People frequently claim “show, don’t tell.” Here’s how this approach worked for promoting visits to the North Shore during autumn — and why it could work for you, too.
When you consider the natural beauty of Lake Superior’s North Shore, there’s no question that many would want to experience it firsthand. While you could explain in detail why someone should make the visit, the peak fall colors, open shoreline and scenery speak for themselves throughout the autumn months. When there’s such a clear opportunity to share this, video becomes a powerful tool to bring seemingly abstract ideas to life. For our client Odyssey Resorts, we knew this is one of the best ways to encourage people to visit the North Shore. Here’s why.
To capitalize on the fall colors, a period of time often called “leaf peeping season,” we created a series of fall TV spots featured on WCCO and website banner for the weather broadcast. We also created skyline ads featuring embedded video, with simple messaging prompting viewers to book a fall package.
Sourcing fresh video footage can always capture a new angle, focus area, or subject matter, but keeping an up-to-date video collection and reviewing it regularly is an alternative method for sourcing timely evergreen clips. Rather than keeping a video “archive,” this approach keeps a pulse on what footage is available and most fitting for the intended purpose, allowing for opportunities to expand with new filming supporting targeted areas that are most needed and valuable.
For this campaign, our internal video team partnered with our videographer John Thain to gather assets that aligned with fall messaging — think the highlights of a quintessential Minnesota autumn: expansive lakefront scenery splashed in golden hour sunlight, gondola rides, and scenic hiking overlooks.
When launching a strategic ad campaign, making updates to other platforms that complement the message is key. We wanted to ensure ad viewers who saw the Odyssey Resorts video and banner could quickly and easily find exactly what they were looking for on the site, so we made several updates to this as well.
Our aim was to provide a snapshot that clearly conveys what Odyssey Resorts is. We created an overview of each of the eight properties with a visual map showing where they are on the shoreline as its own web page — one of the first places site visitors can go to quickly understand the brand. Rather than being one single resort, Odyssey Resorts is a collection of resorts that gives visitors a variety of options along the North Shore. We emphasized the brand’s most appealing attributes such as seasonal appeal, upscale amenities, and proximity to the Twin Cities.
Whether you’re marketing real estate, association membership benefits, or goods and services, Russell Herder’s video expertise brings abstract ideas to life, showing your target audience precisely what they have to gain by taking a desired action. Once on the site, a website must clearly inform and build interest, with a message that prompts response. Interested in learning more? Contact our team today to begin exploring what’s possible with strong visual media and strategic messaging.
