America’s Byways Partnership Marketing
The Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the America’s Byways Resource Center, is developing a public/private partnership marketing program designed to encourage American travelers to explore America’s Byways®. Partnership opportunities exist for companies and corporations whose businesses especially link with the tourism categories of Touring/Special Events and Outdoor Adventure (PDF, .txt).
America’s Byways were first designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in 1992 and the collection now includes 150 exceptional drives across the country that will take you to a real America of history, unique cultures, special people, fascinating archaeological sites, natural wonders and stunning scenic beauty. The www.byways.org website provides rich information on the experiences that can be found along these great roads.
Over the past year, a Public Awareness Plan was developed to address these goals:
- Expanding public awareness and understanding of the America’s Byways collection
- Diversifying and expanding partnerships
- Strengthening the byway community, economic development, resource protection and public awareness
- Preserving, protecting and promoting the byways’ intrinsic archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic qualities
An analysis of the America’s Byways Image and Visitor Profiling was completed by the research firm Longwoods International®, and a significant conclusion was drawn that America’s Byways deliver a memorable experience that travelers really enjoy, but that more information and better publicity on America’s Byways was needed by potential travelers. Research also indicated that the three largest segments of overnight travelers that align well with the America’s Byways experience are the Touring, Special Event and Outdoor market segments. To read more about the research findings, click here.
The direction of this Public Awareness initiative is to build awareness and understanding of America’s Byways through a totally integrated public and private partnership of companies and organizations with shared business goals, shared values, and shared marketing objectives. We invite you to join us in this exciting and very special venture. As a partner, we believe you can reinforce, in a very relevant and tangible way, your identity as a leading company in America, as well as take full advantage of the marketing environment of the program to position your brands.
Partners will be drawn from companies and organizations that can directly benefit from the visibility of the America’s Byways collection as one of America’s best opportunities for tourism, economic development, and stewardship. We anticipate one unified national effort being developed with multiple partners. Participation from the private sector will be at a national level, with additional opportunities possible at the regional and community level.
Potential partnership categories include, but are not limited to: Adventure, Automotive, Beverage, Car Rental, Credit Card, Financial, Fitness, Food Services, Hospitality, Media, Retail, Philanthropic, Photographic, Sports, Technology, Telecommunications, and Wellness.
The Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Program connects you to a network of transportation, tourism, heritage, and cultural contacts around the country. The State byway contacts and individual byway leaders represent a cross-section of passionate individuals who support the promotion and sustainability of the America’s Byways collection. In addition, Federal Land Management Agencies, including the Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management, work closely with the National Scenic Byways Program in supporting the byways.
Over the last 11 years, the America’s Byways brand has gained strength and recognition. The National Scenic Byways Program’s consumer website, www.byways.org, provides up-to-date information on the 150 America’s Byways currently in the collection, including maps, places of interest, news, and itineraries. An extensive collection of public domain photographs are also available on the site. Byways.org is accessed by millions of potential and repeat travelers each year, and the media use the information for international, national, regional and local print, video and Web stories on a regular basis.
By working together, we can leverage each other’s distribution channels, communications tools, websites, databases, events and promotions to build a program that reflects a shared direction for everyone involved. Through the power of the partnership, we can increase the brand equity with all participating partners, build a program with high PR value and critical mass to realize our collective business objectives, and win the respect and interest of our common target consumers.
We invite you to come CLOSER to America’s Byways®—the gateways to cultural and historical sites, landmarks and icons; roads that capture the imagination, and encourage friends, families, and individuals to seek out fun and adventure; and where everyone can find a truly authentic American experience.
We would welcome the chance to get together with you and see if our initiative fits into your marketing objectives. Please contact Michelle Johnson at partnerships@byways.org for further information.
America’s Byways Consumer Research
America’s Byways Resource Center, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, executed three phases of research in association with the development of a Public Awareness Strategy. The components of the research are:
- Stakeholder
- Visitor Profiling
- Positioning
Longwoods International was commissioned to provide the research components and help define the overall approach and messaging strategies. The focus of this report and key findings relate to the following two consumer research components:
- An Image and Positioning Study
- Personal Vehicular Traveler Analysis - A detailed analysis of the byways’ target market
Key Highlights (PDF, .txt)
Personal Vehicular Traveler Analysis
- 2005 (PDF, .txt)
- 2007 (PDF, .txt)
Awareness, Familiarity and Appeal of the America’s Byways® Collection (PDF, .txt)
Product Perception vs. Actual Experience (PDF, .txt)
Motivating Potential Byways Travelers (PDF, .txt)
National Scenic Byways Program
Information on the Department of Transportation National Scenic Byways Program can be found on www.bywaysonline.org. Read about the America’s Byways Resource Center on www.bywaysresourcecenter.org.
Contact Information
To discuss partnership opportunities, please contact:
Michelle Johnson
Director
America’s Byways Resource Center
Direct: 218-625-3305
Cell: 218-349-8611
E-mail: partnerships@byways.org
