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Advertising Campaign Video Case Study
16 minutes
Kentucky Tourism and Doe Andersen
Advertising: Beyond the Media
In this case study, created especially for professors using Contemporary Advertising, we
see how many of the concepts taught in the text come to life in the real world. Officials
from the Kentucky State Departments of Travel and Tourism explain how important
tourism is to the economic health of a state like Kentucky and, interestingly, also to the
quality of life of the state’s citizens. The video also profiles Doe Andersen, the ad agency
that handles the state’s tourism account. The agency has been in business since 1915 and
handles many of the state’s largest and most prestigious accounts. Most importantly, the
video illustrates how well a client and agency can work together to further the client’s
interests, in this case even to the point of finding marketing partners to help pay for and
communicate the state’s advertising message.
Questions for Classroom Discussion
1. What was the basic marketing problem that the Kentucky tourism officials
presented to Doe Andersen to solve?
Ans: Research showed that 40% of the state’s visitors were coming in to visit family and
friends, but that their local hosts were not taking them out to visit many of the state’s
good tourist destinations. Doe Andersen had to come up with a plan to empower and
motivate local residents to be better hosts and more knowledgeable about local and
regional attractions.
2. What unique idea did the agency recommend to help solve the problem and help
finance the state’s campaign? What effect did it have?
Ans: The agency actually found a marketing partner, Kroger Food Stores, to help
promote tourism in the state to their customer list. Kroger spent over half a million
dollars on the effort and enabled Kentucky Tourism to distribute its Host Kit to over half
a million people.
3. In its out-of-state advertising, how did Doe Andersen position the state?
Ans: Due to the state’s central geographic location, they decided to promote the state as a
getaway destination rather than a place for a week-long vacation.
4. What media classes did Doe Andersen employ in its advertising campaign and
how did it determine which vehicles to use?
Ans: The agency employed magazines, radio, and TV advertising. The client tracked
inquiries very carefully to determine which media vehicles were pulling best, so that they
could adjust the advertising schedule accordingly.
5. What approach did Doe Andersen use to come up with creative ideas for the
campaign? How does this differ from the standard approach described in your
text?
Ans: The standard approach used by agencies and described in the text is to assign a
creative team – copywriter, art director, and creative director – to each account. Doe
Andersen uses what it calls the Jump Ball Approach, in which the whole creative
department is given the task of coming up with the big idea for the campaign. The team
that comes up with the best idea wins. They like this approach because they feel it
generates more ideas and keeps the work fresh.
6. What slogan did Doe Andersen develop for the Kentucky Tourism account? Why
did they come up with this and what do you think of it?
Ans: “Kentucky, It’s that friendly.” This line came out of research that showed that
people visiting the state really felt that Kentuckians were genuinely warm and friendly.
Answers will vary about how well students like the slogan, but this question presents a
rich opportunity for students to explore other approaches and suggest alternative ideas.