Ohio marketing pays off

A recent state tourism advertising campaign run by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Tourism in 2011 has already started bringing in profits. The strategy targeted out-of-state residents who could easily drive to Ohio for an overnight getaway, using a mix of social media, mobile, online and traditional channels.

The Tourism Office said in a release that its "Too Much Fun for Just One Day" campaign created a marketing return on investment of $14 for every $1 it spent. That marks an improvement over the ROIs for the 2010 and 2009 campaigns, which pulled in a $13 to $1 return, and 2008's return of $12 for every $1 spent.

"Having such a positive return on investment for our tourism efforts is truly encouraging as we continue to promote Ohio's strong assets, increasing travel to the state and creating sustainable jobs for our citizens," said Christiane Schmenk, director of the Ohio Department of Development.

State tourism direct Amir Eylon added that the state's strategy of playing up the appeal of close-to-home travel had been particularly successful in the wake of the economic downturn.

Ohio has also worked to make trip planning easier for tourists, and last year focused on web design, adding an itinerary builder and a social media aggregator to create a deeper relationship with visitors to the state.