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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/03/20 MASON COUNTY LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes Commissioners'Chambers 411 North 5T" Street, Shelton, WA 98584 Thursday March 20, 2015 10:00 a.m. Members in Attendance: Chair Terri Jeffreys, Bonnie Knight, Stephanie Rowland, Kelly Bergh, Darin Barry, Angela Robelas. Mason County Staff, Diane Zoren Absent: Julie Gray, Duane Wilson and Shaun Tucker. Guests: Blue Collar Agency, Lynn Longan, Heidi McCutcheon. 1. Chair Jeffreys called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m. 2. Approval of Minutes: Approval of the March 11, 2015 minutes Knight/Bergh moved and seconded to approve the March 11, 2015 meeting minutes. Motion carried. 3. Presentation from Blue Collar Agency: John Mitchell said that a lot of people are offering resources and input. He said it's been great. He reminded the group that there is social media training at Alderbrook today and 37 people have signed up. SEO Analytics: Brian explained most visits to Explore Hood Canal are organic searches. Only three percent are from social media but he expects the numbers should go up. They will be adding re-directs for all pages. He said "Hood Canal"is the top search term that brings them to the website. He also explained Link Metrics. The goal is to get on the first page for search results. He wants to increase external links that lead to explorehoodcanal.com. The more links they can get, the better it will be. He said they will try to get links with equity. Bonnie Knight asked how to bridge the gap to bring people to North Mason. John reiterated the target audience: • Millennials • Washington/Oregon • College Students • Military Personnel John explained the campaign purpose: A solid campaign platform supports all other efforts and creates a common thread for Hood Canal. • Differentiate Mason County from neighboring counties. • Build an identifiable brand persona and identity. • Create excitement among targeted audiences. • Become the choice for overnight stays within the Olympic Peninsula region. Tom explained the campaign platform and logic and how they came up with the narrative "Wild Side of WA". He said short descriptions can be used on social media. He also explained branding and sub-branding, iconography and the suggested colors. LTAC Page I 1 Photography: Tom stated that they don't want it to look too professional, it's about capturing a moment and making Mason County look accessible, set a tone and blend in with the region and show realistic photos and they also want people to contribute their own photos. Chair Jeffreys asked the group what they think of the campaign. Angela Robelas said it's fabulous. She said you can't go wrong. Bonnie Knight said she likes it and it's a good base. She hopes they will get pictures with sunshine as well. Stephanie Rowland said she likes the feeling and energy. She thinks it sets the stage. Chair Jeffreys said it would be great to get photos of the geoduck mud run. Kelly Bergh said it sets them aside from the "touristy" town. She said Mason County is unrefined which is real and hard to capture. Darin Barry said he loves it and thinks it great. He mentioned mountain goats and said Union fits right into this with music events. Tom said they are coding in Square Space. He added that it's very easy and the best platform for the needs of the County. John said the live date is approximately May 1, 2015. Bonnie asked about the site map. Tom said there will be landing pages, blogs, etc. Brian commented that they will always be updating content. Darin asked if each area and each event or activity will have landing pages. Tom said each activity will have a page although it's unknown if each area will have its own landing page. He said they don't want to get too complicated as it's more difficult to access via mobile devices and stressed that usability is important. Heidi McCutcheon said it's great and she loves it. She likes the rustic nature and how it captures the unrefined nature of Mason County. Lynn Longan said she really likes it as well. 4. Other Business—There was no other business. 5. Public Comment: A member of the public said he thought the"Wild Side"was a good idea and likes the logo. He said he is still concerned about bringing people to the area. He said the website and marketing are great it's much better than the previous. John said they have a social strategy and is a non-traditional strategy that targets millennials. LTAC Page 12 Bonnie asked how to send a video. John said they use a drop box. He stated that Stephanie is an extension of Blue Collar Agency and a direct connection to Blue Collar and the point person from Mason County. Stephanie said they should get some press releases regarding upcoming events. Chair Jeffreys said Vance Creek Bridge and Hoodsport parks have discussed adding zip-lines. Blue Collar Agency will be back on June 30, 2015. May is the time to review membership in the Committee. Julie Gray may need to be replaced. 6. Calendar 7. Adjourn 11:47 a.m. LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON ATTEST: LTAC Clerk Cmmr. Terri Jeffreys, Chair LTAC Page 13