Culinary leveraged media co-op details
Learn more about this opportunity and how to participate
Objective
Support and uplift our travel industry partners through a shared brand platform, sparking intent and consideration among those actively seeking travel inspiration.
Co-op program timing
- Flight: March - June 2026
- Final deadline for participation: May 1, 2026
Strategic approach
Visit California leverages existing digital media partnerships to create flexible cooperative marketing solutions delivering high-value media programs at competitive rates.
The Visit California culinary campaign will run through June 30, 2026, across digital and video channels. This initiative is designed to inspire awareness and consideration for culinary travel to California, while the Leveraged Media Co-Op program builds on this broader campaign to generate awareness and intent for participating destinations and industry partners. International markets include Canada, the U.K., Mexico and Australia.
The approach follows a two-stage strategy:
Discovery phase: Drive awareness Partner opportunities support broad discovery and inspiration for culinary travel through premium media placements and scaled campaign reach. Performance is measured through awareness and engagement metrics such as impressions, click-through rate, sessions, time on site and video completion rate.
Plan phase: Encourage consideration Engagement-focused tactics support travelers actively planning trips by reinforcing California culinary experiences and partner offerings during the decision journey. Revenue is used as a recommended KPI, with conversion reporting provided by media partners.
Participation benefits
- Rates and CPMs have been pre-negotiated for all participating partners
- Visit California will match 25% of all media spend, up to $5,000 per fiscal year, when adopting Visit California’s creative platforms
- Comprehensive creative services are available through Visit California’s agency of record (costs covered Visit California)
- Creative templates will be available for partner execution.
- Added-value impressions are provided with some partners
Partner details
Reach audiences across the Tripadvisor platform and its extended partner network with a minimum investment of $5,000 per campaign type. Options include display and video placements targeted to California users actively searching for culinary travel across TripAdvisor properties. Partners receive a 25% discount off base CPMs.
Leverage more than 270 data partnerships through Adara to reach active culinary travel planners. Programs require a $5,000 monthly minimum and a $10,000 total investment, representing a minimum two-month campaign flight across display, native and video formats. Powered by Adara’s robust first- and third-party data, campaigns are built to engage high-intent travelers throughout the planning and booking process. Partners are eligible for added value through Adara, including a 50% impression or dollar match on display and native placements and a 20% match on video line items during the co-op campaign. All matched impressions mirror the targeting of the base campaign layer, with no additional restrictions beyond minimum investment requirements.
Customized programmatic solutions through Sojern leverage qualified data partners to reach real-time, in-market travel audiences with demonstrated intent. Campaigns require a $5,000 monthly minimum and a $10,000 total investment, reflecting a minimum two-month campaign flight. Programs can be executed across display, native and video formats. Powered by Sojern’s robust first- and third-party data signals, programs are designed to effectively engage culinary-focused travelers throughout the planning and booking journey. Campaigns are eligible for up to a 75% impression or dollar match across ad types, delivering added value and extended reach.
Reach engaged food and travel audiences across Eater with a discounted minimum investment of $10,000, featuring digital display placements targeted using Eater’s first-party Travel Segments, including Travel Enthusiasts, Luxury Travelers and Travel Shoppers. Partners can expand campaigns with social amplification and newsletter placements at a $25,000 investment. Programs require a $5,000 minimum monthly investment to maintain consistent visibility throughout the campaign flight.
How to participate
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Intent form
Intent form is submitted by industry partners and approved by Visit California.
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Introductions and discussions
Media introductions are coordinated and creative discussions are initiated.
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Program development
Industry partner works directly with media partners to develop and execute custom programs.
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Agreement
Industry partner agrees to feature Visit California logo, with a hyper link to VisitCalifornia.com, on their website.
Submit intent to participate form
Creative examples
Visit Oxnard
Visit Oakland
Visit San Jose