How Visit Dallas Inspired Locals to Promote City on Social Media
Photo Credit: What crowdsourced destination marketing strategy looks like. Flickr
Skift Take
Visit Dallas tapped into basic motivators like civic pride and creative expression to drive serious increases in social media reach, providing an attractive benefit/cost ratio for the cash-strapped bureau.
When Noelle LeVeaux took over as chief marketing officer for Visit Dallas in early 2013, the city had some lingering image problems nationwide.
Even though there had been major infrastructure and attraction upgrades—like the new Dallas Arts District, Perot Museum, Bush Library and ongoing park expansions—the city's reputation was still tied to the "Everything's Bigger in Texas" narrative. Locals and visitors had long grown weary of that phrase ever since the Ewings went off the air.
To shift its message, Visit Dallas launched a $4.2 million "Big Things Happen in Dallas" campaign last year designed to engage the public and convert them into brand advocates.
The heart of the promotion revolved around placing sets of large blue "B" and "G" letters at over 100 spots around the city. The space between the letters compelled passerbys to stand in the empty area to complete the word "BIG," and then people took photos and shared them with the provided #DallasBIG hashtag.
