THE ASK — Buyer Persona

As part of building the foundation for our work with Visit Syracuse, we were tasked with creating a detailed buyer persona for Visit Syracuse, with a focus on Gen Z travelers. Using Global Web Index (GWI), we were expected to mine data to bring our target segment to life, complete with travel attitudes, media behaviors, and a detailed buyer journey.

The final deliverable was a 5–10 slide presentation that told a compelling, insight-driven story of the audience. Our goal was to derive a key human truth—an actionable insight—that could shape future marketing decisions. An Excel workbook of supporting GWI data and a peer evaluation were also required.

THE ASK — Objectives & Strategies

Additionally, we were asked to develop a concise yet strategic objectives and strategies plan for Visit Syracuse. The assignment required us to identify 2–3 digital marketing goals tied to different parts of the funnel and then propose aligning strategies and specific tactics to bring each to life.

In addition to the slide presentation, we submitted a written rationale (under 600 words) explaining the data-driven thinking behind our choices. The assignment emphasized the importance of using insights, cross-channel thinking, and SMART KPIs to build a cohesive digital strategy that could be realistically measured and executed.

THE ASK — Digital Marketing Audit

To build a better understanding of the competition and our strengths, we were asked to conduct a digital marketing audit of Visit Syracuse to assess its current strengths and opportunities across digital channels. We analyzed their website, social media presence, search visibility, and digital branding, comparing them to three substantial competitor destinations.

Each area was scored using a red/yellow/green color system to indicate performance against industry standards, and we were expected to use visuals and rationale to support every score. We also used Brandwatch to complete a social listening analysis, culminating in a final SWOT summary to synthesize our findings.