Annual Report FY26

DIVERSITY CAMPAIGN STRATEGIC APPROACH

THE PURPOSE Expand Greater Portland’s reach by engaging diverse traveler audiences and ensuring our destination marketing authentically reflects the people and experiences that define our community. Through research, representation, and targeted outreach, we seek to build meaningful connections with African American, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ travelers while positioning Greater Portland as a welcoming and inclusive destination. OUR STRATEGY Utilize a phased, data-driven approach that combines audience research, authentic storytelling, and targeted marketing. We began by testing engagement among African American, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ travelers to better understand audience affinity for Greater Portland. Insights from this research informed the development of new creative assets, including photography, video, messaging, and website content. Building on this foundation, we are launching audience-specific campaigns supported by the Lightkeepers initiative, which brings the strategy to life through authentic stories that reflect the diversity, culture, and character of our community.

INCLUSIVE AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY As part of our commitment to ensuring Greater Portland’s marketing reflects the diversity of our community, Visit Portland adopted a phased approach to audience development and outreach. Rather than assuming which audiences would be most responsive to our destination, we began with research and testing to better understand traveler interest and engagement. PHASE 1: TEST & LEARN (SPRING/SUMMER 2025) Targeted campaigns were deployed to African American, Asian American, and LGBTQ+ travelers using existing destination creative. Performance metrics, including advertising engagement and website activity, were analyzed to identify which audiences demonstrated the strongest natural affinity for Greater Portland. PHASE 2: CONTENT & ASSET DEVELOPMENT (FALL/WINTER 2025-2026) Insights from the initial research informed the creation of more authentic and representative marketing assets. Through initiatives such as the Lightkeepers campaign, Visit Portland developed new photography, video, website content, and storytelling resources designed to reflect the people, cultures, and experiences that make Greater Portland unique. PHASE 3: AUDIENCE-SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS (SUMMER/FALL 2026) Building on the research and content developed in earlier phases, Visit Portland will launch targeted campaigns designed to connect with specific audiences through relevant messaging and authentic storytelling. Campaign performance will be measured through engagement, visitation, and overall destination impact, ensuring future investments remain data-driven and effective.

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