The RLVB Destination Marketing Plan aims to promote economic development in the Rathbun Lake area through tourism. Key objectives include generating economic impact, partnering locally, and marketing globally and culturally. Initiatives focus on packaged leisure travel, arts/heritage, brand strategy, communications, member opportunities, and partnerships. The goal is to enhance employment and prosperity through tourism sales and marketing.

2. Introduction
RLVB Destination Marketing Plan
• Rathbun Lake Visitors Bureau (RLVB) is a non-profit economic development
agency responsible for competitively marketing the Rathbun Lake area as a
destination for conventions, tour groups and individual travelers.
• The RLVB will use the Iowa’s Ocean brand to promote the economic well
being of the surrounding communities through the development and
execution of well-planned tourism sales and marketing strategies and
provide visitors with comprehensive and objective local and regional
information.
• The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment
opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. Our members benefit
from the RLVB’s marketing programs and gain direct access to the visitor
market.

3. Objectives
Economic Expansion
• Generate Economic Impact.
• Building a Better Business, Entertainment, & Cultural District.
• Investing in the Future.
• Competing Head to Head.

4. Objectives
Regional Prosperity
• Partnering Locally.
• Marketing Globally.

5. Packaged Leisure Travel
Tourism Development
Packaged travel - for both individuals and groups - is a significant component
of a destination’s tourism, as well as an efficient and cost-effective means of
travel during slow economic times. Professional travel planners offer complete
group or individual packages that may combine transportation,
accommodations, meals, attractions and professional escorts, or any
combination of the above, all for one price that often costs 30-40 percent less
than self-planned travel.
North American Market Trends
Generational trips, culinary and wine, family travel, women-only, men-only,
cultural travel, voluntourism, garden trips, soft adventure, spectator sports,
customized product, experiential itineraries, demand for value, and travel
professionals buying from one another.

6. Packaged Leisure Travel
Tourism Development Key Initiatives
• Develop and grow the adult and student tour markets.
• Track and target top tour operators for business growth in 2010.
• Implement a communications plan that targets top travel agents, tour
operators and other clients.
• Maintain a sales trip and conference schedule that maximizes exposure to
top group travel clients.
• Cultivate destination news/features messaging for travel trade media in
partnership with the RLVB PR team.
• Increase destination visibility among Iowa travel trade professionals.
• Work collaboratively with local hotels to increase business.

7. Arts & Heritage Marketing
Cultural Tourism
A community’s culture is unique and intrinsic and offers a meaningful way in
which to positively differentiate a destination. Southern Iowa is full of towns
and communities each culturally diverse, vibrant and creative, boasting
regionally acclaimed cultural institutions and events that distinguish them as a
popular destination for cultural travel. Non-local audiences spend 50 percent
more on average than local audiences in event-related spending. Cultural
travelers stay longer and spend more, helping to increase the lodging tax
receipts that in turn support additional economic opportunities in the
surrounding counties.

8. Arts & Heritage Marketing
Cultural Tourism Key Initiatives
• Enhance user interface and usability of RLVB cultural events calendar,
establishing it as a primary RLVB web site attraction.
• Expand the RLVB sponsorship role with key regional cultural events, creating
advertising and promotional campaigns in key markets and selling cultural
packages via the Iowa’s Ocean Passport Program and partner organizations.
• Create national client events that promote Southern Iowa’s cultural product.
Integrate supportive programs for the Arts & Culture.
• Continue successful cultural marketing tools and develop programs geared
towards the RLVB regional marketing initiative.

9. Brand Strategy
Marketing & Creative Services
The RLVB’s marketing & creative services supports all divisions within the
bureau in their marketing efforts through web development, advertising,
collateral materials and brand strategy.
Initiatives communicate key RLVB messages to customers and clients in various
market segments through innovative advertising campaigns, electronic
marketing and consistent brand execution.

10. Brand Strategy
Marketing & Creative Services Key Initiatives
• Design a new RLVB search optimized web site, iowasocean.com.
• Develop a new destination advertising campaign to increase short-term room
night revenue during traditional and newly identified need periods.
• Create new destination collateral, including a new Iowa’s Ocean promotional
video and other promotional materials.

