Transcript:
Eleanor Prater: [00:00:00] Seeing people emerge from a crisis and take everyone out under their wings, all of those phenomenal stories of this country and just the world coming together to make it out of this and never waste that crisis really hits home for me.
Adam Stoker: [00:00:20] Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast. I'm your host, Adam Stoker. I'm excited to be with you today. We've got another great show for you. A friend of mine that we've been working together for quite some time to try to line this up and I'm glad we finally made it work, our guest today is Eleanor Prater, and she is the Marketing and Communications Manager at Visit Augusta. Eleanor, welcome to the show.
Eleanor Prater: [00:00:44] Hi Adam. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
Adam Stoker: [00:00:48] Oh, we're excited to have you. And you're an avid listener of the show, aren't you?
Eleanor Prater: [00:00:52] I absolutely am. I am a formal listener to your podcast. I'm always jumping onto the links to get all these tips and tricks for destination marketing, so big fan, big fan.
Adam Stoker: [00:01:03] I love it. And she wasn't even paid, everybody. I just want to throw that out there. Well, as an avid listener, you know there are some questions we like to ask just to get the juices flowing. You probably had plenty of time to think about it. Eleanor, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be?
Eleanor Prater: [00:01:22] Oh, goodness, that's such an easy one for me, Adam. I'm an international traveler. I love international travel even though I'm here and based in the United States all the time. But Greece is the top of my bucket list, Athens, Greece. I'm only 28, but I'm a massive history buff, and so if I could go anywhere, it'd just be to absorb as much of that history as possible and, really, maybe eat a gyro here and there, maybe lay on a beach for two weeks. I'm telling my boyfriend that's my honeymoon spot, so we're going to make it happen.
Adam Stoker: [00:01:55] You're dropping the hints. I like it.
Eleanor Prater: [00:01:57] Dropping them all, yes.
Adam Stoker: [00:01:59] Well, Greece has been a really popular answer here on the show, and for good reason. The thing that I love when I hear people talk about Greece is there's a different part of Greece that appeals to different people, right? For some people, it's the islands in the southern part of Greece, and for some people, it's the history of Athens. It's just such a well-rounded destination. I can see why so many people want to go.
Eleanor Prater: [00:02:24] Absolutely. And the history is really what draws me in on that. I'm really just absorbed in seeing our past and how it can lead to our future. I think that that's just the beauty and the essence of it, and I would love to just spend a two-week honeymoon, cough, cough, maybe vacation in Athens, Greece, or just the country.
Adam Stoker: [00:02:45] I'm going to send this to your boyfriend, just so you know. I'm going to send it to him.
Eleanor Prater: [00:02:45] Please do.
Adam Stoker: [00:02:45] Okay.
Eleanor Prater: [00:02:48] Well, Adam, he listens to you as well. He's in public relations, so he's going to hear it and he's going to be like, "Oh, lord."
Adam Stoker: [00:02:56] Well, you know what? If he's going to listen to it, what more do we need to tell him?
Eleanor Prater: [00:02:59] Exactly. We can cut it off right now, Adam. You got me my engagement ring. We're done.
Adam Stoker: [00:03:06] Good stuff. I expect an update from him after he's listened to this. Maybe we'll have him on to talk about the aftermath.
Eleanor Prater: [00:03:12] I would love that. He would love that. Big fan.
Adam Stoker: [00:03:16] Great, great. Well, let's talk about your favorite place you've ever been. At this point, I'm hoping it's with him that you went there. But what's your favorite trip you've ever been on?
Eleanor Prater: [00:03:26] Absolutely. My favorite really stands out to me. It's New Orleans, Louisiana. I spent a week there just trying to gauge the culture and the food and the music and the sounds and the flavors that come from NOLA, Louisiana. I'm a southerner by trade, and so it was actually my first trip. But I went to explore my mother's Cajun heritage as well and familiarize myself with that ancestry and, of course, just dunk myself in a bowl full of oysters. I had the best time. It was absolutely one of my favorite destinations. I've been back many times, but that first trip stands out, where you grab all the essences of your favorite place and you really mark it and you're like, "This is somewhere I want to come again and again and again." It really made me fall in love with travel as I started. So I have to give a shout-out to NOLA, New Orleans, Louisiana. They're my go-to.
