Competitors Band Together to Make Advertising Work

Jackie Binion | 16 October 2006 |

Room revenues are dropping and seasonal tourist numbers seem to be dwindling. Not to mention that it seems every other destination is all over the map from radio, television and the internet advertising. So what are you going to do to continue to thrive in this competitive market?

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a group of hoteliers have banded together to make a sort of co-op for area promotion. They have organized the Myrtle Beach Lodging Cooperative consisting of about 70 hotels after learning that the destination’s advertising budget was strained. Compared to their closest competition of Orlando, Virginia Beach, Gatlinburg, Daytona Beach and The Outer Banks the average traveler would only see one Myrtle Beach ad for about 20 from one the others.

According to the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Myrtle Beach spends less than $100 per available room compared to its top five competitors that spend between $300 and $800 per room promoting tourism. Hoteliers in Myrtle Beach just couldn’t take it anymore, so they developed the Cooperative to help boost advertising campaigns for the area.

For every room occupied during a month, these hoteliers will give $1 to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. The funds donated have quadrupled the advertising budget for the area and even helped gain a state grant.

“We just couldn’t continue to do nothing,” said Woody Crosby, President of Jordan Properties, which operates 606 rooms in the area including the Crown Reef Resort. “We just reached a point where we had to do something. We should have done this a long time ago.”

This is not a new concept in advertising, yet could prove to be a gainful venture for your area. If your destination could use a little boost in numbers, this could be a great solution.

Read the article about the Myrtle Beach Lodging Cooperative in The Sun News

Jackie Binion - Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc.