The New Adventures of Buffalo Bill

North Platte/Lincoln County Visitor’s Bureau

Digital Campaign

Challenge

Create a campaign that ties together all of the diverse activities and attractions in North Platte and Lincoln County in a way that can grab attention and take advantage of media consumption habits.

Because North Platte and Lincoln County have a diverse group of attractions and activities (the world’s largest rail yard, Buffalo Bill’s ranch, along with rivers and lakes, to name a few), we couldn’t lump them into one theme and run with it.

We needed to create a campaign that would allow us to use different media platforms (print, digital, social, TV, and pre-roll video) to effectively communicate with a diverse group of targets that spanned a wide range of age groups and interests.

Lastly, we needed to ensure that we grabbed people’s attention.

Strategy

Our solution was to create a tour guide for the public. Our tour guide needed to showcase all of the great attractions and activities available in North Platte. Seeing as how Buffalo Bill’s Ranch is in North Platte, we decided to use him as our tour guide — or at least a fake, ridiculous version of him. One who dials up the boastfulness and need for attention at the core of all entertainers, and showcases all the fun things in North Platte.

He can’t ride a horse, throw a lasso, or win a go-kart race, but he’s the best and he’s having a great time in North Platte.

All of the best things in North Platte, attractions, activities, and destinations, have received Buffalo Bill’s coveted Buffalo of Approval.

  • Website
  • Facebook Ad Campaign
  • Google Ad Campaign
  • YouTube Video Series
  • Print Ads
  • Other Collateral

Results/Impact

Facebook ad stats

  • 2,300,000 impressions
  • 15,000 clicks
  • $4.56 cost per thousand impressions

Google ad stats

  • 455,585 impressions
  • 3,533 clicks
  • $7.24 cost per thousand impressions
  • $.24 cost per click

Facebook Video

  • 123,000 10 second video views
  • 45,700 watched total video
  • $.06 to watch an entire video

To find more of Buffalo Bill’s adventures, head to  https://visitnorthplatte.com/adventures-of-buffalo-bill/

Web Traffic Generated

The campaign has been very successful in generating awareness and creating over 4,300 total leads.

In the first six months, the Buffalo Bill campaign generated over 655,000 impressions on Facebook and Instagram, and there was an increase of 50% activity on VisitNorthPlatte.com from selected target markets.

Print Campaign

Ads are placed in relevant publications with unique URLs. We are able to track the ad’s effectiveness and, through A-B testing, create the outcomes that are most desired.

Awards

The campaign won The Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award at the 2017 Nebraska Tourism Conference:

The Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award went to the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau for the New Adventures of Buffalo Bill campaign. Taking inspiration from the success of the new Kentucky Fried Chicken marketing campaign reviving Col. Sanders, the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau decided to re-introduce to the world to Buffalo Bill Cody- a bit of a slap-stick “legend-in-his-own-mind” character proud of the place where he lived for nearly 40 years.

Through video, memes and still photography, Buffalo Bill introduces the world to North Platte and gives his “Stamp of Approval.”

In the first six months, the Buffalo Bill campaign generated over 655,000 impressions on Facebook and Instagram and they saw an increase of 50% activity on VisitNorthPlatte.com from some of their target markets. The campaign provided a consistent message, the home of the historical home of Buffalo Bill offers a lot, and created abundant awareness across multiple platforms. Another phase of the Buffalo Bill campaign is currently in the works.

The campaign won the 2018 Prism Award – Consumer Marketing Campaign – Small Business, at the Lincoln AMA 2018 Prism Awards.

Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award

Prism Award