Adam Stoker: [00:04:31] So that is a great destination. I actually went there a couple of years ago for a heartbreaking football game that we won't even talk about. But I went down there, and, man, that is a unique destination. I'll never forget that we went on this alligator tour. The guy that was our guide was holding these giant pieces of chicken up for these alligators to come out of the water and grab out of his hand. For me, the idea of an alligator being within five feet of me is already terrifying.
Eleanor Prater: [00:04:31] Terrifying.
Adam Stoker: [00:05:07] But to be just sitting there playing ... I think he gave it a kiss. I can't remember for sure, but this guy was brave. We'll say brave. He was very brave. I don't want to say dumb.
Eleanor Prater: [00:05:18] So brave.
Adam Stoker: [00:05:18] But, to me, it was a combination of brave and dumb to be willing to get that close.
Eleanor Prater: [00:05:25] I agree with that, 100% agree with that. I can stay away from the alligators and stay closer to the Hurricane drink, the drink, not the weather, and the oysters. But I really did, I fell in love with New Orleans and that melting pot of culture, that French Quarter, Café du Monde, a mix of seafood and just lots of music and jazz. It really spoke to my soul.
Adam Stoker: [00:05:50] Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you for answering those. Those are good answers. Let's talk a little bit about your background and how you got into tourism. I'm guessing that it wasn't just a direct easy path.
Eleanor Prater: [00:06:04] It never is with me, Adam, never a direct easy path. Easy is probably not my middle name. I actually stumbled into tourism. It was not very graceful. I am only 28 years old, but I began my career in plutonium and nuclear communications.
Adam Stoker: [00:06:24] Naturally, yeah.
Eleanor Prater: [00:06:25] Exactly. Naturally, like any other 21-year-old would, I started in crisis communications and was handling plutonium and tritium and nuclear energy reputation management. Then, after that, I again did another graceful stumble into public education and handling reputation management and crisis communications from there. Then, after that, somehow managed my way into Visit Augusta and our destination marketing organization here for Augusta, Georgia. I've been here almost two years. Actually, in two weeks, it'll be two years. My staff is trying to get together a little celebration, and I'm like, "You guys, I haven't been here two years. It's not possible." But, yeah, I started in nuclear, ended up in tourism, and there's some fun flip book narrative in between, but that's pretty much the gist.
Adam Stoker: [00:07:22] That is amazing. I love hearing people's stories of how they got into tourism. I think nuclear energy and plutonium might be one of the more interesting paths to tourism that I've heard. That's pretty cool. But I could see how the crisis communications side of that would really prepare you for your role that you're in today.
Eleanor Prater: [00:07:44] Absolutely. And you know the minute that this goes live, Adam, the FBI are going to be chiming in. They're going to be like, "Plutonium what? Tritium what? We're just making sure national security's not on the line here." No, I agree 100%. It really did blend well, that crisis management, that reputation management. Oddly enough, it has a home in travel and leisure, and it's part of what I do every day. But I actually get to do more fun public relations, more destination promotion, in this job, which is just really where my heart is.
Adam Stoker: [00:08:18] Awesome. Yeah, I'm going to keep an eye on the numbers and see if you just said a keyword that starts to get me a lot of Washington, DC listeners, and we'll see if that spikes.
Eleanor Prater: [00:08:26] 100%. You're going to see a huge spike, and it's going to be your FBI guy on the other end, Adam.
Adam Stoker: [00:08:34] Well, let's talk about Augusta. One of my favorite hobbies, I'm terrible at it, but one of my favorite hobbies is golf, and I really, really enjoy it. So, of course, one of the most interesting things that has happened for Augusta as a brand is the Masters Tournament being held there every year. It's one of the most historic sporting events in the world. I think that's the most recognizable part of Augusta as a destination, but I've got to imagine that there is so much more than just this golf tournament that happens once a year there. So give us the overview of, yes, the Masters, but what else?
