tremendous incremental benefit besides a deeper relationship with the California visitor. Fundamental to this work is the integration of customer profile capability that will allow users to self-segment and personalize communications. The added benefit of customer self-segmentation is vastly increased, real-time intelligence on the California visitor.

Increasingly, the California “Brandcaster” expects a highly personalized experience both online and off. In response, destinations are rapidly “humanizing” their digital programs to help reinforce the high touch service visitors expect in the real world. By allowing and inviting visitors to control the types of content they receive, we humanize their digital experience, gain valuable insight into their expectations of interaction, and improve our relevance to them in the process.

It’s critical that all CTTC communications are true to the California brand: friendly, engaging and incredibly personable. With the application of technology and a strategy focused on engaging visitors in dialog, we can intimate a one-to-one conversation and speak in a more human, authentic California tone and voice.

In the digital translation of California’s “abundance” proposition, we must also recognize that “abundance” can be quite intimidating. We can and should help visitors narrow the dizzying array of choices to a more manageable and relevant set of activities that more closely speak to their unique interests.

• Better efficiencies and targeting with our budget as we buy media, create new content and build better tools
• Improved chances to convert “lookers” to “bookers”
• More timely and frequent communication with visitors across the entire traveler lifecycle, which will translate into increased consideration of California in their travel planning
• Increased confidence in future development and campaign planning against identified segments

While CTTC currently uses e-mail as a relationship management tool and has run other opt-in acquisition programs, this approach is entirely new for 2009-2010.

While there are some discrete programs associated with the application of an eCRM strategy, the majority of the work will span many programs. All tactics including offline campaign support, site enhancements, search and media strategy will be qualified against three tenants:

• Inviting dialog with users via a feedback mechanism
• Giving the users the opportunity to self segment or indicate communication preference
• Personalizing communications whenever relevant 

E-mail Newsletter Program
Design and delivery of a segmented e-mail newsletter, which will consolidate some existing communications (Golf, Fun Spots, etc.) to provide a more comprehensive and consistent communication to visitors. 

• Reinforce content that is supported by the existing editorial and media calendar.
• Integrate with the BridgeTrack delivery and analytics platform for holistic measurement. (BridgeTrack is Sapient’s proprietary Web tracking tool.)
• Reinforce online and offline campaigns.
• Drive traffic to visitcalifornia.com. 

We will leverage existing content for the newsletter(s) including event data, deals content and other relevant site content. 

Opt-in/Opt-out Profile Page
As a first step in the development of our e-mail newsletter program, we will consolidate all opt-in and opt-out functionality into a single user-driven profile page. Visitors will be prompted to select activities and interests that match their own via the use of this new page. We will sync opt-in and opt-out information with any vendor engaged in delivering e-mail including the national opt-out database. 

Site Side Intelligence
The redesigned visitcalifornia.com hero space and specific content areas within the VCA site will be enhanced to be more responsive to users driven to the site from e-mail communications or media. The site will recognize inbound traffic and display content relevant to the inbound traffic. For example, a rich media banner could invite users to check interests off directly on the banner and deliver corresponding content once a user clicks through to the CTTC site.

For the first three months of our eCRM initiatives, we will set benchmark metrics for the following criteria including:

• E-mail open rates and click-through rates
• Increased engagement with site and e-mail content
• Higher conversion in the form of outbound referrals to travel partners
• Engagement with opt-in segmentation questions
• Increase in data points and better intelligence on the visitcalifornia.com visitor