Resort Kicks Off Ad Campaign Earlier Than Ever

OCEAN CITY – Officials in Ocean City are taking advantage of cold weather and hotel room discounts to launch the town’s earliest summer advertising campaign to date.

At an Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting last week, Donna Abbott, the town’s tourism director, told members that Ocean City began its Early Seagull Savings campaign Jan. 16 and used “National Plan for Vacation Day” on Jan. 31 as a way to promote hotel discounts.

“Presently we are pushing for early bookings and getting the awareness up for Ocean City,” Abbott told EDC members. “We’ve never started a campaign this early. So hopefully your phones are ringing or people are going online to book their rooms ahead of the summer season.”

Jessica Waters, communications manager for the Town of Ocean City, said MGH, the town’s marketing agency, pitched the idea to several media outlets as a way to promote the Early Seagull Savings campaign on “National Plan for Vacation Day.”

“Because of the success we saw in the campaign last year, our tourism officials decided to roll out the campaign earlier this year, with additional advertising reminding folks that it’s never too early to start planning for vacation in Ocean City,” she said.

Early Seagull Savings promotions began last February, as an incentive for visitors to come to Ocean City, according to Waters.  Hotels that partake in the campaign offer discounts to tourists who book rooms from mid-February to March.

Because of last year’s response, officials decided to introduce this year’s campaign during the month of January, using “National Plan for Vacation Day” as a way to pitch the event, Waters said.

Radio, social media and email advertisements infiltrated three metropolitan markets from New York to Washington, D.C. beginning Jan. 16.

“We are encouraged by the increase of traffic to the ‘ococean’ website and are optimistic that we will see positive results from starting the campaign earlier this year than last year,” said Waters.

Abbott said this year’s campaign added a digital component to its normal radio advertisements in an effort to spread the word.

“What better time to think about summer than in January, when you are really, really wanting it,” Abbott told EDC members. “It’s kind of the inspiration time period.”

Waters said many hotels in Ocean City are offering lower prices for visitors who book summer vacations during Early Seagull Savings and deals are listed on the town’s tourism website.

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.