Eleanor Prater: [00:09:15] Yeah, Adam, absolutely. We are one of those odd destinations that sits right on a state line, and so we're on the Savannah River. I tell people this all the time. We're right on that line between South Carolina and Georgia, and I say, "If you sneezed just a little too hard, you'd blow the city right across the state border into South Carolina." That's how close we are on that border and sitting right on that river.
Adam Stoker: [00:09:15] That's pretty close.
Eleanor Prater: [00:09:42] But Augusta is rich in history and culture that includes golf but a lot of, really, oddities as well. We are that soul city in the South. We're the home of the soul legend, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, and music and culture is something that we do very well here. Everyone thinks of Georgia and they're like, "Gosh, I bet those collard greens are good," and I promise you they are, 100%, Adam. But we really do music and history well, and we really do the outdoors well. Our weather here is fantastic all year round. It is amazing weather, 85 degrees on usually a good day. Sometimes, you get that January day, too, but we really do good weather, good food, good music, and, of course, good golf.
Adam Stoker: [00:10:33] Well, it sounds like an incredible destination, and I know lots of destinations would kill for an event like the Masters that draws people from all over the world to your destination. What's it like having an asset like that, and then how do you leverage that into visitation for the remainder of the year?
Eleanor Prater: [00:10:53] Absolutely. Having an asset like that, like you said, it's kind of unknown. It's a different feel. Then, like you said, too, it's an international golf tournament, so we're receiving visitors every year from all over the world. The Masters has really worked to put Augusta, Georgia on the map as far as the globe goes and as far as international travel goes. I talk to people from all over the world. I talk to people from Australia or the United Kingdom, and they're saying, "Oh, I love Augusta. I come every year for the Masters." Not only is it just one of those things that really highlights you as a destination, it's one of those exclusive Southern events every year that happens. It's impossible almost to get a ticket, and if you do, it's like that Willy Wonka golden ticket of golf. It really is a magnificent experience, and it changes the dynamic of travel, I think, in a lot of areas. It really sets you apart, and it's only a week out of every year, so the other 51 weeks of the year, we're busy. We have other events. We've got other attractions. But that one week of the year is that week where it's all golf all the time. Pimento cheese, Arnold Palmer, everything you can think of that is golf-related, the city just changes and morphs into a golf destination.
Adam Stoker: [00:12:24] Now, that provides some unique challenges. How do you even staff up for that week of the Masters? Because, Augusta, it's a good-sized town, but it's not New York, right? So how are you finding people to staff not only the event but also all of the different restaurants that are going to be just hit hard and all the other attractions during that one-week period and provide a good customer experience?
Eleanor Prater: [00:12:52] Yeah, that's a fantastic question, Adam. I will say, it is what my mother used to say when we were ready to clean the house, it is an all-hands on deck. Augusta National Golf Club is, I would say, one of or the most exclusive golf clubs in the world with this event being the most exclusive golf tournament in the world. But we really try as a region, not just a city, to come together and make this tournament happen, not only for Augusta National Golf Club but for the city itself. Because it puts us on the map and because it is just a whirlwind experience for every international traveler coming through our door, it is a full region experience. You have everyone from partially South Carolina all the way even to Atlanta, Georgia coming into Augusta to make this happen, to get catering and landscaping and everything. One trend here is that a lot of people rent out their houses because although we have an abundance of hotels, there's still not enough. So people flip their houses and turn them into hospitality homes just to accommodate that Masters need every year.
Adam Stoker: [00:14:14] Wow. Okay, all right. Do you have any idea from a revenue standpoint what the Masters brings into your destination on an annual basis?
