Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association
Agency of Record
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Situation
The Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association (NATA)—representing ten distinct communities—wanted a cohesive strategy that could elevate their regional identity, build stronger awareness of the area as a whole, and deliver results that mattered. We teamed up with NATA as their agency of record to bring sharper strategy, unified storytelling, and bold creative thinking to the table.
APPROACH
Historically, NATA invested heavily in media with a more limited investment in their visitors guide. We reversed that. Our strategy prioritized the guide as a lead storytelling asset and shifted paid media to a support role—designed to amplify, not carry, the campaign.
We redesigned the visitors guide from the ground up, replacing the segmented, city-by-city format with a cohesive, themed narrative that pulled the region together. Sections like biking, food, or arts spanned across communities, encouraging readers to explore the full region—not skip to a single town. Visually, the guide leaned into timeless fonts, spacious design, and immersive full-bleed photography—making it feel more like a magazine than a resource manual. We also used the guide to set the stage for their upcoming brand refresh, pulling in a new color palette and fonts so that the guide will still align with new branding once it is launched.
We also introduced ad sales, fully managed by Madden. This added a vital revenue stream for the state-funded organization—turning the guide into both a storytelling tool and a sustainable asset.
We focused early PR efforts on establishing a shared regional identity. From newsletters sent to curated travel media, to in-person storytelling at TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace in New York, our outreach introduced journalists to Northwest Arkansas as a collective. Press trips are now on the calendar to bring those stories to life, in person.
To extend reach, we launched a highly targeted digital campaign combining SEM and paid social. This campaign wasn’t built for vanity metrics—it was designed to connect with audiences based on interest, intent, and geography. We also aligned creative with the look and feel of the guide—giving NATA a consistent brand voice ahead of their full rebrand rollout.
RESULTS
Earned Media
- 79 articles in year one from regional and national outlets
- Total readership: 343.5 million
- 2 press trips scheduled in early 2025
Digital Performance
- 1.7 million digital impressions
- 143% year-over-year increase in website traffic
- 91% year-over-year boost in engagement rate
One Guide, Ten Communities, Unlimited Possibilities
As a regional organization representing ten communities, we transformed the visitors guide into a cohesive, magazine-style experience—organized by themes instead of towns—to inspire regional exploration through bold visuals and unified storytelling.
Building Regional Awareness Through PR
Our early PR efforts centered on building a regional identity, using targeted outreach and an in-person media event to position Northwest Arkansas as a unified story—now set to continue with press trips.
Targeted Digital That Set the Stage
We launched a highly targeted digital campaign using SEM and paid social to reach the right audiences with intent-driven messaging and guide-aligned creative that set the stage for NATA’s full rebrand.
