FreeportUSA will begin making advertising buys on YouTube in May or June, to promote Freeport to a younger market.
The venture will be made possible through a $10,000 grant from the Maine Office of Tourism, which has awarded more than $110,000 in Enterprise Marketing Grants and Special Event Marketing Grants to 12 applicants, through its Maine Tourism Marketing Partner Program. Kelly Edwards, executive director of FreeportUSA, wrote the grant application. The FreeportUSA award is the largest marketing grant offered through the program this year.
Melissa Robinson, FreeportUSA board president, who was on the marketing committee during the grant application, said Monday that the 30-second YouTube videos are aimed at “tech-savvy young adults” who tend to get on the social media outlet.
“We’re going to be targeting our primary audiences outside of Maine,” Robinson said. “It’s definitely a targeted marketing audience.”
Robinson said that a series of spots will pop up occasionally when people make searches on YouTube. The ads will promote events, such as the upcoming Flavors of Freeport and the Fall Arts Festival; attractions, such as L.L. Bean’s outdoor activities; lodging; restaurants; and, of course, shopping.
“We’re hoping to make Freeport more of an overnight, multi-day vacation rather than a day trip,” she said.
Robinson said that the number of ad views is one means of measuring the success of the ads.
“But the real measure of success will be traffic volume in summer and fall,” she said.
Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism, said in a press release that the grants should help organizations to show their diversity of offerings.
“These grants will help connect visitors to some of Maine’s distinctive experiences, and expand awareness of the diversity of these adventure, culinary, cultural and retail experiences throughout the state,” Ouellette said.
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