Summer travel is on the minds of many, including those who saw Travel South Dakota’s latest edition, “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time,” a campaign that has seen early success and has already generated an estimated $21.4 million in revenue through more than 97,200 hotel and air bookings.
The campaign, which launched in March 2024, generated 82 million impressions and reached more than 9.7 million people. Web traffic to TravelSouthDakota.com has increased 53% since the campaign began.
Travel South Dakota's campaign aims to remind those planning a trip of the joys that can be found by taking it easy, following your instincts and being spontaneous, and this year's creative direction features nostalgia for a place where travel was less complicated, more raw and varied.
“People are drawn to South Dakota's natural beauty, outdoor adventures, arts, culture and the opportunity to experience the wonder and awe of authentic experiences,” said South Dakota Tourism Director James Hagen. “By continuing to get our message in front of our target audience, we can remind people that there are amazing places waiting for them in South Dakota, and that there is so much more to experience and explore in our state than most people realize.”
The “Plenty of South Dakota, Little Time” peak campaign, which launched in March and will run through October 2024, continues to build brand awareness, change perceptions and drive qualified traffic to the Travel South Dakota website. The campaign's duration has been extended through October to prepare for seasonal changes, capitalize on key travel planning timing and reduce off-season gaps.
Video performance for Travel South Dakota campaigns has been consistently strong, and this year's plans focus on video content of various lengths. The campaign creatively includes never-before-seen footage from across the state. There are multiple storylines to resonate with different audiences. Consumers might follow a group of friends on an adventure across the state, from sailing in Yankton to a concert in historic Deadwood. They might follow a family as they go from attending a rodeo to exploring the South Dakota Children's Museum in Brookings, or a couple as they go from fine dining in Sioux Falls to rock climbing in the Black Hills.
The campaign aims to achieve more than 138 million impressions locally and 80 million nationally across a variety of paid media channels, including TV, video, audio, print magazine, outdoor advertising, podcasts, display and paid social media, and will feature reads from podcast hosts such as Atlas Obscura, Bobby Bones, Hannah Brown and Office Ladies. Outdoor advertising efforts are focused in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Denver, Colorado, with Kansas City, Missouri added to the list of key markets this year.
According to a recent study by Longwoods International, the “South Dakota is Great, Time is Short” campaign resonated with potential visitors, with 63% reporting that they recognized the ad and that it improved their overall impression of the state. After being exposed to the campaign, consumers reported that they were more willing to consider South Dakota an “exciting place,” a “fun place to vacation,” and a “must-see destination.”
The “South Dakota is Great, Time is Short” peak campaign promises to bring back the mystique of people's lives, offering summer travelers a chance to escape reality and return feeling transformed and fulfilled.
For more inspiration and trip planning resources, visit TravelSouthDakota.com
