SITUATION

The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Sacramento, California. The CVB went live with Simpleview CRM in 2013, and their partners began utilizing the extranet in April 2014. Although they hit a peak month with 218 total logins, they also saw a low of 67 logins for both June and July 2014. Disappointed in the overall adoption of the extranet by its partners, Sacramento CVB was determined to develop and execute an extranet re-launch strategy to better motivate partner participation.

SOLUTION

With an extranet re-launch deadline of October 2014, the Sacramento CVB worked diligently to create a fun and engaging campaign that would not only motivate the partners to use the extranet, but gain more knowledge about its capabilities along the way. To begin, the CVB branded their extranet as Sacramento Partner Information Network, or "SPIN" for short. Next, partners received communications from the Sacramento CVB that encouraged them to attend the October mixer and built up excitement about what would be revealed. Two weeks before the mixer, the CVB sent an email to everyone with extranet access that included their username, password, and a brief explanation of SPIN. These individuals also received an invite in the post that included a mouse pad with a removable insert where they could record their login information. 

As October approached, the Sacramento CVB continued to promote a "Mixer with a SPIN." The event welcomed new partners to the community, launched the branded extranet, and provided attendees the opportunity to see demonstrations of the system and interact with CVB staff. After the mixer, the CVB launched a separate 8-week campaign targeted at their hotel partners only, which included a series of emails sent once a week with a specific task to be completed, and a timeline for those who wanted to jump ahead. Upon campaign conclusion, hotel partners could only view and respond to leads via SPIN, and the Sacramento CVB made SPIN training part of their New Partner Orientation. 

RESULTS

After SPIN launched in October 2014, the Sacramento CVB's extranet usage increased to 573 logins per month on average, with a peak of 983 in February 2015. In January, the CVB began emailing all of their partners a "SPIN Tip of the Month" to encourage engagement with the system. As the Sacramento CVB continued to encourage partner participation, they were able to easily identify the impact made when reviewing monthly reports. The most notable was a 350% increase of partner access from peak logins in April 2014 and February 2015, showcasing the time they invested in their campaign for the SPIN mixer was invaluable.

What began for Sacramento CVB as an effort to bolster hotel engagement quickly expanded to all partners, becoming an ongoing commitment to the community. The Sacramento CVB is an excellent example of how DMOs can increase knowledge of products and maximize services within their destinations by thinking outside the box and educating their partners.

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