Duluth unveils new tourism campaign

DULUTH - The first effort by the Twin Cities firm controversially hired last summer to promote Duluth was unveiled this week in a new marketing campaign.

A new logo and slogan, billboards, photography, a commercial and a paid media strategy all target people who live 200 to 400 miles away, banking on research that offers profiles of likely Duluth visitors who say they want an authentic, local experience and are willing to drive hours for it.

Last year, Duluth's City Council chose Edina-based Bellmont Partners to lead marketing for tourism, a nearly $1 billion industry for the city of 86,000. It was a decision that left the local visitor's bureau with a smaller slice of the work after steering the city's marketing for nearly 90 years.

Mayor Emily Larson, speaking to a room of business leaders and others at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) on Monday, acknowledged the city's criticized choice.

"I recognize this was a decision not everyone was on board with, so I am grateful you are here," she said.

The new campaign launched fully late last month in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Fargo, Rochester, Eau Claire, Wis., and Wausau, Wis. A smaller winter campaign linked to a travel site is credited with 380 hotel bookings and 12 flights to Duluth.

Bellmont Partners, a public relations firm, along with advertising agency Lawrence & Schiller, analyzed competitive destinations and surveyed 1,200 people from 10 states and two Canadian provinces, along with Duluth residents and those who work in the city's tourism industry.

The campaign is intended to evoke "the vibe and feel of Duluth," said Laura Mitchell, a marketing executive with Lawrence & Schiller.

"People who come here really want to feel like they are part of the community and experience authentic Duluth," she said.

Half the people surveyed said they'd drive at least 10 hours for a vacation, and more than 60% said they prefer driving to flying. The campaign targets families, adventurers and an active, older crowd desiring local food and culture.

The city in January hired a tourism tax-funded economic developer to focus on tourism, arts and culture and is offering its new tourism research and resources to businesses so they can leverage what's been learned. That's a change from past practice, Larson said.

"We have kind of [delegated] that responsibility outward," she said, offering money but not much else. "Now, we're really saying we are in this with you."

DECC Executive Director Dan Hartman said knowing who is traveling to Duluth and what they're seeking is "pivotal" for the city's economy, still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"You can see we are attacking that group we learned about far better than we did in the past," he said.

Larson said the city will be tracking data like hotel stays more closely, so it's clear whether increases in tourism tax collections for lodging, for example, are related to increased costs or bookings.

The city's tourism tax collection rebounded to 2019 levels in 2021, but some of that is attributed to rising costs for restaurants and hotels.

Visit Duluth's leaders were there as part of the reveal Monday, along with those from the DECC, who together with the city, Bellmont Partners and Lawrence & Schiller, now make up the Duluth Tourism Collaborative.

Visit Duluth will helm a new visitor center in Canal Park, and now handles conventions, sports and event sales. Its new president, Daniele Villa, called the campaign "a fresh new start."