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About CTM Media Group: CTM Media Group has been helping visitors, tourists and out-of-town guests choose their own adventures since 1983. CTM is one of the largest distributors of visitor and tourism information in North America with 19,000+ locations across the US & Canada including attractions, visitor centers, airports, retail destinations, and hotel lobbies. As the industry leader in connecting visitors and tourists with experiences, CTM puts you on the visitor’s radar and in their hands at the exact moment they are deciding what to do next. CTM Media Group, one of the largest distributors of visitor and tourism information in North America, has just announced the winners of their 2019 Annual Best Brochure Award contest. The award recognizes excellence in brochure design and highlights various tourism attractions, restaurants, museums and experiences. Factors for the award selection committee include brochure headline, visual appeal, composition, construction and overall content messaging. The award-winners were selected among 3,000+ tourism brochures in over 40 cities across North America. Each market’s winning brochure represents excellence in their ability to maximize customer interaction through powerful and engaging design. CTM has 19,000+ locations across the US & Canada reaching 300 million visitors every year through an unparalleled distribution network that includes attractions, visitor centers, airports, retail destinations and hotel lobbies. CTM’s partnerships with more than 100 local convention and visitors bureaus as well as destination marketing organizations allows them to create greater awareness of and support for local businesses via distribution of local print, publications, and digital products and programs. Steven Guerrini, Vice President of Sales at CTM adds, “It is with great pleasure that we congratulate the 2019 Best Brochure Award winners. All the winners have demonstrated that a brochure, beautifully and effectively designed for maximum exposure and pick-up rate, is unparalleled in-market awareness.” 2019 Best Brochure Award Winners by Region: New York City Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: KGB ESPIONAGE MUSEUM, NYC MOULIN ROUGE, NYC New England Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: DISCOVERY MUSEUM, CT FIELDS OF FIRE ADVENTURE PARK, CT R1 INDOOR KARTING, RI PORTLAND PADDLE, ME WHALING MUSEUM, MA HALF AXE, MA HISTORIC BOSTON CRIME TOURS, MA DARTMOUTH SKIWAY, NH VINS NATURE CENTER, VT Mid-Atlantic Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: YARDS BREWING COMPANY, PA HERSHEYS CHOCOLATE WORLD, PA KENNYWOOD, PA ADVENTURE AQUARIUM, NJ INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM, DC SANDUSKY SEGWAVE, OH STAN HYWET HALL AND GARDENS, OH TIS THE SEASON, OH DETROIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM, MI Midwest Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: SAFEHOUSE CHICAGO, IL LANTERN FESTIVAL AT THE RACINE ZOO, WI CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE AT MALL OF AMERICA, MN THE DURHAM MUSEUM, NE WONDERSCOPE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, KS CHEROKEE LEMP SPECIAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, MO Southeast Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: JUNGLE ISLAND, FL STANIEL AIR, FL WATER TAXI, FL BLUE RIDGE SCENIC RAILWAY, GA Ontario Regional Best Brochure Award Winners: ADVENTURE BAY FAMILY WATERPARK, ON TREETOP TREKKING, ON CLIFTON HILL RESORTS, NIAGARA SKYLON TOWER, NIAGARA WET ‘N’ WILD TORONTO, TO ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM, TO About CTM Media Group: CTM Media Group has been helping visitors, tourists and out-of-town guests choose their own adventures since 1983.CTM is one of the largest distributors of visitor and tourism information in North America with 19,000+ locations across the US & Canada including attractions, visitor centers, airports, retail destinations and hotel lobbies. As the industry leader in connecting visitors and tourists with experiences, CTM puts you on the visitor’s radar and in their hands at the exact moment they are deciding what to do next. Why Digital & Print Work Best When Complementing (instead of replacing) One Another Anyone with an Instagram account could agree that social media has turned the travel industry on its head the past few years. From endless landscape photos of the most popular tourist destinations to sponsored content on travel influencers’ pages… it seems nearly impossible to escape the grasp that social media has on the industry. To the naked eye, it may appear that social media is poised to completely overtake the world of Tourism Marketing and render print such as brochures & maps obsolete. After all, according to a recent study conducted by Schofields*, 40% of millennials prioritize the “Instagramability” of the destination over the cost of the trip, availability of alcohol and even opportunities for sightseeing. When looking at the industry from this standpoint, it is easy to assume that the world of Tourism Marketing will continue to head in the direction of social media platforms and that print advertising will soon become less and less prevalent. However, according to data collected by Destination Analysts during a study that lasted a span of eight years, we now know that while digital media usage has increased rapidly in American travelers, so has print usage. In fact, in 2016 print usage by US leisure travelers reached a record high of 54%! This tells us that the American traveler is not simply turning toward social/digital media alone when planning their trips, but rather choosing to be “hyper informed” … utilizing both digital and print simultaneously to gather the information needed to book (and enjoy) their trip. As expected, larger percentages of millennials consistently reported using social media platforms for trip planning than Gen X and Baby Boomers. However, similar percentages of all three generations reported using various forms of print media in their planning. In fact, millennials reported using printed lifestyle magazines for trip planning at higher levels than older Americans. According to a research survey conducted by Bentley University’s Center for Marketing Technology, print media such as “brochures, maps, and guides are still the #1 influencer of visitors during their trip,” outscoring both the internet and social media.
