AUSTIN, Texas

Looking to reinvigorate its outreach to business groups looking for host cities for their conventions—as well as to leisure travelers—the Austin CVB has come up with a unique marketing campaign.

For its “What You Hear is True,” program, the bureau chose to avoid a typical advertising campaign in favor of an integrated marketing strategy that relies on user-generated content to tell the world how great Austin is as a destination for business and pleasure. The organization partnered with nFusion, a local digital media marketing specialist.

Visitors’ social media interactions with friends and associates in the form of tweets, blog posts, text messages and photos are the heart of the digital campaign. It matches visitor kudos with unique images from around the city and advertising copy that makes it clear why Austin is a must-experience city for meetings and leisure travel.

“Austin’s reputation for music, food and fun is matched by the city’s technology savvy, so it was only natural for the campaign to take advantage of the intersection of tech and the Austin experience in this unique, social media-driven format,” says nFusion CEO John Ellett.