Wyoming, known as the last bastion of the West, is defined by its unique people, places, and perspectives. The Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) not only aims to increase visitation but also educates travelers on responsible practices through its "WY Responsibly" initiative.
The Wildly Wyoming series, a collaboration between WOT and Ford Motor Company, exemplifies this commitment. Over five episodes, three teams embarked on diverse Wyoming adventures, competing for a $10,000 Bronco Wild Fund grant for a local nonprofit. This initiative aimed to preserve Wyoming's wilderness while highlighting its unique rugged camaraderie.
WOT proposed an educational yet adventurous competition to Ford, aligning with Wyoming’s ethos. Ford provided vehicles suited to Wyoming’s terrain, Team Bronco ambassadors, and $70,000 in Bronco Wild Fund grants. Renowned for outdoor productions, Outside partnered with the brands for filming.
The series featured a three-route competition showcasing nine guides, 25+ locations, and over 1,300 miles of Wyoming's landscape. Key performance indicators included surpassing benchmarks for impressions and video views across Outside’s platforms. This success established Wildly Wyoming as a model for sustainable tourism and community stewardship, contributing $70,000 to Wyoming-based organizations focused on land conservation and outdoor engagement.
11.3MM impressions (32% above goal)
8MM video views (30% above goal)
1.1MM social views (85% above goal)
3:47 average time on the hub (2x average)
6 MM linear TV views (20% above goal)
0.41% Average CTR (Nearly 2x network benchmark of 0.21%)
Wildly Wyoming’s purpose was rooted in the tourism office’s mission: educate on how to travel responsibly, enjoying and protecting the wonders of the state of Wyoming.
This mission became the foundation for showcasing a deep respect for the outdoors and the urgency to care for it. This was also our north star for every decision as we navigated the hurdles related to local stewardship, integration of Wyoming experts and guides as well as distribution.
Identification of Ford as Partner:
The Bronco Wild Fund, supported by Ford Bronco sales, aims to preserve outdoor experiences through access, preservation, and stewardship. Insights from Helixa and MRI strengthened the purpose of partnership:
Those engaged with and interested in Wyoming are more likely to own or buy a Ford Bronco.
Wyoming’s experiences are the top trip interests of Bronco’s audience.
Over half of Wyoming is public land and is ranked #7 for having the most public land amongst all the states
Selection of Charities:
On each route, the teams met with a local non-profit aligned to our mission to learn about what they do, the direct impact on the state and to present a $20,000 grant from Bronco Wild Fund. Each organization represented one of the key pillars of preservation, stewardship and access.
Teton Adaptive: Enhances accessibility in adventure sports for people with disabilities.
National Forest Foundation: Focuses on conservation and responsible recreation in national forests, including trail restoration after wildfires.
Wyoming Outdoor Council: Advocates for conservation of public lands, clean air, water, climate resilience, and wildlife in Wyoming.
The winning team chose Project Healing Waters to receive the $10,000 Bronco Wild Fund grant to support the organization’s fly-fishing rehab programs for wounded veterans.
Local Integration:
Infusing local expertise is a critical component of WY Responsibly. The series featured nine local guides and outfitters that facilitated the activities, sharing tips and tricks on how to recreate responsibly. And $75,000+ was spent in the Wyoming economy during the 10+ days of production.
Production & Media Support:
Outside, our production and media partner, facilitated the exposure of Wildly Wyoming to its 136 million online users through a weekly release of episodes on Outside.com. This resulted in exceptional engagement, surpassing industry benchmarks with a 2.15% click-through rate and a 42% video view rate.
Central to the campaign was the interactive Wildly Wyoming hub on Outside.com, featuring episodes, team profiles, a dynamic map, challenge highlights, and information about the Bronco Wild Fund and grant recipients. Integrated banners directed viewers to TravelWyoming.com, encouraging them to plan their own trips. The hub achieved a time on page double the network benchmark, with a 24% content engagement rate and 15% video view rate, indicating strong viewer retention and interaction.
A comprehensive media plan included digital banners, native and paid social media, both on and off Outside’s platforms. The campaign was prominently showcased on Outside.com’s homepage for multiple weeks, supported by targeted trailers and digital display banners that effectively introduced Outside’s audience to Wildly Wyoming.
Wildly Wyoming is a first-of-its kind partnership between a destination marketing organization and international automaker. The shared mission of sustainability made the partnership between Wyoming Office of Tourism and the Bronco Wild Fund one built on strong convictions, creating an emotional connection with the ambassadors, guides and charities by showcasing how to recreate responsibly and care for the people, places and perspectives crucial for keeping Wyoming wild.
Key performance metrics focused on impressions and views across the program’s online hub, connected TV, paid media support and social content. We outperformed every single metric due to compelling content and groundswell of organic support from Ford and Team Bronco Ambassadors.
11.3MM impressions (32% above goal)
8MM video views (30% above goal)
1.1 social views (85% above goal)
3:47 average time on the hub (2x average)
6 MM linear TV views (20% above goal)
While the numerical results exceeded expectations, the amplification of the WY Responsibly message through the voices of Wyoming locals and Bronco Wild Fund pillars via the ambassadors’ experience became the pinnacle of the program. Nine guides and outfitters educated on responsible recreation and more than 25 destination marketing organizations and businesses were featured, showcasing the diversity of landscape and unique perspective only found in the state. Lastly, the impact of the $70,000 donations from Bronco Wild Fund to four Wyoming-based non-profit organizations cannot be understated, resulting in a collective ability to continue the mission of access, preservation and stewardship and opening the door for future iterations of the series.
