2003-2004
Marketing & Communications Highlights

The Marketing & Communications division promotes Durham through publicity, advertising, research-targeting, and fact-checking/correction of misrepresentations of Durham. It also designs and produces guides for visitors, meeting planners, film producers, sports event producers, and tour operators; maps including the Official Durham Street Map; walking and driving tours; community stakeholder newsletters; annual reports; Internet sites; tradeshow displays; videos; and tools used by other DCVB divisions and the community.

• DCVB produces and distributes more than 600,000 pieces of visitor literature each year. (click to enlarge)

  Retooled the successful advertising campaign highlighting Durham’s “greats.” Produced and placed 28 advertisements in niche publications generating 32,798 visitor inquiries for Durham.
• Conducted 344 Durham awareness orientations, clinics, and familiarization tours for news media reporters and editors, relocating executives, human resource managers, relocation specialists based in Durham as well as Orange and Wake counties, community stakeholders, and students in the Durham Careers In Hospitality partnership with Durham Public Schools.
• Produced and distributed 160,000 copies of the annual 56-page Official Durham Visitors Guide as well as, in partnership with Duke University and Duke University Health System, 20,000 copies of an interactive CD-ROM version of the guide. Produced the 48-page Official Durham Meeting & Event Planners Guide as well as an interactive CD-ROM version of the guide.
• Conducted a major redesign of the biweekly Durham Bull’s Eye e-news, incorporating “Genuine, Textured, and Authentic” branding. Produced and distributed issues twice a month to nearly 4,000 subscribers, including Durham civic and business leaders, residents, and media representatives, to energize community involvement in visitor-related economic development and report on Durham’s advancement as a visitor destination.
• Provided media assistance, graphics, fact-checking, and backgrounders for more than 750 stories about or related to Durham. Hosted 8 journalists for press tours to stimulate stories and coverage and to generate interest and desire in Durham as a visitor destination.
• Tracked and conveyed information on new visitor developments including 9 new, proposed, and under-development lodging properties and 61 new or expanded visitor features or developments.
• Designed and installed a new visitor display area at the Durham Amtrak Station with a monthly calendar of events and other visitor information for arriving passengers.
• Implemented a major redesign of www.durham-nc.com, incorporating “Genuine, Textured, and Authentic” branding.
• Converted Durham accolades/rankings and “What They Are Saying” quotes from national and regional media about Durham, to databases so information is easier and quicker to access and updated automatically to www.durham-nc.com.
• Spearheaded more than 250 outreaches to shape, protect, and scrub the Durham brand.
• Provided visitor marketing consultation to the County’s ABC stores. Facilitated the addition of all stores to the City/County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map and added them to a layer for the reproduction of the Official Durham Street Map.
• Updated the GIS map to include each of the businesses and organizations located in Research Triangle Park and ensured redistribution of all Durham GIS data points to major online mapping providers such as MapQuest.
• Launched an initiative to stimulate awareness among residents directed to visiting friends and relatives.
• Spearheaded an increase in leisure visitation from 50 miles and farther by 6.3% throughout the period marked by a decrease in business travel subsequent to the recession and events of 9/11.
• Participated in a cooperative eMarketing campaign with the American Automobile Association to 250,000 members in North and South Carolina, achieving a 56% open rate and 70-fold increase in website visitors over a 5-day period following the launch.
• Spearheaded an increase in attendance at features and events (museums, historic sites, performance venues, sports facilities, etc.) of nearly 10% over the prior fiscal year.
• Obtained and incorporated weekly, custom, Durham-wide lodging performance data to augment monthly data and help forecasting. Distilled and redistributed national survey data on travelers using automobile or car rental.

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The "Durham Greats" ads, reflecting Durham's architectural brand, were produced and placed 28 times in niche publications over the last year, directly generating more than 371,000 visitor inquiries for Durham.

While Durham excels at drawing long-range travelers, it has great potential in-state.
(click to enlarge)

Anticipating the long-term national decline in business travel, DCVB is working to increase leisure travel
to Durham.
(click to enlarge)