Ahead of the launch of a new marketing campaign, the Park County Travel Council is finding some creative ways to spend the last funds in a state grant program to entice more people to come visit. 

That includes a spruce up of the flags in Cody’s downtown, support for the city’s summer fireworks show, banners to help celebrate the return of weekly Chicago flights to Yellowstone Regional Airport, and advertising on Paramount shows such as Yellowstone and its spinoffs. Marketing Director Katrina Southern said the TV spots are a way to focus marketing on some of the people most likely to see Park County as a prime travel destination. 

“We can hyper target that demographic,” Southern said. “So not just ‘oh, they have this tendency to buy foods or they’re kind of Western,’ but they watched Yellowstone. They’re going to be shown alongside Yellowstone and the Andy Griffith Show. And we can actually show our video at the beginning and be like, ‘Oh, we cleared this whole show of commercials just for you,’ because, you know, we can sponsor the entire show. So super, hyper targeted, we’re the only ad that they’re seeing. And because people typically binge watch Yellowstone and shows like it, we’re the only ad that they’re seeing over and over and over again.”

The cost for that is $50,000, with half paid through the remaining $105,000 in Destination Development funds — which need to be spent by the end of the fiscal year — and half through the travel council budget. 

New Executive Director Michael Wambolt said there was an option for only $25,000, but they felt it would be worth going for the more extensive plan. 

“There’s also the new launch of the Rip and Beth second season, happening in May as well, so it’s a great time to get in,” Wambolt said. 

The promotion will run for about a month-and-a-half.

Showing support for airport

YRA Manager Aaron Buck told council members at the April 16 meeting that the airport is making a big deal of the first Chicago flight landing at the airport on May 22, kicking off a weekly flight schedule for the summer season. 

“We’re going to have a lot of fun with that,” Buck said, including two fire trucks providing a water tunnel for the plane’s arrival and departure. 

The travel council is getting in on the fun too, with some of the Destination Development funds to be spent on posters promoting the Chicago flight. 

Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary

Money from the fund will also be spent to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this summer with support for fireworks show in Cody and the replacement of some of the more worn flags lining Sheridan Avenue.

“Like [board member] Mike Darby said, we’ll probably not see the 300th together,” Wambolt said. “So let’s watch the 250 together and make it go on in style.”