Eleanor Prater: [00:14:24] I so wish I did, Adam. The Augusta National Golf Club is secretive and they are exclusive, and they hang onto those numbers religiously. So we don't have an overall estimate. We can only, I could say, guesstimate what we're seeing, and we don't have an estimate on the foot traffic either. They hold those numbers very close to their chest. It's something that, down here, it's a very respected notion to keep those numbers discrete because it does add to that poise and exclusivity that the golf tournament is so famous for. It's aesthetic at the end of the day, to be a little bit secretive. But, no, Adam, I don't have those numbers, unfortunately. That's not me being ill-prepared at all. That is just 55-plus years of the August National Golf Club hanging onto those numbers for its exclusivity.
Adam Stoker: [00:15:20] Well, and that's on brand, right? I think if those numbers were just escaping on an annual basis, I think, from a branding standpoint, it wouldn't have the exclusive feel that it does, or at least not to the same level. So I think that's a good strategic move by the Masters to play that close to the vest.
Eleanor Prater: [00:15:40] I absolutely do, too. I could not agree more. I definitely get some pushback sometimes when I'm asked, and I'm like, "You know what? I don't have that." They kind of look at me like, "Well, are you prepared?" I'm like, "I'm 100% prepared, but it is the Augusta National Golf Club who wants to keep that as on-brand as possible."
Adam Stoker: [00:16:00] Got it, okay. Well, you know what? Obviously, this year is different than any year in recent memory, and I want to talk a little bit about how moving the Masters from February to November has affected your destination, and we'll do that when we come back. Okay, guys. Since we started the Destination Marketing Podcast a little over a year ago, I've had several destinations reach out and say, "Hey, could you help me start a podcast?" And at first, we were like, "No, that's not really what we do." But after enough requests, we said, "You know what, let's explore this." And we've created a turnkey program for destinations where we will produce, we will host, we will edit, and we will publish your podcast for your destination on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. And all you have to do is show up and answer some questions. We're really excited about this program. We've got a few destinations that have been doing really, really well with their podcast. And if you've ever thought about creating a podcast for your destination but you don't have all the equipment or you don't have the expertise or any of that type of stuff, let us take that off your hands. Let Relic handle your podcast creation and production, and all you have to do is show up and answer questions about all the amazing things there are to do within your destination. So let me know if you're interested. Email me at adam@relicagency.com, and we'll get you set up on this podcast program. Okay, Eleanor, we mentioned before the break we want to talk a little bit about the impact of moving that event. When people find out an event was moved, I think they just think, "Oh, wow, they moved it." But what goes into moving an event like the Masters from February to November?
Eleanor Prater: [00:17:57] It is a full city effort. Obviously, Adam, COVID hit us hard, just like any other destination, and our usual April spring Masters Tournament had to be moved to mid-November. So it's coming up in less than a month. We are patronless now, so only the golfers and the media and the Augusta National Golf Club staff will be present on the course. No patrons will actually be there to experience that beautiful fall course that, believe it or not, none of us have ever seen those colors on the golf course broadcasted live. So that is something we're really looking forward to. Instead of pastels, we'll have those deep hues of red and brown and yellow here in Georgia. But it really did change a lot of the dynamic for tourism in the spring, as you can imagine. That was the height of the pandemic, and we really felt it. Local businesses especially that really looked forward to seeing those international travelers come in in droves just had empty doors and just empty seats in their restaurants and in their shops and their boutiques. So it definitely did impact them, but once the Augusta National Golf Club announced a November Masters, it really gave us all something to look forward to. Even patronless, that international coverage is unlike any other, and so we really are still looking so forward to it. We're even hearing that we're going to have a lot of fans that can't necessarily come in to see the golf tournament but they can experience the livelihood and beauty of Augusta, Georgia during that time are still going to come pay us a visit, and we wholeheartedly welcome that.
Adam Stoker: [00:19:50] That's great. So, from a marketing standpoint, what adjustments have you had to make this year? We'll talk about as it pertains to the Masters, but then, just generally, what changes have you had to make? Obviously, everybody's had to make big ones.
