VisitAberdeenshire Marketing Manager Ashleigh Pirie shares why understanding audiences, creating emotional connections and working collaboratively with partners are essential ingredients in delivering successful destination marketing campaigns.
Every visitor experiences a destination differently - a family looking for a weekend break, a couple planning a romantic escape, a golfer, a foodie and an adventure seeker may all visit the same place but leave with completely different memories.
At VisitAberdeenshire, we rely upon a wealth of data, insights and knowledge to help us make informed decisions based on who our audiences are, where they are, what motivates them and what they're looking for from a destination. That includes understanding where demand is coming from, what type of trip people are considering, which experiences are gaining interest and how to keep our destination relevant before a booking decision is ever made.
What makes destination marketing so different is that we're tasked with promoting something we didn't create and can't control – though believe me if I could control the weather I 100% would.
Tourism marketing isn't about convincing people to buy something, it's about helping people imagine themselves somewhere. It's about creating an emotional connection with a place they may never have visited before. It's part research, part psychology and part storytelling. And that's also why partnerships matter so much.
No single business defines a destination. A visitor's experience is shaped by the places they stay, the attractions they visit, the food and drink they enjoy, the activities they experience and the people they meet along the way.
The most effective destination campaigns bring those experiences together, helping potential visitors see not just one business, but an entire trip worth taking.
Ten years since its formation, VIsitAberdeenshire continues to innovative promotional campaigns for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and we're always looking to work with businesses and partners who share our ambition to celebrate the very best of the region and inspire more people to discover everything it has to offer.
I'm passionate about our region, fascinated by what drives travel decisions and motivated by the challenge of helping more people discover just how incredible the region really is.
That's what makes destination marketing so challenging and so rewarding.