11. Brand Strategy
Marketing Campaigns & Web Site Development
RLVB
Launch the new iowasocean.com in conjunction with the bureau’s newly
upgraded Customer Relationship Manager. The new site will feature new
tools for travelers and meeting planners as well as real-time member and
calendar of events information. In addition, a new graphic layout will be
introduced, providing easier navigation and enhanced functionality.
New Media
Diversify Rathbun Lake’s presence in the digital world through participation in
new media channels such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

12. Brand Strategy
Marketing Campaigns & Web Site Development
Going Green
Develop a new green lure brochure, e-mail marketing campaign to meeting
planners and a new microsite for both RLVB and the Rathbun Land and Water
Alliance (RLWA). RLVB’s collateral will be entirely reproduced in recycled
material by the end of 2010.
Voluntourism
Launch a new voluntourism web site targeted to meeting planners in need of
new options for attendee programs. Serve as a resource and liaison between
local charitable organizations and meeting planners.

13. Brand Strategy
Marketing Campaigns & Web Site Development
‘This Is What You Came For’ Campaign
RLVB will further distinguish Rathbun Lake as a premier destination for leisure
and convention travelers with the continuation of its ‘This Is What You Came
For’ advertising campaign. New ads in the series will be created for
convention and travel trade audiences as well as leisure travelers. A
diversified advertising schedule will have a more prolific online presence and
include new, creative channels such as direct mail and targeted e-mail
marketing.

14. Communications
Public Relations
Destination media coverage generated approximately __________
impressions of Rathbun Lake in 2008, as tabulated by a print media
monitoring service. The equivalent advertising cost for these impressions
would be $__________. Competing year-round in a competitive
marketplace, the RLVB destination publicity program strengthens Rathbun
Lake’s image while specifically driving travelers to member web sites and
reservation lines and stimulating economic impact throughout the region.
RLVB’s local and regional communications program will continue to grow,
supporting convention center expansion, the ‘This is what you came for’
campaign and RLVB’s proactive advocacy and issues management initiatives.

15. Communications
Public Relations
Destination Publicity
RLVB publicity supports destination markets and initiatives by employing a
wide range of strategies throughout the year:
• Media blitzes in key geographic markets
• Media hosting program that brings qualified journalists to Rathbun Lake
• Aggressive news distribution to top travel, features, lifestyle and
business media
• Leveraging new media channels
• Collaborative publicity initiatives with RLVB members and partners

16. Communications
Public Relations Key Initiatives
• Offset 2010 short-term business drop-off through all publicity campaigns.
• Further explore and exploit new and social media channels to expand
destination publicity and engage key audiences with RLVB issues and
initiatives.
• Build on the success of local communications, advocacy and public affairs.
• Increase the frequency, timeliness and value of RLVB member news; improve
and expand distribution and develop new electronic message mediums.
• Update RLVB communications planning and synchronize with local and
regional public and private sector organizations

17. Member Opportunities
Services and Support
The Rathbun Lake Visitors Bureau is a member-driven marketing organization
and its members are the second-largest contributors to its revenue stream. RLVB
connects the products and services of more than 100 member businesses
around Rathbun Lake with the $__________ visitor market, which includes
tourists, convention delegates, meeting planners, professional travel planners
and travel media. The RLVB Membership team also offers professional
development events, orientations and a variety of networking tools throughout
the year.

18. Member Opportunities
Services and Support Key Initiatives
• Increase member value in a slowing economy.
• Plan relevant professional development and signature events based on
membership surveys.
• Employ new CRM technology to track member opportunities and identify
opportunities to enhance member business success.
• Inaugurate a new RLVB sponsorship program, offering a new platform for
member promotion.
• Continue to add new member promotional opportunities on the RLVB web site.
• Continue to improve and enhance the membership content on the RLVB site.

19. Member Opportunities
LiveHive Communications
RLVB, in partnership with LiveHive, facilitates a growing range of advertising
opportunities that reach directly to domestic leisure travelers, business travelers,
travel trade professionals and meeting planners.
Opened in 2007, LiveHive is a virtual creative shop encompassing talents that
excel in Consumer-to-Consumer Communications helping companies fine tune
their brands and positioning by carefully planing each move - online and
offline - through the integration of Word of Mouth Marketing, Social Media
Marketing, Public Relations, Experiential Marketing, Social Media
Optimization, and Influencer Marketing.