Tennessee’s Outdoor Playground… Roan Mountain Visitors’ Bureau now compiling information for next publication

Published 4:51 pm Thursday, August 27, 2020

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BY BRITTNEE NAVE
STAR CORRESPONDENT
The marketing campaign for “Tennessee’s Outdoor Playground” is catching eyes.
The brochure highlights and advertises various places in Roan Mountain, from places to eat, places to stay, things to do and more. There were 40,000 copies of the brochure produced and distributed to 28,000 Mountain Electric Cooperative service accounts, and 81 brochure racks at all the most heavily trafficked iconic North Carolina High Country venues.
Mike Hill, chief of the Roan Mountain Visitors’ Bureau, explained the significance of this marketing campaign.
“My team is convinced that the groundbreaking 2020 campaign was instrumental in our not losing any businesses in Roan Mountain due to the COVID-19 crisis,” he said. 
The brochures dropped following the safer-at-home orders becoming relaxed. According to Hill, there were still many visitors to the area. 
“The campaign is still paying residuals,” he said.
Along with the brochure and the directional, under the campaign, Roan Mountain also was featured on the cover of the summer issue for Carolina Mountain Life (CML) Magazine. Likewise, a promotional video, “We’ll See Ya When You Get Here,” from the bureau was also released.
The exposure to the area through the campaign can be attributed to grant funding they were previously awarded. Work is currently underway to continue the campaign into 2021, and Hill is optimistic for a renewal.
The bureau is now compiling Roan Mountain area lodging and service business listings for the next publishing run of the brochure. This is free, and there are advertising opportunities as well.
“It’s a free listing,” he said. “Because it’s grant funded, we can offer this to people at no cost. We just need an accurate website, phone numbers and hours of operation,” he said. 
In addition to the listing in publication, free links are on the visitor’s website at www.VisitRoanMountain.com.
“Before we print another 40,000 brochures, I’d like to make sure that if anything new is established in the district, we get their information and include them,” he said.
In terms of deadlines to submit information, Hill said October. He is also optimistic to include expansions to the brochure as well and this is part of ongoing work. 
Hill said he is proud of the success of the campaign. 
“The key is getting it in front of people, and I think we did pretty good for what was invested and it really can only get better,” he said. 
Submissions can be done by private messaging the visitors bureau on Facebook, on their website or by emailing visitroanmountain@yahoo.com

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