Frankenmuth

The 2024-25 fiscal year was marked by strategic growth and innovation in our marketing efforts. We continued to follow our diverse marketing plan to drive visitors to Michigan's Little Bavaria through a successful blend of print, digital, social media, out-of-home advertising (billboards), and other platforms. Fall 2024 kicked off with a robust Christmas campaign consisting of social media, digital advertising, and a high-impact Countdown to Christmas billboard. This momentum carried into winter and spring with targeted digital advertising to promote our waterpark properties. After the new year, we initiated a new, highly successful partnership with Madden Media to enhance our PR initiatives. Their team helped pitch Frankenmuth to various high-profile outlets while providing comprehensive monthly reporting on all media mentions. This campaign also facilitated the successful hosting of four different travel writers in Frankenmuth, primarily during the summer months. To capitalize on the summer and festival season, we encouraged visitors to "Plan, Play, and Party" in Frankenmuth through an interactive digital campaign with Epsilon. Throughout the year, our social media presence remained strong with campaigns executed by Two Six Digital, notably including a new component leveraging Connected TV (CTV) advertising to expand our reach. We maintained our print advertising momentum through placements in targeted publications such as Grand Rapids Magazine, Michigan Blue, and Midwest Living, to name a few. A standout element of our PR campaign with Madden Media was the creation of Frankenmuth-themed "Christmas in July" PR boxes. These were sent to about ten travel writers nationwide in mid-July, enticing them to write about and visit Michigan's Little Bavaria. The boxes featured a handful of curated items from local shops. This focused outreach effort had a direct and significant impact: we hosted a writer working on a story for Travel + Leisure Magazine, which culminated in late August with Frankenmuth being named 'Best Small Town for Families.' This major national media placement was a direct result of our campaign. Our partnership with Pure Michigan remained robust, involving participation in their Facebook Event Response and Meta Carousel ad opportunities for both the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons. We also maintained advertising presence in their seasonal publications, including the Pure Michigan Fall/Winter Travel Guide, Spring/Summer Travel Guide, and Family Travel Guide. Highlighting our international reach, we hosted two groups of content creators from Germany facilitated by Pure Michigan's international agency, allowing us to showcase both Frankenmuth and our authentic German heritage to a global audience. In September, we successfully partnered with Mt. Pleasant CVB to host a group of approximately eight travel writers from SATW (Society of American Travel Writers). This joint familiarization trip was an important outreach opportunity, and we hope the visibility gained leads to future media placements. We continue to prioritize remaining a leader in marketing within the community and tourism industry, and we look forward to capitalizing on new opportunities that arise during this next fiscal year. Advertising Publicity A N D 7

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