Issue link: http://frankenmuthcvb.uberflip.com/i/1331179
The 2019-2020 fiscal year started out with a record-breaking budget, in terms of available funds for advertising. We were coming off of a fantastic year and were excited about the possibilities for the future. The CVB signed a big contract with the Downtown Detroit Partnership which secured Frankenmuth as the naming rights sponsor to the iconic ice rink located in Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit. Along with the rink, there was a huge winter digital campaign to amplify that effort and we saw record numbers in website traffic during that time period. Heading towards spring, many big plans were being made for summer advertising, a time we typically hit our target market hard, hoping to drive many overnight summer vacations. The "Stay Home, Stay Safe" orders came out about one week prior to a meeting to decide on big advertising dollar allocations for those campaigns. Pausing all "travel" messaging and switching to what our community needed became the priority: supporting local retail and restaurants with take-out dining and online shopping messaging. Advertising a travel destination during a pandemic has been one of the most challenging yet insightful experiences. The CVB has constantly been shifting its message from one of safety, to hope, to support, time and time again. The polarizing viewpoints of our visitors has made for an interesting year on social media as well. Through it all, we have remained optimistic and courageous in whatever new obstacle we were thrown, and we did everything we could to support our small businesses as they too chartered unfamiliar territory. While we do not know what next year holds, we are falling back on our core values of courage and hope. No matter what happens, we will persevere. Advertising Publicity The Frankenmuth Rink at Campus Martius Park in Detroit A N D 7