Meet the Client
Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau represents Natchitoches (NAK-A-TISH), Louisiana’s official destination marketing organization, showcasing one of the most storied and charming places in the Southern United States. Natchitoches is celebrated as the oldest permanent European settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, founded in 1714, and retains a rich blend of French, Spanish, Creole, and Southern cultural influences woven through its historic architecture, riverfront setting, and vibrant community life.
The destination’s appeal lies in its timeless historic district, a National Historic Landmark featuring 33 blocks of preserved buildings, riverside strolls, boutique shopping, and culinary delights along the scenic Cane River. Beyond its heritage, Natchitoches hosts year-round cultural events and festivals that draw visitors seeking authentic experiences rooted in deep local traditions and Southern hospitality.
The Challenge
Natchitoches entered the year at a pivotal moment. After years of working with long-standing marketing partners, destination leadership made a deliberate shift toward a more strategic, measurable, and integrated approach.
The objective was clear and ambitious: drive meaningful performance today while establishing a data-driven foundation to support long-term growth.
The Strategy
This 12-month, full-funnel campaign was built to support both seasonal demand and long-term economic resilience. Strategy, creative, and targeting evolved throughout the year to meet shifting audience needs and local conditions.
Q1: Early-Year Demand
The campaign opened by activating Northwestern State University students, parents, and alumni, focusing on visitors already coming into market. Messaging encouraged longer stays by highlighting Natchitoches’ shopping, dining, nightlife, and attractions, introducing “weekend getaway” behaviors early in the year.
Q2–Q3: Community Support
As the year progressed, the strategy intentionally adapted. Following the closure of a major paper mill, one of the parish’s largest economic drivers, the campaign shifted toward shopping-led messaging designed to stimulate local spending and support small businesses during a critical period for the community.
Midyear Activation: Halfway to the Holidays
Midway through the year, Advance Travel & Tourism and the Natchitoches CVB launched Halfway to the Holidays, a Christmas-in-July activation designed to spark early holiday travel planning. The campaign combined a custom AL.com contest, paid social and display, and a Christmas-themed sponsored article, generating thousands of high-intent leads and strong engagement. Its success led the CVB to formalize Halfway to the Holidays as an annual, multi-partner initiative.
Q4: Peak Season Performance
From late Q3 through Q4, the campaign transitioned fully into Christmas promotion, supporting the Christmas Festival while elevating Natchitoches as a must-visit seasonal destination. Messaging, placements, and timing were intentionally aligned to capture peak holiday planning and travel windows across all channels.
This comprehensive approach allowed partner organizations, including the group responsible for producing the Christmas Festival, to rely on the destination’s campaign rather than duplicating efforts. The result was greater efficiency across the local ecosystem and a level of scale and consistency individual partners could not achieve independently, amplifying overall impact during the destination’s most important season.
Audience Strategy
Across all phases, Gen Z and Millennial audiences were a deliberate priority. While the destination consistently performs well with Gen X and Baby Boomers, this campaign focused on introducing the Natchitoches brand to younger travelers, supporting both near-term performance and long-term audience growth.
The Creative
The results
The campaign delivered exceptional, destination-wide impact, both immediately and structurally.
Natchitoches is projecting a 32–35% increase in bed tax revenue, significantly outperforming other areas of the state that experienced flat or declining results during the same period.
The Christmas season was described by the client as “monstrously successful,” with visitation and demand exceeding expectations. Sustained, multi-channel exposure built momentum well ahead of peak season, driving strong performance throughout the holidays.
One of the most telling outcomes came from the Christmas Festival itself. Because of the destination-level campaign, the festival organization reduced its own advertising spend by approximately 75%, relying instead on the Advance Travel & Tourism campaign. Despite that reduction, the festival generated enough revenue to carry funds forward into the following year, a first in the event’s history and a critical milestone as it approaches its 100th anniversary.
The Halfway to the Holidays campaign alone generated 3,038 high-intent leads, exceeded industry benchmarks across paid channels, and sparked organic participation from local businesses and partners, establishing a new, repeatable marketing moment for the destination.
Beyond performance metrics, the campaign marked a strategic turning point. After moving away from long-standing agency relationships, destination leadership noted this was the first time they had a truly comprehensive strategy supported by clear, actionable data. The objective was to move the needle; the result was a redefinition of what success looked like.
With strong board-level satisfaction, renewal conversations are underway, with opportunities to expand the program further in the year ahead.
32–35% increase in bed tax revenue
the festival generated enough revenue to carry funds forward into the following year
3,038 high-intent leads
Looking Ahead
For Natchitoches, this campaign marked a clear turning point. What began as a seasonal effort evolved into a flexible, year-round strategy, capable of responding to economic disruption, cultivating new audiences, and building demand well ahead of peak travel periods. By pairing integrated media with clear performance data, the destination shifted from reactive marketing to proactive growth, establishing a scalable model to carry forward into future seasons and milestone moments.
Ad Choices