Eleanor Prater: [00:20:03] Yeah, absolutely. We're right in line with every other destination that's really had to change our strategy and our communications, both locally and out of market. From a local's perspective, we really had to dive into our community and work with them on boosting that morale but also getting our local community back into those businesses to help them. From an out of market to that tourist perspective, we really had to put our dollars and our dimes into that digital media presence. Obviously, we always had it, but it is coming at full force now. It is pretty much everything we have shifted to, even making subtle shifts to more user-generated content on a marketing basis, just because that higher class photography wasn't available, it wasn't doable, and it's just too expensive. So we've made minor changes to really major changes in our digital media strategy to try to really pick up that traffic that we're seeing via mobile and desktop users. It's really shifted our strategy overall and I really think for the long term. I think we like it like this, and we're going to continue.
Adam Stoker: [00:21:17] So that's interesting. I wanted to ask you about that. These changes that you've made, what is it that makes you like them and want to continue them? What trends are you seeing that's causing this wholesale shift?
Eleanor Prater: [00:21:29] Yeah, absolutely. We actually launched a full new campaign for Augusta in the midst of COVID, Adam, that really-
Adam Stoker: [00:21:29] Oh, how exciting.
Eleanor Prater: [00:21:38] I know, it's so much fun. It's bold, it's fresh, it's colorful. It has a lot of soul and funkiness in it. Sometimes, I can get my president and CEO to do a little James Brown dance to it, just for the Gram, you know? So, no, it has a lot of-
Adam Stoker: [00:21:53] We'll need that video.
Eleanor Prater: [00:21:55] Exactly. You're going to need that one for this, Adam, 100%. But we have a full brand new campaign that just launched. It's only about a month old. We're really seeing a shift in audience, which is fantastic. We're really gathering that Millennial audience. Augusta, Georgia, known for its golf heritage but also known for that old-school Southern heritage, tends to attract that older audience. Now, in the midst of COVID, it's kind of known as that affordable, flavorful Southern city that Millennials are really looking to as they pick up their travel again or try to dip their toes in the water to get back out there and have that kind of sense that it's not too far away. We're getting a lot of that drive market traffic from those huge hustle and bustle cities, like Charleston, South Carolina or even Atlanta, Georgia. People don't necessarily want to be in that close city. I hope no one from Atlanta and Charleston is listening. They're going to give me a call a little bit later. But they don't necessarily want to be tight in that city, so they want to expand out, take a two-hour drive, and come see us. That is the crux of the campaign, is that we're highlighting that us in that Augusta, and we want you to come see Augusta but come see us, especially me.
Adam Stoker: [00:23:17] I really like that, and one of the things that I find fascinating about what you said is that you were forced essentially because of COVID to focus on the Millennial audience and your message has started to resonate. The thing that has happened to a lot of destinations and that has put a lot of destinations in danger is that their audience is not figuratively but literally dying because when they have some of the historical assets and they don't do a good job of marketing to a younger generation, the people that were interested in that asset, they grow old, right? If you don't do some serious generational planning for your audience, you could be left with your hands in the air wondering where everybody is in 15 years. So you guys were forced to change your audience, and you mentioned that it's resonating really well with the Millennial audience, they're coming to your destination. Do you feel like that is going to be an important part of your campaign moving forward, or when things normalize, are you going to go back to the way you were marketing before?
Eleanor Prater: [00:24:28] Absolutely. Adam, that's a great question because I'm in that camp right now that thinks that this can be the new normal and that it will be a generational shift for that younger Xennial, Gen Z, Millennial audience. This pandemic will be one of those things that changes how they travel, how they communicate, how they work. Working from home has become no taboo anymore, completely normal. I think it's one of those life-changing events, and so I do believe that destinations have to shift to adjust that and not make it that band-aid temporarily feel that it needs but really make it that long-term feel, changing things for the good and the dynamic of that younger audience. Because they're ready, they're here, they're listening, they're picking up their phones, they're engaging, and they want to be able to travel and travel safely especially. They're really paying attention to those destinations that are making sure that that's available to them, and that's exactly what we're trying to do here in Augusta, especially with that new campaign.
