In late 2023 rebuilding in Fort Myers’ islands, beaches and neighborhoods following Hurricane Ian’s September 2022 landfall was still underway. However, most area golf courses were open. Research indicated that 18% of those interested in visiting Fort Myers look for golf experiences when selecting a destination, and 16% describe themselves as golf enthusiasts. Since we were focusing on promoting open attractions and activities, we saw an opportunity to directly target the golf audience.

We sought to raise awareness about Fort Myers’ ideal golf qualities through a partnership with a big-name media vendor who could deliver our message to a national golf audience. But we didn’t want to stop there – we wanted to get a big-name personality to show our audience what an authentic golf experience in Fort Myers looks like, as well as other in-destination activities that can be enjoyed alongside the links. By giving consumers a first-hand glimpse into what a golf vacation here in Fort Myers could look like for them, we wanted to inspire them to take action and book a trip to enjoy our greens (and Gulf blues).

With a total program cost of $250,000 and 11M total impressions to date, this equates to 44 impressions per dollar spent. The cost covered production, distribution and promotion through the Matador Network.  It’s also important to note that all photo and video assets captured are available for the VCB’s use in perpetuity, providing additional value to the investment.