Launched in 2010 as an edgy in-state summer marketing campaign, Get Lost (in Montana) has become such a popular rally for travel—and effective campaign—that it has since been expanded to an out-of-state regional effort with both winter and warm season media campaigns.
The spirit behind the campaign is to inspire Montanans and our neighbors to hit the road and explore Montana’s off-the-beaten-path treasures. Sure, we’ve all heard of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. But have you heard of the equally impressive Ross Creek Cedars outside of Libby? Or tasted the world’s finest Sour Cream Lemon Pie at the Crazy Mountain Inn in Martinsdale? Or spent the night at the Virgelle Mercantile not far from the banks of the Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River?
The cornerstone of the campaign is the website, www.getlostmt.com, which serves as a repository of favorite places and travel tips from the people that know Montana best—locals. A primary objective of this season’s campaign is to increase engagement of our audience by increasing use of the “bucket list” functionality of the site. The bucket list functions like a shopping cart. Visitors to the site can create a bucket list and use it to add places that they want to check out before they, well, you know.
For the 2012 campaign, the Office of Tourism is upping the ante. Dubbed the “Bucket List Challenge,” visitors are encouraged to build and submit their bucket list into a sweepstakes drawing. This is a dream vacation giveaway that’s not like any other—because the winner designs the prize. Just put it on your bucket list, submit, and you’ve got a chance to win it. Four lucky folks will be drawn during the four-month campaign, in addition to weekly winners of Get Lost-branded gear and apparel.
The Bucket List Challenge gets some additional promotion this summer through the Get Lost Event Series. MTOT Staff will be hitting the road and heading out to some of Montana’s most popular summertime events with the “Swaggin’ Wagon.” Teams will be giving away Get Lost swag, talking up the campaign, sharing trip planning tools from maps to mobile apps, and working to inspire travel across the state.
The campaign utilizes a combination of traditional paid media placements to build awareness and create intrigue for the campaign and website. It also harnesses the power of time-tested word-of-mouth and emerging technologies through websites with user-generated content, social media marketing and Montana’s 142,000 Facebook fans, and the newly-launched Get Lost mobile application (iPhone and Android users can download it at www.getlostmt.com/app) to assist travelers on the ground.
For more information on the 2012 summer campaign, including creative, media, and budget, visit Current Campaigns.
