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Co-Operative Marketing


Package or Perish. Heard that one before? With the economy changing faster than gasoline prices, everyone with something to sell can afford to ignore working with marketing partners. Don’t believe me, look at the internet, especially tourist web sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz. “Working with” partners can take many different forms. Here are a few ideas I hope you find useful.

Be Creative
There are many possibilities for free co-op marketing. Is what you have to sell of interest to someone else? For years hotels and theaters have worked together very successfully. Look at Phantom of the Opera and Lion King in Toronto over the years and in Cleveland the summer of 2003. Since the late 1990’s Visitors Bureau have developed web sites and very sophisticated marketing campaigns where members can do some hard selling, such as overnight packages.

Attraction, hotels, restaurants and other businesses can cross promote one other for free or low cost in a number of ways such as: lead referrals, joint packages for the leisure and group markets, mail each other’s literature to clients, exchange mailing lists, host joint FAMiliarization tours and site inspections, develop a sample itinerary, conduct a local or out-of-town sales blitz, web page links, offer Good Any Day coupons at the hotel concierge desk, distribute your literature in someone else display rack, etc. Can you work with your local AAA or Visitors Bureau for non-commissioned sales?

In November 1999 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Science Center developed the Science Rocks package. Word-of-mount and a one page flier has essentially been our only marketing. The package has been unbelievably successful!

You Gotta Spend Money to Make Money
When we join an organization such as American Bus Association (ABA) or National Tour Association (NTA) we are essentially buying a leads list, which is called a Member Directory. By joining ABA members have indicated an general interest in what we have to sell. Of course, what you have to sell may not be of interest to all members. With that Member Directory you can to quickly target potential clients and mail, phone, fax, or email information about your property. Joining or working with your local Visitors Bureau and State Tourism Office can also be a very affordable way to sell your product.

Sometimes paid advertising is a must. To help reduce cost, how about sharing the ad cost with a marketing partner? Attending a trade show or marketplace? Share the booth. Amusement parks learned long ago the value of working with AAA for the leisure market and pre-formed groups. For those attractions that are very popular, the AAA may seek a commission. Do the math to see if this option makes sense otherwise maybe you can participate in the AAA’s Show Your Card and Save.

Direct mail can also be effective. You may be able to promote your product and keep costs low by developing a joint marketing piece with a partner. By mailing to two different lists, you can reach a wider audience without dramatically increasing costs.

The only limits with co-operative marketing is imagination and well, of course, budget. But there may be many effective ways to sell your product by working with other organizations and keep within your budget. Attending Ohio Travel Association meetings and events is a great way to network so you can develop your own co-op marketing promotions with other OTA members.