Adam Stoker: [00:25:44] So that's interesting, Eleanor, and it causes me to ask a follow-up question there. How do you launch a new generational campaign without alienating the generation that has helped you get where you are today?
Eleanor Prater: [00:26:01] Absolutely. That's a phenomenal question, Adam. This is why I'm such a huge podcast fan of yours. So 100%, yeah, what we had to do was we really sat down and we said, "Hey, we're targeting this Millennial audience, but we have to be inclusive to our audience, that Boomer audience, that older generation that just loves Augusta and they're really ingrained into that golf culture, especially here for the Masters." So what we do is we didn't stop targeting them. We're still very much inclusive, but, really, one of the cruxes of our campaigns is to build out itineraries based on those kinds of audiences. That Millennial audience loves those hole-in-the-wall music and culture and flavor and those Instagrammable spots in our downtown Augusta, so we give them that pre-made and just let them customize and tailor it. But we also do the exact same for our very dedicated and traditional Boomer audience as well, so we're not neglecting them at all. We're just really customizing their Augusta experience and making it the best that we can for both audiences.
Adam Stoker: [00:27:16] So these are two campaigns that are running to two different audiences with a message tailored to that target persona?
Eleanor Prater: [00:27:24] Exactly, and not just even two campaigns, Adam. We really worked hard to break out that audience sector and focus on the LGBTQ audience. We're focusing on younger women who like to solo travel. I'm raising my hand here because that's so me. And just all kinds of even niche or larger, broader audiences that are interested in coming to see us in Augusta.
Adam Stoker: [00:27:51] I like it. So telling me a little bit about… I mean launching a campaign is hard enough in a normal year. Launching a campaign in the middle of COVID, how are you measuring and deciding if your campaign is effective right now when all previous data is kind of out the window?
Eleanor Prater: [00:28:10] Yeah, absolutely. That year-over-year metric that all of us marketers listening on this, we're all cringing, because that year-over-year is almost thrown completely out. I hope my president and CEO's not going to chime in too much on this part. Maybe you can skip it when he chimes in, Adam. But we're really just kind of starting over on some of those analytics and those metrics. The beauty of that, though, is that when you do launch a new campaign, things shift, things change, and you're not necessarily measured on what you were looking at with a previous campaign. So that really did sit in our corner and clap for us and really do us well, that we pushed out a new campaign with new measurables and KPIs that could really get us to where we wanted to go, which was a bold, new, fresh, funky look that matched how our city had changed in the past 10 years. We went from a more conservative, traditional city to a really bold and fresh and funky new city with a lot of younger generations here. We really wanted to full-heartedly embrace it and make sure that not only our locals engaged but that that traveler, that tourist, is just as engaged as well. Giving that tourist that local perspective is everything everyone wants. Everyone wants to know where the locals are going, so that's what we did. We capitalized on that as much as possible and really made that one of our metrics. So really just had to shift everything we were doing and throw out all that year-over-year data.
Adam Stoker: [00:29:46] You know what? But sometimes that's what you got to do, right, is you get an unpredictable situation and to try to use things you've done before for a completely new problem, it's just not the same. So coming up with those KPIs that you're looking for, I think that makes a lot of sense. You spurred another question for me. And I'm sorry, I keep asking you questions that I didn't put on the outline, so this conversation's just piquing my interest here, but-
Eleanor Prater: [00:30:12] You do it, Adam. I love it.
Adam Stoker: [00:30:14] Okay, good. So one of the most difficult things about trying to target a younger audience and a younger generation is the locals who are used to a specific type of traveler, in a lot of those cases, will push back because they want things to be done the way they've always been done. So how were you able to take a campaign like this that definitely pushes the boundaries of what you've done before and launch it in your market and have your locals and stakeholders be on board?
