Craig Daily Press / MCTA set on marketing strategy

Archive for Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Staff report

September 29, 2009

Craig — After a few weeks of discussion, the Moffat County Tourism Association board voted last week to start a new marketing strategy this fall.

The group plans to pass out tourist questionnaires that can be mailed back to MCTA officials free of charge.

Eventually, the data will be turned over to a professional firm to create a marketing plan.

The hope is enough tourists will take the time to drop their answers in a mailbox so that MCTA officials can pinpoint where visitors are coming from, what they did while staying in Moffat County and what things about their stay could be improved.

In short, the information could be the holy grail of marketing information, MCTA director Michelle Balleck said.

"For a long time, the board has felt we had such potential to do great things," she said.

At the same time, the board has been flying somewhat blind, taking guesses at the best ways to market Moffat County and deliver that message to potential visitors, Balleck added.

The board approved spending as much as $5,000 on the first run of questionnaires, which are expected to be ready by the high point of hunting season.

Scott Ford, who helped the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership with a survey project, will assist MCTA with its questionnaire.

Balleck said the board likely will begin discussing when it should hire a professional marketing firm in November.