Gen-X Tourism Opps: Explore Asheville hires marketing VP amid spend increases (Score 49)

Sales lead: This looks like a great time to offer ad space & agency services. 

• Explore Asheville (EA) named Dodie Stephens marketing VP, effective October 2nd, 2023.
• This is Stephens' second stint with EA as she served as communications director from 2014 to 2022. 
• Stephens spent the past year as marketing VP of Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Realtors. 
• In her new role, Stephens is responsible for marketing, PR, and content. 

Target demographic: Gen-Xers with a female skew

The company will likely:

• Continue increasing ad spend
• Try new ad channels
• Review the current agency roster

Broadcast insights (TV ad creative spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: EA spent around $943.3k on national TV ads YTD, a significant increase from $141.9k spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend jumped from $10k in 2021 to $198.3k in 2022. 
• Ad programming: It placed ads during programming such as Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, The Rose Parade, Home Town, To Catch a Smuggler, and Love It or List It. 

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: EA spent nearly $1.6m on digital display ads YTD, a 14% increase from $1.4m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• YTD data: 205.3m impressions via Facebook (34%), desktop display (30%), Instagram (28%), and mobile display (7%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend fell by 24% from $2.1m in 2021 to $1.6m in 2022. 
• Ad location: It placed 93% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, instagram.com, atlasobscura.com, theatlantic.com, and washingtonpost.com. It placed 7% of these ads through multiple indirect channels onto sites such as foodandwine.com, football.fantasysports.yahoo.com, southernliving.com, travelandleisure.com, and coastalliving.com. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: Contact the new marketing DM now to be top-of-mind. 
• Current roster:
  • PETERMAYER: creative AOR
  • 360i: digital & social AOR
  • MMGY Global: PR & media

Insight Sources: Broadcast insights estimated by iSpot; digital spend insights estimated by Pathmatics.