Eleanor Prater: [00:30:48] Yeah, that's a great question, Adam. What we really did and what we're currently doing is creating a local ambassador program so that they feel included and engaged in this campaign because, like you said, they're used to a caliber of tourists here and when you introduce a whole new Millennial, maybe even Zillennial, audience coming in that they're not quite familiar with, it can really make a tense and awkward situation in your city. The one thing we do have going for us is that we are very known for Southern hospitality and our locals are really at the top of the list for being some of the friendliest and the most neighborly in America. In fact, we just got designated the most neighborly city in America right now just based on-
Adam Stoker: [00:31:38] Oh, congrats.
Eleanor Prater: [00:31:39] Thank you, we're excited. Based on charitable donations and a lot of other stats pulled from our last census. But, really, Augusta has that Southern hospitality working for it. But we really tried to reengage all levels of audience on a local level, and we've created a local ambassador program so that they feel included. That program really heightens and makes them aware of the things that we're doing so they don't feel left out and they know what's coming to the city so that they're very aware. Really, one of the big things we introduced into that is using local influencers on social media to help promote our message to that younger audience or even to some of those older audiences. Believe it or not, some of those older audiences have a pretty strong presence on social media. They look towards it for their news and their updates, and they need to see it there as well.
Adam Stoker: [00:32:35] So that's an interesting strategy, Eleanor. I don't know that I've spoken with very many destinations that use local influencers as a method of stakeholder communication, and I really like it. What have you seen as a result of using that tactic to engage or inform your stakeholders?
Eleanor Prater: [00:32:53] It's incredibly positive, and our stakeholders really are an array of local audiences here. We engage those politicians, the local media and reporters, and then those influencers as well, but artists and artisans are included in that mix of influencers, painters, anybody who really has a stake in the city has a chance to be labeled and known as, "Hey, I'm an influencer." We think of influencers as 300,000 followers or more, and we absolutely include those. Believe it or not, we have quite a few here who have made their name on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook promoting themselves and their personal brand. But that influencer designation kind of morphs itself onto the local that wants to be engaged, and that's how that age range varies and it's a huge dynamic. So we have politicians and commissioners who are very engaged. We also have that young, beautiful girl on Instagram who's promoting her personal brand. So that has really given a huge positive response from our local community but also from our tourists as well. We're using those local influencers in the campaigns to promote that local experience to the tourists, and they love it. We've already seen a resounding impact on it. We name these itineraries and these campaigns the exact name of whoever is putting them out there, so if it's Katie's itinerary, it is Katie's little campaign, and she's targeting this very specific Millennial audience because that's who she resonates with. Not only is she just targeting them, but she is a member of this community as well. She is not a paid actress. She is not just a stand-in for a very staged photoshoot. She is someone who is just as invested in this community as we are.
Adam Stoker: [00:34:55] Well, and I can see how the residents and stakeholders would feel like they're represented in the campaign because they literally are with those local influencers. I think that's a brilliant strategy, Eleanor, and I think other destinations could really learn from using those local influencers, not only to get the word out but actually use them in the campaign.
Eleanor Prater: [00:35:18] Yeah, absolutely. We set up photoshoots, we've been doing videography shoots as well with all of these locals participating. They're families, they're politicians, they're influencers, they're foodies, they're muralists, they are a huge range of people who just want to make this city as best as it can be and really catch that tourist who wants to be able to come see us in Augusta and identify with whoever they're seeing, potentially from the local audience here of influencers.
Adam Stoker: [00:35:51] Great. Well, Eleanor, you've been there for two years. You had one normal year and one year of full-on insanity between COVID and now the election coming up. So tell me what you feel like you've learned, the main takeaways for you over the past couple years?
