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Travel council authorizes agency to develop new billboard concepts and advances PR, content work
Summary
The board directed staff to begin creative work with Love Communications on new billboards and approved starting an RFP for a PR firm and pursuing local content-creation proposals, citing a 60-day resolution deadline for billboard messaging.
The Hawkeye Area Travel Council advisory board gave staff the go-ahead Feb. 11 to begin producing new billboard creative and to pursue related marketing work, including a request for proposals for public-relations services and initial content-creator proposals.
Staff told the board that a recently signed resolution requires changes to several billboards within a roughly 60-day window. Agency of record Love Communications was asked to provide three creative concepts for the board to review. Vanessa of Love Communications, on the meeting line, said the agency would “look forward to receiving your input” and work with the board to test messaging options such as promoting DiscoverMoab, museum exhibitions or the new Utahraptor State Park.
Board members discussed whether the billboards should carry a single unified welcome message or variable messages tailored to location (for example, interstate vs. in-town placements). Staff identified seven billboards of immediate interest, including three on Interstate 70, two at Crescent Junction (both carrying “recreate responsibly” messages), two in town, one at the airport and an older board in Richfield that may be retired.
Motion language used during the meeting requested a “green light” to engage Love Communications to prepare creative for board review; the board signaled consensus to proceed. Members also approved asking the county administration to issue an RFP to identify a PR firm to support earned media and community messaging, and to collect quotes from a local content creator, Scott Rogers (Fisher Creative), for a proposed social/video mini-series. Staff noted procurement rules and local-preference policies would govern any contract award.
The meeting included an initial marketing report prepared by staff and Love Communications. Staff said paid media and co-op placement across TripAdvisor, Priceline and other partners totaled about $197,000 for October–January, and reported campaign reach in the tens of millions with the co-op program producing a high return-on-ad-spend for tracked channels. Staff pointed to early Adara data showing an increase in average length of stay tied to recent campaigns and noted that TripAdvisor remained a top-performing channel. Staff asked the board to use a shared Google folder for creative ideas and to submit billboard concepts by email or in the shared drive.
Board direction was limited to approving creative development and exploring PR and content options; final spends, creative approvals and commission-level budget decisions will return to the board and county commission as required.
