Introduction
VisitPITTSBURGH, the official tourism development agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, is focused on attracting tourists to Pittsburgh and driving measurable economic impact. Partnering with Sojern since 2019, the team implemented highly targeted multichannel ad campaigns across display and native. These campaigns have not only boosted visitation and hotel stays but also highlighted Pittsburgh’s unique appeal—especially to travelers drawn to its vibrant arts institutions, nationally recognized culinary scene, legacy sports team, and outdoor adventures.
Objectives
The VisitPITTSBURGH team looked to activate digital marketing campaigns to drive awareness and hotel bookings, and ultimately, economic impact to Pittsburgh. They sought to get their message in front of the right audiences that would appreciate all that Pittsburgh had to offer, primarily travelers who were seeking experiences centered on arts, culture, and the outdoors. On top of that, they wanted to spotlight their recent recognition as a top destination by USA Today with a targeted campaign.
Reaching these niche audiences at the right time with the right message required advanced audience targeting capabilities, access to travel data, and a partner who could help them stand out among other destinations. While marketing efforts aimed to bring tourists to Pittsburgh, the ultimate goal was to convert these visitors into overnight hotel stays. Showing positive ROI, tracking campaign performance, and demonstrating measurable economic impact were essential for success. With limited resources and stiff competition from other destinations, VisitPITTSBURGH turned to a data-driven partner to make their vision a reality.
“Sojern has been a critical partner for a number of years and has done a phenomenal job for our organization. They have our best interests in mind. The biggest benefit of working with them is they have a fundamental understanding of exactly what a destination organization does as they have such a long history of supporting DMOs. They understand us and the consumers we're trying to reach. The knowledge of what we do is absolutely critical. It makes the process so much more seamless. The team is amazing and we look at them as an extension of our own.”
Solution
VisitPITTSBURGH partnered with Sojern in 2019 to leverage targeted digital advertising to drive reach, engagement, hotel bookings, and economic impact. The team ran multichannel campaigns across programmatic display and native, targeting US prospective travelers. The campaigns utilized advanced audience targeting layering affinity and keyword contextual targeting audiences with Sojern’s travel intent data to deliver hyper-relevant messages to their ideal travelers, and in addition to highlighting them as a top travel destination.
To ensure the campaigns resonated with the right audience, Sojern’s team designed compelling ads that cut through the noise of a crowded travel market.
“There's a lot of competition and noise in the marketplace. Sojern helps us break through that noise to ensure we're reaching travelers effectively and early on in the travel buying cycle. When they start to research or purchase their next travel experience, Sojern makes sure we get our message to consumers we want to attract to promote Pittsburgh and stay top of mind. They make the process seamless from campaign launch to optimization,” said Jerad Bachar, president/CEO at VisitPITTSBURGH.
With Sojern’s Economic Impact Report, VisitPITTSBURGH was able to measure the impact of the team’s efforts. From April to June 2024, the campaigns delivered impressive results:
● $1,425,018 in estimated economic impact
● 19:1 ROAS
● 1,212 total hotel reservations booked
“Sojern really stands out from an analytical standpoint, helping us to prove ROI in a very sophisticated way. Having partners like Sojern helps us ensure that the ROI on our advertising continues to grow. Our partnership has shown positive growth year after year and they ensure that we're getting what we need out of our investments,” Bachar said.
About the Partnership
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Agency:
Hotel Partner:
Attraction Partner:
“Sojern has been a critical partner for a number of years and has done a phenomenal job for our organization. They have our best interests in mind. The biggest benefit of working with them is they have a fundamental understanding of exactly what a destination organization does as they have such a long history of supporting DMOs. They understand us and the consumers we're trying to reach. The knowledge of what we do is absolutely critical. It makes the process so much more seamless. The team is amazing and we look at them as an extension of our own.”
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