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Experience Fayetteville outlines 2025 marketing push: 'Your New Favorite' creative, Ale Trail refocus and a year of bikepacking
Summary
Marketing staff presented advertising creative that will run nationally, announced a refocused Fayetteville Ale Trail limited to eight in-city breweries, and previewed a bikepacking promotional program and documentary to run in 2025.
Experience Fayetteville’s marketing team presented 2025 campaign priorities at the commission meeting, previewing national creative, changes to the Fayetteville Ale Trail and a multi‑part bikepacking initiative.
Sarah Keating, vice president of marketing and communications, said the organization’s 2024 "Discover Your Favorite Bill" (advertising) campaign is a finalist for an eTourism Summit award and that new creative for 2025 will run in national placements such as the Wall Street Journal. The marketing team will A/B test two creative directions and use a new logo lockup that clarifies "Fayetteville, Arkansas" in national placements.
Keating announced changes to the Fayetteville Ale Trail: the program will shrink from a region‑wide passport to a Fayetteville-only program that highlights the city’s eight breweries. Keating said the move responds to program growth and duplication by statewide initiatives; the new passport is expected to debut Sept. 1 and staff will continue honoring previously issued passports.
Marketing also previewed a "Year of Bikepacking" program. The initiative includes four educational clinics, a targeted search-engine marketing campaign in summer, a documentary debut in the fall and a bikepacking summit run by Ozark Gravel Cyclists. Keating said the marketing effort will position Fayetteville as a hub for bikepacking routes and related hospitality experiences.
The report also highlighted other outreach: updated downtown maps for kiosk installation (pending city approval), publicity from Terrain magazine citing Centennial Park as a top mountain-bike venue, and community event support (the US Pro Cup mountain bike race, Frostfest, Fayetteville Mardi Gras and others). Keating and interim CEO Jennifer Walker said Experience Fayetteville supported the calendar with a mix of sponsorship, technical assistance and marketing support.
Why it matters: Marketing and program shifts affect how Experience Fayetteville positions Fayetteville to visitors and where limited promotional resources are focused — changes that influence local businesses and event partners.
Next steps: staff will roll out the national campaign creative, produce the updated Ale Trail passport for a September launch, and begin summer SEM for bikepacking.
