Celebrating the Creativity and Growth in Waco: Marketing & Advertising the City of Waco

1. Celebrating the Creativity and Growth in Waco: Marketing & Advertising the City of Waco February 1, 2019

2. The story – Part 1 • A sleepy little town in the heart of Texas. Texans know it for Baylor University and its quirky museums, but outside of Texas, it’s not so well known. About 550,000 people visit its attractions each year. Some people remember it for the 1993 tragedy at the Branch Davidian compound a few miles outside of town.

3. The story – Part 2 • Then… a show called Fixer Upper catches the nation’s imagination. It’s one of the top rated shows on all of cable TV, and its stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines, love this little town. • The Gaines open a retail shop downtown near some rusty cottonseed silos, and within 3 years, 1.6 million people are visiting annually.

6. Hotel Tax Growth

7. Marketing budget Growth

8. Waco attractions attendance

9. New Hotels

10. Hotel Growth • Current hotel rooms: ~4,000 • Additional rooms: 1,497 • Growth: 37%

11. Tourism Drivers for Waco • Magnolia Market and our attractions • Culture and the Arts • Baylor University • Texas State Technical College • McLennan Community College • Area corporations – TYMCO, Neighborly, Mars Wrigley, others • Aviation/aircraft modification • Hospitals – Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest, Providence Hospital • Meetings and Conventions • Sporting Events • Festivals • And much more.

12. Logo and Branding • The tourism logo is the “outward-facing” logo for Waco • “Heart of Texas” is the tagline • Mentions of Waco as the “Heart of Texas” can be traced back to 1885 Tourism Logo City Logo

13. The Heart of Texas • 1917

14. The Heart of Texas 1925 1911 1885 – Waco Daily Examiner

15. The Heart of Texas 1885 – Fort Worth Gazette 1885 – Waco Daily Examiner

16. Waco’s Marketing • Print Advertisements • Digital Advertising Campaigns • Billboards • Waco TX mobile app – Please download this for yourself! • Websites: • wacoheartoftexas.com (for visitors) • wacocc.com (for the Waco Convention Center) • Waco Film Commission • Brochures – maps, visitors guides, shopping guide, etc.

17. Markets We work with • Leisure Travelers • Journalists and Travel Writers/Bloggers • Sports Market • Meeting and Convention Planner Market • Festival Planners

18. Our Partners • Creative Waco • Texas Brazos Trail • Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce • Centex African American Chamber of Commerce • Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce • Greater Waco Sports Commission • City Center Waco • City of Waco Municipal Information Office • Waco Hotels • Partner Cities: Bellmead, Hewitt, McGregor, Waco

19. Our Creative Approach

20. Our Creative Approach

21. Digital

22. Outdoor

23. outdoor

24. Outdoor

25. Outdoor

26. Outdoor

27. outdoor

28. Official Visitor App • Nearly 15,000 downloads • Robust numbers of pageviews and sessions • Underwent change to new vendor in July, 2018

29. Waco Film Commission

30. Hollywood Comes to Waco • https://www.facebook.com/theoldmanandthegun/videos/595555740887525/

31. What’s Next for Waco? • Tourism is becoming a larger segment of the total Waco economy. • Vacation rentals - $1 million/year • New tour companies • Riverboat tours • New restaurants, wineries, Balcones Distillery, craft breweries • Retail Businesses are still learning how to tap into the Magnolia visitor market. • Wacoans are still in shock over the increased traffic and visibility of the town. • The world is beginning to discover what a beautiful gem this town is!

32. Questions?