October 17, 2005
Selling Maine | Karen Pendoley is the Office of Tourism's new marketing director
By Miriam S. Powell
Complaints about the state Office of Tourism are legion these days, whether due to the lackluster growth in tourism traffic (statistics indicate similar revenues in 2000 and 2004, with fewer visitors spending more money in recent years) or to the agency's recent decision to again award its multi-million-dollar advertising contract to an out-of-state firm. What's more, there's growing pressure from local advertising gurus to "modernize" Maine's image to compete with big-city hotspots. But none of those factors seem to daunt Karen Pendoley, the agency's new director of marketing.
Pendoley, 44, has more than 20 years of hospitality marketing experience, including her most recent position as director of sales and marketing for the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland. Her involvement with regional tourism groups such as the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau has yielded successes, including bringing the National Folk Festival to Bangor. "Being involved with the National Folk Festival was one of the highlights of my career ˆ bringing people into an area that otherwise wasn't even sure they could handle the capacity," she says.
That ability to see promise where others are more skeptical may serve Pendoley well in her new job. She began her new position Sept. 12; less than two weeks later, the state's three-year, $3.2 million tourism promotion account was again awarded to Warren Kremer Paino of New York City. Warren Kremer's "It must be Maine" campaign has targeted Maine's natural and scenic attractions rather than cultural events, dining and shopping.
Critics point to the relative flatness of recent travel statistics as evidence that this approach hasn't surpassed previous, broader campaigns. But when asked about the pressure to reinvent the current marketing strategy, Pendoley praises the agency's efforts. "They've had a fairly comprehensive ad campaign and they're just going to be more targeted on the various niche markets," she says.
There's a lot at stake in any discussion of tourism in Maine: The industry supports nearly 180,000 jobs statewide and generates revenues of $6.2 billion annually. Still, Pendoley notes that marketing an entire state isn't really so different from her prior endeavors in hotel promotion ˆ it's all about finding new ways to generate sales, based on understanding the clientele. "We're branching out into other areas," she says. But, she adds with a chuckle, "Maine is what it is. That's one of the most beautiful things to sell about it. It is extremely diverse, but it can't be everything to everyone."
The multidisciplinary promotional team ˆ consisting of Pendoley's office, Warren Kremer Paino, Portland Webworks (creator of the visitmaine.com website) and Augusta-based Nancy Marshall Communications ˆ will be building upon recent recommendations by Texas-based Fermata, which recently released a report recommending the use of ecotourism to increase tourist traffic in rural areas. This strategy isn't so much a change as it is a natural outgrowth of the current campaign, according to Pendoley. "We're working on enhancing the product that's already here in the natural setting," she says. "I don't think there's going to be a major influx, immediately, into the rural areas ˆ and that's not how the program is being based."
But Pendoley is confident that this approach will spur growth, both creating job opportunities in rural areas and boosting tourism overall. "In selling Maine, we're just bringing it up a couple notches," she says. "It's based on what people like about Maine ˆ the natural assets, the cultural histories, the rural areas ˆ combined with everything else that's already proven successful."
And, she adds of her new job, "It is kind of like a crescendo for my career. I'm extremely thrilled." Time will tell if the statistics support her enthusiasm.
Pendoley, 44, has more than 20 years of hospitality marketing experience, including her most recent position as director of sales and marketing for the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland. Her involvement with regional tourism groups such as the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau has yielded successes, including bringing the National Folk Festival to Bangor. "Being involved with the National Folk Festival was one of the highlights of my career ˆ bringing people into an area that otherwise wasn't even sure they could handle the capacity," she says.
That ability to see promise where others are more skeptical may serve Pendoley well in her new job. She began her new position Sept. 12; less than two weeks later, the state's three-year, $3.2 million tourism promotion account was again awarded to Warren Kremer Paino of New York City. Warren Kremer's "It must be Maine" campaign has targeted Maine's natural and scenic attractions rather than cultural events, dining and shopping.
Critics point to the relative flatness of recent travel statistics as evidence that this approach hasn't surpassed previous, broader campaigns. But when asked about the pressure to reinvent the current marketing strategy, Pendoley praises the agency's efforts. "They've had a fairly comprehensive ad campaign and they're just going to be more targeted on the various niche markets," she says.
There's a lot at stake in any discussion of tourism in Maine: The industry supports nearly 180,000 jobs statewide and generates revenues of $6.2 billion annually. Still, Pendoley notes that marketing an entire state isn't really so different from her prior endeavors in hotel promotion ˆ it's all about finding new ways to generate sales, based on understanding the clientele. "We're branching out into other areas," she says. But, she adds with a chuckle, "Maine is what it is. That's one of the most beautiful things to sell about it. It is extremely diverse, but it can't be everything to everyone."
The multidisciplinary promotional team ˆ consisting of Pendoley's office, Warren Kremer Paino, Portland Webworks (creator of the visitmaine.com website) and Augusta-based Nancy Marshall Communications ˆ will be building upon recent recommendations by Texas-based Fermata, which recently released a report recommending the use of ecotourism to increase tourist traffic in rural areas. This strategy isn't so much a change as it is a natural outgrowth of the current campaign, according to Pendoley. "We're working on enhancing the product that's already here in the natural setting," she says. "I don't think there's going to be a major influx, immediately, into the rural areas ˆ and that's not how the program is being based."
But Pendoley is confident that this approach will spur growth, both creating job opportunities in rural areas and boosting tourism overall. "In selling Maine, we're just bringing it up a couple notches," she says. "It's based on what people like about Maine ˆ the natural assets, the cultural histories, the rural areas ˆ combined with everything else that's already proven successful."
And, she adds of her new job, "It is kind of like a crescendo for my career. I'm extremely thrilled." Time will tell if the statistics support her enthusiasm.
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