Not only is print still used in trip planning, it has proven to remain extremely influential in the visitors’ decision-making process once in-destination. For example, Bentley University’s survey revealed that brochures influenced the travel plans of 73% of visitors who picked them up, and that 78% of visitors planned to visit a business they saw in a brochure.
“Print media offers a more physical, tangible medium to consumers,” explains CTM’s Regional Director of Sales (Southeast), Carrie Fisher. “It’s something a tourist can take with them. It’s more professional, more convenient & more sentimental.”
What does all of this mean for those concerned with marketing a destination, experience or business to American tourists?
The advantages of social media are that they allow you to reach millions of people with just the click of a button, often times allowing marketers to be more creative & targeted with their material. Yet, even with all these advantages, print media is still more trusted by Americans. According to a survey conducted by MarketingSherpa, 82% of Americans trust print ads when deciding to make a purchase. Comparatively, online pop ups were only trusted by a quarter of Americans.
Clearly, a balanced combination of both digital and print media is proven to be most effective in grabbing the attention of American travelers and getting them to plan a visit to your location.
Eric Cantz, a CTM Media Group Media Consultant, elaborates on the importance of striking a balance between digital and print marketing: “We live in an integrated media and marketing world where all media formats work together to accelerate the consumer decision making process. We expect our visitors, after they discover a rack card/brochure, to then do additional online research like find directions, check out TripAdvisor reviews, Yelp reviews, and more. Then they can make a decision of Yes or No. No one media format works alone in today’s world – it’s all integrated and works together.”
In this so-called “technological age,” companies shouldn’t be looking to choose digital media over print…or vice versa, but rather they should aim to find a perfect balance in their marketing strategies where one complements the other.
Pilar Ahmann, a CTM Media Coordinator, sums up the strength of both digital and print media and why they complement each other so well: “Digital media provides exposure and convenience to the marketing world while print provides tangibility and credibility. The combination of these components helps to create an impactful and powerful marketing campaign.”
Job Posting: Marketing Internship – 2019/2020
CTM’s Marketing Department is seeking a highly motivated, resourceful and tech-savvy student to serve as our Marketing Intern. The intern will work directly with the Marketing Director to learn the process behind Social and Digital content management through hands-on experience. The intern will develop and execute content for the company’s main Social Media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. The intern will also learn how to research content ideas for blogging and emails and will work with the Marketing Director to create and write industry-related content.
Requirements:
Applicants should have a strong level of experience using Social Media, a demonstrated writing ability, strong organizational skills and a high level of enthusiasm and creativity.
Key Responsibilities:
– Collaborate with the Marketing Director to gain an understanding of how and what we communicate to reach our primary audiences.
– Conceptualize and create relative content that enhances CTM’s position in the industry, builds meaningful connections and encourages engagement.
– Seek out engaging story ideas for Social Media posts.
– Create interesting and fun video content geared towards our specific audience for Social Media.
– Schedule weekly social posts utilizing a Social Media Management Platform such as “Hootsuite”
How to Apply: Applicants should submit: your resume along with a cover letter explaining your interest in this position as well as a list (with links) of your personal public social-media channels (if any) to mtedesco@ctmmedia.com.
Terms of Internship: Internship will be in exchange for Academic Credit.
Location of Internship: Stamford, CT
CTM is proud to present the March recipient of the “Leaders in Hospitality” award to Abner Withers, General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott, Long Island City.
CONGRATS Abner!
- How do you usually start your day
- Where did you start your career?
- What is your favorite food?
- Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
- Which part of NYC is your favorite and why?
- What is one thing every tourist or visitor should do in NYC before they leave?
- How important is handing out local information to guests?
- What’s the most important thing you use when helping guests?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Do you think brochures are helpful in your day to day?
- What do you like to do on your day off?
CTM is all about FUN, and today is no exception! As much as we think having a “Brochure Rack Selfie-Taker” would be an awesome position, it’s currently just an April Fools’ joke and we hope you found it to be as funny as we did!!
Sorry to disappoint! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!  
Looking for a highly skilled selfie-taker to join our CTM Media team! The position will be located in our Stamford CT office. Candidate must be willing to travel during the work day between CTM host locations in the NYC, NJ and CT areas and take selfies in front of our Visitor Information brochure stands.
 
