Background
The Connecticut Office of Tourism was created to preserve and promote Connecticut's culture, history and allure in order to drive tourism and enhance the quality of life and economic vitality of the state. Throughout the year, the state agency conducts a wide variety of marketing initiatives. Rhythm Interactive has been working with Connecticut Office of Tourism for the past eight years in planning and executing a variety of new-media initiatives.
Challenges
The Connecticut Office of Tourism was struggling to find a strong interactive agency to execute initiatives in a timely manner on a consistent basis. Stronger development capabilities were desired as well in order to build more complex digital solutions. Rhythm Interactive took the challenge head-on and succeeded. This is proven by an eight-year relationship that continues to grow and evolve.
Objectives
- Provide a robust e-mail marketing platform allowing Connecticut Office of Tourism to effectively communicate with their database of tourists
- Develop and implement tools within the site for collecting new subscriber data and grow the marketing database
- Plan and execute large-scale digital solutions
- Provide service and support for specialized marketing campaigns
Solutions
Over the past eight years, Rhythm Interactive has designed and executed many digital marketing initiatives on behalf of the Connecticut Office of Tourism. These initiatives include:
Customization & Implementation of RhythmMail E-mail Marketing Platform (E-Mail)
- RhythmMail platform integrated into CTvisit.com, the state's official tourism website in order to engage site visitors and generate newsletter subscribers
- Management and support of e-marketing channel efforts specific to online sweepstakes
- Design, develop and track Connecticut's monthly e-newsletter
Online Sweepstakes Marketing
- Rhythm Interactive works on the overall strategy, design and technical execution of personalized microsites for seasonal sweepstakes campaigns
- Media planning, buying and management specific to sweepstakes campaigns
- Development of a custom online media tracking tool to aid in media buy optimization
- Design and development of all sweepstakes e-mail campaigns
Website Design, Development & Support Services
- To stay current and enhance site features and functionality, Rhythm Interactive has designed, developed and launched two major website redesigns within the past eight years
- Development of custom content management system to satisfy the unique requirements of the state agency and its constituents. This secure CMS platform allows Connecticut staff to easily make site updates in a timely and efficient manner
- Implemented new technologies within the site to provide more visual elements while still allowing for increased content space
- Effective integration of social networking tools and third-party advertising to generate greater site traffic and revenue
- Website hosting for ctvisit.com and multiple sweepstakes microsites
Results
- Tourism database has grown by over 400%
- Increased traffic for CTvisit.com to 2 million plus visitors annually
- Implemented third-party CMS access allowing partners to update their own content within the ctvisit.com main site. Connecticut realizes significant savings on an annual basis
- Custom CMS allows Connecticut personnel to update site content without the assistance of website developers, providing great cost savings for the state
- Implemented functionality allowing Connecticut's third-party partners CMS access to update their own content. This feature has resulted in significant savings for the state
- More than 125,000 people participated in Connecticut's most recent 2011 summer sweepstakes campaign