Get a Quote

How to do Bend Marketing: Understanding the Audience

Bend is a great place to be. It’s the ultimate play ground.

From hiking to skiing to golf and everything in between, there is so much that this region offers.

Walking the trials in Bend Oregon

With that comes a unique approach to marketing.

And as a business owner in Bend it's important to understand the overarching sectors that make up the clients you are looking to sell to.

When you break it down to two groups. You are looking to market to tourists, who come to visit this town. And those who live here and call it home. 

So how do you go about marketing to these two unique groups?

 

TOURISTS:

First things first. Time to understand what these groups of people are looking for.

The best place to start is take a look at the places that people visit from.

The easiest way is to take a look at the direct flights in and out of Roberts Field in Redmond. Some of the easiest places to fly from, to Central Oregon are:

Tourism

  1. Portland
  2. Seattle
  3. Phoenix
  4. San Fransisco
  5. Los Angeles
  6. Las Vegas

Plus countless other cities across Oregon that people easily drive from.

And those people come to Bend to experience the things that everyone lives here for. 

They want to experience the skiing, the biking, the golfing the rivers, lakes, mountains, and not to mention all the breweries.

And that is a benefit to the local economy. According to the state of Oregon, the tourism industry in Bend creates 12,387 jobs. A huge plus. Bend Oregon activities

And that is an opportunity to target those that are going into the city to enjoy what it has to offer. Understanding this large portion of the economy will help target the correct audience.

So that means target those places that people who travel here. Get your products, stores, and services in front of them. Make your business a part of their plans when they visit Bend.

 

LOCALS:

Okay, now this may seem obvious, but the other group of people in Bend are those of us that live here.

Bend OregonYou know these people well, they are here for the same reasons you are.

They are a part of the fabric that makes up this community. Making it such a great place to live. 

So understanding what they are looking for will help you cater to these shared thoughts, ideas and values.

Something else that is important to understand, there is a bit of a culture war going on between those that live here and those that don't or have just moved into the neighborhood.

The changes and growth that Bend has seen in recent years, can be beneficial for the economy in many ways, but there are also many growing pains that come along with that. And those growing pains are the concerns of those that live here.

You should be asking yourself these questions about the local that live here:

  1. What is the community talking about?Bend Oregon
  2. What is top of mind?
  3. What is unique about this community?
  4. What values does this community hold?

That means answering those questions and crafting a marketing campaign that embodies the answers you come up with.

Be relevant with what people care about.

 

GETTING IN FRONT OF YOUR AUDIENCE:

After having a good understanding of what makes up this Bend community now its time to get your products, goods and services in front of these people.

Hit them where they are at.

That is on their phones. That is on social media. Really it's the internet in general. That's where everyone spends the majority of their time now-a-days.

Phones are the way to market to people

Creating a website that converts is a key part of this.

Using pixels to re-target your potential clients to turn them into a sale. Getting your product in front of people over an over again to get them to buy from you. This blog does a great job at describing how pixels work.

Sunriver ResortOkay so how do you create a campaign that can target both of theses groups?

That means creating a buyer persona that encompasses who you and your company are targeting.

Let's take Sunriver Resort as an example. Its obvious what they provide for those who visit the region. But they also provide for those that live here as well through many of the same activities.

That means marketing what Sunriver's golf courses have to offer plays to both audiences.

Having that consistent marketing campaign across all platforms you advertise on will go a long way. You don't want to see your business fight itself.

You want to show a united front. Without that you could likely end up working against yourself.

The good news is, you have help through this process. Bend is unique. Many local companies love to work together on products and ideas to get things done.

Working along side another company could be huge. And could be a win win for both companies involved.

If we are looking at Sunriver, the resort could partner with any of the local breweries to create a beer that has the Sunriver Lodge on the label.

This way, both companies are able to promote the product while simultaneously promoting each other.Breweries in Bend Oregon

It gives you an opportunity to be a part of the local business community, make relationships, and meet more people.

In the end that is going to go a long way toward the success of your company.

And these types of partnerships can be used in countless industries.

Bend is a great place to be, and there are so many opportunities to take advantage of. Being a part of this community is beneficial. It will help you build your brand in the long run.

If you would like even more tips on what to do with your marketing strategies here in Bend click here to chat with us about creating a marketing campaign that will bring you results.

P.S.

We now these are some strange times we are living in here in Bend, but it is time to get back to work! Click here to sign a petition urging Governor Brown to re-open the Central Oregon economy!

New call-to-action

Want to Receive Tips from Mazama Media in Your Inbox?