Key Takeaways
- Our 14-year partnership has helped Bismarck-Mandan grow into a go-to destination for leisure travelers, meeting planners and sports organizers
- Even with the ups and downs of the tourism industry, the CVB continues to outperform nearby markets
- The 2025 campaign sparked strong engagement, boosted intent to travel and lifted performance across digital, social and event-focused channels
- These results show steady, long-term momentum built on smart strategy, collaboration and a brand that keeps opening new doors
Overview
For more than a decade, we’ve teamed up with the Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau to highlight everything that makes the region such an inviting and versatile place to visit. Together, we’ve helped families plan memorable getaways, brought in outdoor enthusiasts looking for fresh adventure and guided national organizations toward hosting their next big meeting or event here.
And the impact is real. In 2019 alone, meetings, conventions and sporting events brought in 378,050 visitors who spent $32.6 million in the community. That kind of momentum continues to shape how we plan and deliver work today.
Challenge
The tourism landscape hasn’t exactly been calm. Even though Bismarck-Mandan remains strong, visitors are facing new hurdles:
- Event attendance is steady, but room nights have dipped 5.8 percent
- Hotel occupancy is down around the state
- Longwoods International reports that travelers are torn between wanting to hit the road and worrying about the cost of getting there
- The new REAL ID requirement has added one more step for anyone flying domestically
Strategy & Approach
Leisure Campaign Media Strategy
We set out to increase awareness and drive traffic to the CVB website, which serves as a hub for trip ideas, itineraries, events and everything travelers need to start planning. We also continued using digital attribution to track which audiences and channels were converting interest into action.
Target Geography
Statewide North Dakota (excluding Bismarck-Mandan), western Minnesota and key counties in South Dakota.
Target Audiences
- Women 30-65 planning weekend getaways
- Families with children
- Outdoor enthusiasts ages 30-75
- People looking for upcoming events
- Meeting and event planners
Meetings & Events Media Strategy
We positioned Bismarck-Mandan as the Upper Midwest’s top choice for conventions, meetings and sports events using a nationwide reach and strong emphasis on digital channels.
Channels
- Cable and print for Meetings & Events audiences
- Digital: Online display, programmatic video, CTV, streaming audio, keyword contextual, Site Impact emails and event geotargeting
- Social: Meta, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn
- ND Tourism COOP: Travel guides, hunting and fishing guides, connected TV, streaming audio, Google Keyword, Meta
Execution
We organized campaigns around peak travel interest and seasonal planning cycles to make sure every message hit at the right time.
- Campaigns aligned with peak travel demand and seasonal behavior
- Leisure and Meetings & Events campaigns ran in coordinated phases across cable, digital and social
- Creative deliverables included full campaign assets plus the Visitor Guide cover and interior ads
- Media tactics featured Simpli.fi display, video, CTV and streaming audio
- Keyword contextual ads supported high-intent search activity
- Site Impact email campaigns drove quality sessions and deeper engagement
Together, these pieces created a strong, consistent presence that kept Bismarck-Mandan in front of the right audiences all year long.
Results
The 2025 campaign delivered impressive results, especially in metrics tied to future travel behavior and meaningful engagement.
- Travel guide views and requests grew 50% year over year
- Nearly 26M impressions and about 150,000 unique website visitors
- Point-of-interest visitation climbed 8%
- Strong engagement from Site Impact emails and awareness audiences
- Website engagement improved across the board with higher rates and longer time spent on site
- Events pages surged in traffic and became top converters for turning users into visitors
- Iowa and Colorado emerged as promising new markets with growing interest
Summary
For more than 14 years, our partnership with the Bismarck-Mandan CVB has stayed focused on one purpose: helping the region shine as a standout destination. By grounding every decision in research, staying aligned as partners and using digital tools effectively, we’ve helped the CVB navigate industry challenges while continuing to grow visibility and engagement.
The latest results show that visitors are exploring more, spending more time on the site and showing clear signs of choosing Bismarck-Mandan for their next trip, tournament or event. And with new audiences discovering the region every year, the future really does feel wide open, with no boundaries in sight.
Creative
Visitors Guide
Visitors Guide
Social Media Ad
Social Media Ad