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City renews Visit Mount Shasta marketing contract for $3,200 a month through June 2026 after ROI questions
Summary
Council approved a contract renewal with Ascension Aesthetic to continue digital marketing for Visit Mount Shasta at $3,200 per month through June 30, 2026, after public questions about how the city measures return on investment (ROI).
The Mount Shasta City Council voted to renew the Visit Mount Shasta marketing contract with Ascension Aesthetic at $3,200 per month through June 30, 2026, approving the renewal on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Contractor Josh Thomas (Ascension Aesthetic) presented two options for continued marketing and social-media management, including increased posting and an integrated approach with the physical visitor center. Thomas said the firm manages multiple platforms, produces video content and proposed integrating the visitor center's efforts to avoid duplicated social-media accounts.
Public commenters and some council members pressed for clearer performance measures. A local media professional asked how the city tracks the direct financial return — not just social-media followers — from the marketing spend, suggesting clearer KPIs that connect ad spend to overnight stays and local business revenues. Councilors and staff acknowledged the difficulty of directly attributing economic activity to individual marketing posts but noted rising transient-occupancy-tax (TOT) collections and event attendance as indirect indicators of success.
Council discussion addressed budget constraints and timing: several council members favored keeping the contract but aligning it with the city’s fiscal calendar. Staff and the contractor agreed to a renewal through June 30, 2026 so the contract fits the city budget cycle. Council members also discussed increased TOT receipts and the need to prioritize public-safety staffing versus marketing in a tight budget environment.
The motion to renew the contract was made, seconded, and adopted by voice vote. The contract will continue to integrate the visitor center's digital presence, maintain website and YouTube accounts, and provide monthly analytics reporting. City staff said they will seek clearer tracking where feasible and return with reporting as part of regular updates.
The contract approval included direction to structure the term to align with the city's fiscal year, rather than an October-to-October cycle.
