Associate Member, Midwest Travel Journalists Association
PR and Communications Manager, Kansas Tourism
Topeka, Kansas
Can you share a brief overview of your role and responsibilities as a public relations professional for your travel destination?
As the PR & Communications Manager for Kansas Tourism I oversee all media-related communications. From press releases, media newsletters, and media requests to radio, TV, and podcast interviews. I also write blogs for our website and manage the blog portion of travelKS.com. I’m the host for our tourism segment on WIBW 13 TV, “To the Stars and On the Road” where I film blogger style at destinations across Kansas. The segment airs twice weekly and is also posted to social channels.
What challenges do you face when promoting travel destinations in the Midwest, and how do you overcome them?
It’s all about changing perspectives on the “fly over” state persona. Many travelers have passed through Kansas, don’t get off the interstates, and base the entire state off that drive. For us, our marketing strategy has really been about changing those perceptions while staying authentically Kansas. To do so, we have bold messaging, incredible visuals, and compelling narratives. While Kansas has the reputation of being rural and an agriculture-centric state, which we are very proudly so, we are so much more than that with urban communities, culture, history that has changed the world, quirky and weird. We are many things, and our messaging reflects that.
What advice would you give to travel journalists looking to collaborate with destination PR professionals like yourself?
Be personal when reaching out to destinations. We receive a lot of generic requests that don’t give us any insight to you as a journalist and the interests you have in our destination. Do some research and tell us what you are most interested in and some possible storylines the trip could generate. Include your portfolio in the email to us so we can get a feel for your style and alter your portfolio to reflect stories that are like the destination you are reaching out to. I receive so many media kits and portfolios that showcase mountainous and tropical destinations and I can’t relate those to Kansas or see ourselves through their writing.
How do you ensure that the stories and content generated about your destination remain authentic and engaging for audiences?
By giving the writers an authentic experience. We don’t encourage behind the scenes experiences that the traveling public couldn’t book themselves. We don’t ask restaurants to develop special menus or hotels to put on a façade for the media. While we want every attraction and business to be welcoming and recognize the impact of media visits, we want every person visiting our communities to receive the same treatment as the next.
What strategies do you use to inspire travel journalists to visit and cover your destination?
I’m most successful through media marketplaces at conferences. Being able to meet face-to-face has the biggest impact. You can’t replace the communications and interactions you get from in-person networking. I also get a lot of requests to be hosted after social media coverage from my FAM trips. Journalist will see someone they know and watch their social media coverage of the trip and are inspired enough to reach out and want to have an experience like that. It helps that I am the person they meet at the events, and I am the same person that coordinates the trip with them and hosts the FAM trips alongside them.