#lovinglocal

Innovative tourism marketing supports our local community

Allow us to share an exciting new marketing initiative launched by our team in 2023. This initiative showcases our commitment to enriching both the visitor economy and the local community.

Because our work involves attracting overnight visitation to our community, much of our funding is restricted to marketing to visitors. Examples of marketing include, but certainly are not limited to, print ads in publications and digital ads on the internet.

Fannin County Agriculture Program’s Show Team at Perry, GA,
in October 2023.

Show Team at Perry GA October 2023

So, what’s the innovative new marketing effort? Traveling Ads (or maybe that’s Ads That Travel)! Youth sports and other student extracurricular groups often travel across the state, the southeast and sometimes even across the country. In addition, these groups attract thousands of visitors annually for home games, performances, programs and more. So why not take advantage of this audience?

Technology Student Association (TSA) trailer

I’m not sure exactly when and where the idea originated, but at some point in early 2023, I visited the engineering class at Fannin County High School. It was there that I spotted the Technology Student Association (TSA) trailer, which travels to Jekyll Island, GA, annually. What if we put our Chamber logo (and a beautiful photo of our area) — and therefore our brand — on their trailer? That question evolved into today’s current strategy, in which we’ve expanded the idea to include four trailers that span various student activities. And these four trailers collectively travel more than 7,000 miles annually!

Of course, our collaborations extend beyond mere branding. We have woven our message into the fabric of various student activities. Even our local sports facilities proudly display our signage, welcoming visiting teams, encouraging a return visit overnight and sharing information about what to do when visitors are in town.

This initiative transcends traditional marketing; it’s about fostering a positive perception of tourism and its vital role in our community. What’s more, our efforts have enabled us to reinvest more than $85,000 back into local programs, a testament to our commitment to Fannin County. Moving forward, we plan to continue on this path, not just as a marketing strategy, but also as a pledge to #lovinglocal in our community.