Eleanor Prater: [00:36:13] Oh my goodness, that is a huge question, Adam. Well, it's so funny. When I entered travel and leisure coming from public education and plutonium and tritium and nuclear energy, I finally thought I had found the area of marketing, public relations, and communications that needed no crisis. There was no way a crisis could really creep into travel and leisure, right? And then a pandemic hits, and it is full-blown crisis mode. Everything shifts, events are canceled on an international scale. You're right, I didn't even think of it until you point out, one normal year and one crazy Coronavirus-packed year. I think, really, it shows a perspective ... I had a funny ... Someone I know who's very close to me says, "Never waste a crisis." I'm not trying to make light of Coronavirus and travel and leisure. It is definitely one of those areas that has impacted so many destinations in the worst and most horrible ways. But I think seeing people emerge from a crisis and take everyone out under their wings, support those businesses that they may have never even realized, all of those phenomenal stories of this country and just the world coming together to make it out of this and never waste that crisis really hits home for me. I am a crisis communicator by trade and by heart, but seeing all of those warm stories of support and just need and love still coming out of something that has hit our country and the world so hard and hurt and taken so many lives, that is the one just barely good takeaway from this year, I think, and seeing how a pandemic has impacted not just destinations but just daily life in general.
Adam Stoker: [00:38:12] I think your point is really well-made, though, Eleanor, because immediately when a crisis hits, whatever it is, the first reaction is to be overwhelmed and nervous and scared. I think that's a very normal emotion, but if people let those emotions persist for too long, they're going to miss the opportunities that also come along with a crisis. Unfortunately, in a crisis, and this isn't a competitive one versus another thing, but in a crisis, there are winners and there are losers. I don't mean to lessen the value of people who lose in a crisis, but there are actions you can take when you seize the opportunities that come along with a crisis that will give you a much better chance of being a winner in that crisis. I think that's kind of what you're saying when you talk about never wasting a crisis, right?
Eleanor Prater: [00:39:10] Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And seeing that positive warmth that does come at the end of it, that light at the end of the tunnel that's so dark and so cold all the way down but then finally seeing maybe not necessarily an end but a new beginning. I think that that's what everyone, destinations, this country, the world, is experiencing now, is that we're seeing, hopefully, a new beginning coming towards us, and we've picked up some lessons, some life lessons, and even some loss and some gains along the way.
Adam Stoker: [00:39:47] Absolutely. Well, Eleanor, is there anything I haven't asked you that you feel like would benefit our listeners?
Eleanor Prater: [00:39:53] Oh my goodness, I don't think so, Adam. You have the best questions. There is no doubt you ... I usually do interviews pretty religiously, and I'm usually never surprised. I'm so happily surprised with all your questions today. They were fantastic. Is there anything else you want to learn about Augusta that I didn't touch on?
Adam Stoker: [00:40:13] Oh, man, that's a good question. People don't usually ask me that question. You know what? There is so much that I want to learn about Augusta, but I think I'm going to have to do it in person and maybe in February sometime. We'll see.
Eleanor Prater: [00:40:28] 100%, Adam. We need you here, and we need you to come visit us or come see us. I'm having to change my whole tone. Come see Augusta, come see us. We would love to have you here back in Georgia.
Adam Stoker: [00:40:42] That's right, yeah. Lived in Georgia in my teenage years, and it would be great to come back. So, Eleanor, where can people find you?
Eleanor Prater: [00:40:50] Absolutely. You can find us on visitaugusta.com, pretty straightforward, just to start getting your itinerary ready or just to learn a little bit more about our history, our heritage, and our culture. Visitaugusta.com.
Adam Stoker: [00:41:04] Awesome. Thank you so much, Eleanor. It's been really wonderful to have you on the show today. You've shared a lot of valuable insight, and I've learned a lot, and I'm sure our listeners have, too.
Eleanor Prater: [00:41:15] Thank you so much, Adam, for having me. Like I said, big, big fan. You are awesome. Keep up the fantastic work.
Adam Stoker: [00:41:21] Thanks a lot. Well, everybody, this has been another fun episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, please don't forget to leave us a rating or review on whatever your preferred listening platform is. Other than that, we'll see you next week.
[End of Transcript]
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