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About Douglas County Fair & RodeoThe Douglas County Fair & Rodeo (DCFR) stands as a cherished tradition, embodying the essence of community, culture, and celebration in our county. The DCFR has a century-long history in the County as a treasured community event. The DCFR doesn’t just celebrate the western heritage and agriculture that makes Douglas County, Colorado great, but includes a lineup of exciting, family fun and entertainment, including thrilling PRCA rodeos, live entertainment, carnival rides and games, and incredible food, highlighted by a unique Farm to Table experience.
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ChallengeDespite the historic high attendance of more than 60,000 in 2023, achieving a 50% increase since 2016, DCFR faced the challenge of further enhancing its marketing efforts to maintain and grow this momentum. The existing integrated marketing and communications strategy, primarily driven by the County’s Communications and Public Affairs staff and Fair and Rodeo staff, has been successful.
However, there was a pressing need to expand the digital media marketing footprint to reach untapped demographics and geographic areas within the county, especially the northern tier (Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker, Castle Pines). DCFR enlisted Novitas Communications to boost awareness and drive attendance during both weekends of the Fair through targeted and effective digital marketing strategies. |
SolutionAs the account manager, I developed a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to amplify the visibility of the DCFR, engaging both existing attendees and new audiences to drive attendance, participation, and overall success of the event. First, I identified our target audience, and then we developed a core messaging document to create consistent messaging across all marketing channels that resonates with the target audience. I developed a social media content calendar to consistently publish relevant and valuable content.
I created and launched Google Display Network ads and programmatic display ads using visually appealing content that included compelling messaging and a call-to-action to promote ticket sales and attendance. I also created and launched video ads on YouTube and on programmatic channels highlighting video content and a call-to-action to promote ticket sales and attendance. I used geofencing to focus on areas within and around Douglas County, and where the target audience spend their time. And I conducted A/B testing – different ad creatives, messaging, targeting options, and landing pages to identify which combinations yield the best results. |
ResultsThe first month of the campaign was very successful, with 137,417 impressions and a CTR (click-through rate) of 0.38%, well above the average 0.10%.
137,417 Impressions
(Month 1) 
0.38% CTR
(Month 1) |
