CITY OF
FORT BRAGG
VISIT FORT BRAGG
Fiscal Year
2024
Proposed Budget
DEPARTMENT DETAILS – MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
City of Fort Bragg
FY 2023/24 Proposed Budget
Promote Fort Bragg’s vibrant tourism economy; strengthen the Fort Bragg tourism experience; and Increase Transient Occupancy Tax and Sales tax revenues.
FORT BRAGG TOURISM MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
DEPARTMENT DETAILS – MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
City of Fort Bragg
FY 2023/24 Proposed Budget
The City Manager’s Office will oversee the implementation of Fort Bragg’s Visit Fort Bragg/Marketing & Promotion Plan, which is funded from the increased Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues per the Measures AA and AB. The Marketing & Promotion Plan includes the following primary tasks which have been undertaken through contracts with consultants and partner agencies:
• Branding
• Advertising
• Public Relations & Media Outreach
• Website Development
• Interactive & Social Media Marketing
• Collateral & Visitor Information
• Content Development (word/photo/video)
• Creative Support Visit Fort Bragg Committee Special Events City Council
Visit Fort Bragg
Commitee
City Manager's
Office
City Manager/
Administrative
Analyst
Special Projects
Manager
Marketing & PR
Professionals
(Consultant)
FORT BRAGG TOURISM MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
DEPARTMENT DETAILS – MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
City of Fort Bragg
FY 2023/24 Proposed Budget
FY 2022/23 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Increased site traffic and engaged subscribers to social media and e-newsletter through ongoing promotions, including digital campaigns and television reach campaigns. • Direct merchant support through events and promotions such as Magic Market, Winter Wonderland, Holiday Gift Guide, Whale Fest and Restaurant Week. • The Great Photo Collection campaign garnered over 400 original entries and increased social following and engagement. Five winners were selected, and all photos were available for marketing purposes.
• Creation and promotion of original website/microsite for Fort Bragg Arts and Culture featuring a wide range of artists along with the creation of the Fort Bragg Alleyway Art Project website. Continued, ongoing creation and promotion of multiple art and culture features and stories.
• Shoulder season video campaign featuring two: 30 TV commercials shot on location in Fort Bragg. The campaign generated over 300,0000 impressions, 2,000 hours of video interaction, and an unprecedented 87% online Viewed in Full rate. • Sacramento Magazine print and newsletter campaign.
• Mendocino Film Festival sponsorship with program and preens at Coast Cinemas. • Continued creative identity and promotion of key events:
- Magic Market Holiday Gift Guide, including first-time artist pop-ups - Winter Wonderland with extensive local and visitor outreach - Whale Fest + Restaurant Week, Beer Fest
• Landing Page: newsletter sign up promotions creates 5,0000 subscribers • Google Display Campaign with 39,0000 clicks @ $0.11/click • Organic Social unites merchants, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
FY 2023/24 TOP PRIORITIES
• Continue to grow to Visit Fort Bragg’s marketing subscriber base on social media and enewsletter, encouraging visitation and maintaining an affinity for Fort Bragg. • Continue to support Fort Bragg merchants through directly-measurable marketing promotions that drive engagement and customer traffic.
• Continue to reach and engage with younger audiences in driving distance regions (SF, East & South Bay) outside of Northern Central Valley.
• Currently involved in Social Media restructuring to highlight and differentiate creative brand identity, align social content categories, solidify use of local stories and reels and support robust event promotion.
• Promote and cultivate Fort Bragg’s role in a regional Blue Economy effort with targeted campaigns focused on the marine environment, environment and technology. • Maintain successful, popular annual promotions such as Photo Collection, Gift Guide, etc., using past years as foundations for increased engagement. • Develop a mountain biking campaign in partnership with CAL FIRE and Jackson State Demonstration Forest to encourage discovery, visitation and responsible use of state forest.
DEPARTMENT DETAILS – MARKETING & PROMOTIONS
City of Fort Bragg
FY 2023/24 Proposed Budget
BUDGET OVERVIEW
A voter-approved Measure AA in 2016 increased the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) with a companion advisory measure (Measure AB), which allocates one-half of the TOT proceeds to Marketing Fort Bragg as a visitor destination. TOT revenue has recorded yearover-year growth since 2017, which is to some degree related to the increase in marketing efforts.
The Marketing and Promotions Budget is $241K for FY 2024, a 9% increase from budgeting for the July 4th Fireworks in the current budget rather than splitting the budgets during two fiscal years. Additionally, the Visit Fort Bragg Committee has a budget increase of $24K for local events. Professional services of $180k are costs for Idea Cooperative, the contracted marketing firm.
BUDGET EXPENDITURE DETAIL:
Fund #110
Department: 4321
Object Description
FY 2021/22
Audited
FY 2022/23
Amended
Budget
22/23 FYE
Projected
FY 2023/24
Proposed
Budget
%
+ /-
0319 Professional Services $ 193,880 $ 200,000 $ 200,000 $ 180,000 -10% 0320 Dues & Memberships 150 - 150 150 0%
0371 Meetings/City Business - 500 250 500 100%
0619 Fireworks 32,803 20,000 20,000 35,000 75%
0382 Visit Fort Bragg Committee - - - 25,000 100%
Total Marketing & Promotion Budget $ 226,875 $ 220,500 $ 220,400 $ 240,650 9%
VISIT FORT BRAGG MARKETING & PROMOTIONS BUDGET SUMMARY
FUND 110
DEPARTMENT: 4321
Description
FY 2021/22
Audited
FY 2022/23
Amended
Budget
22/23 FYE
Projected
FY 2023/24
Proposed
Budget
%
+ /-
Expenditure:
Material and Services $ 226,875 $ 220,500 $ 220,400 $ 240,650 9% Total Departmental Expenditure $ 226,875 $ 220,500 $ 220,400 $ 240,650 9%