Candidate must possess the following skills in order to be considered for the position:
 
– The ability to extend your head away from your neck while taking selfies
– A strong knowledge of how to use your phone’s camera and not take blurry pictures
– Expert in using a selfie-stick without watching where you are walking
– The ability to relax your mouth and exhale while blowing air through your lips as you smile (aka: Duck Face)
– Understanding of how/when to tilt your phone, not your head, while taking selfies
– Must be willing to look silly in public and be OK with odd stares from strangers
– The ability to do 100 finger push-ups in less than 60 seconds
– Good wrist control, doesn’t tire easily
– Bubbly, happy, energetic personality is a must!
 
If you believe you’ll be a good fit for this position, please Click Here to apply!
 
Click Here for salary + benefits information!
 
 
 
CTM Media Group is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. As such, we seek talented, qualified employees regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion/creed, disability, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, familial status, marital status, civil union status, citizenship, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.
Job Type: Full-time
When Mother Nature strikes a new season, it doesn’t matter if you own a mom-and-pop ice cream shop down the Jersey Shore, or a ski resort in the Vermont…every business is bound to face an off-peak period which is why it’s so important to make up for slower months during the busy season.
While there may not always be a way to avoid the slower months, strategically marketing your business in both the peak and off-peak seasons could help improve sales, increase clientele and set you up for an even more successful busy season.
Liz Loshikian-Dratman, a Media Consultant here at CTM offers some valuable insight into how she helps clients manage and prepare for their slower months:
“When it comes to properly planning out my clients annual Marketing Plan, I have to be creative in coming up with ways we can continue to provide them with exposure even during their off-season. Let’s face it: if their doors are open year-round, their info should be out year-round as well! Participating in our Maps is a great way to ensure year-round exposure while heavily hitting the market during peak season by adding in distribution and other programs. This is also a great way to work with our clients budgets during the slower season as well. My clients have been very appreciative of our ability to work within their seasonal budgets and make sure we can have their information out there at all times.”
Here are some additional off-season tips & tricks from our team:
Increase Audience: We’ve seen hundreds of clients pull off successful off-season marketing campaigns simply by promoting off-season specials and coupons in CTM’s maps or through brochure distribution and digital programs. Continuing to promote your business all year long is key to making sure you capture the right audience during both busy and slower months. According to Laura Capshaw, one of our CTM Sales Managers:
“Being able to offer exposure opportunities for my clients in high traffic premium locations is a great way to ensure they are still getting exposure even during the off-season. People are traveling and stopping at rest areas and visitor centers 12 months out of the year!”
Work with your local CVB: Did you know your local CVB can help promote your business for little to no cost! CVB’s ensure your business to be an option for all travelers that come into your area and promote to a wider range of audience, during those busy and slow months…
“We rely on our friends at Discover Lancaster, Explore York and Visit Hershey-Harrisburg to help us with some of our off-season marketing efforts by attending trade shows and sales missions that our own budget wouldn’t allow us to attend on our own. They all do a great job of promoting all there is to do in the area and we value their partnerships!”
– Bob Adams, The Turkey Hill Experience, Lancaster PA
Get ahead of the game: Off-season is the perfect time to get ahead of the game. Catching up on projects and ideas that you typically wouldn’t have time to tackle during the busier months is a great way to prep for the new season! Focus on Marketing initiatives such as redesigning your website or catching up on your social media accounts as ways to prepare for the peak season during off-season. Reach out to your Neighbors & Local Community: Partner with local businesses to brainstorm ideas for marketing in the off-season. And don’t forget to focus on the locals in your area! Locals are always looking for fun things to do on the weekend, and visiting your business or attraction could be just what they are looking to do.
CTM Media Group along with Certified Folder Display hosted a highly informational webinar on March 6th, 2019 regarding “What Positively Impacts Visitors During a Trip.” For those who were unable to attend the webinar, it’s been posted online for you to view!
As a recap of the Webinar, based on research findings by Bentley University’s Visitor Information Survey conducted during the Summer of 2018, 79% of visitors picked up a brochure during their trip while searching for fun things to do (up from 67% in 2016).
According to Professor Ian Cross at Bentley, “The decline of print advertising predicted by marketers was over hyped. Even in this digital age, people still value tangible ‘in-the-moment’ printed materials like brochures, maps and travel guides. They are still very relevant to tourists and visitors.”
Here are the top ways brochures positively impact visitors during a trip:
#1. 4 out of 5 visitors picked up a brochure during their trip (79%)
#2: 3 out of 4 visitors were influenced by a brochure in-market at their destination (73%)
#4: Nearly 3 out of 4 visitors would consider altering their plans because of a brochure (73%)
- How do you usually start your day
- Where did you start your career?
- What is your favorite food?
- Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
- Which part of NYC is your favorite and why?
- What is one thing every tourist or visitor should do in NYC before they leave?
- How important is handing out local information to guests?
- What do you see as a role of the hotel that further improves their stay?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
