For Your Speed Dial
If you're new to the Joint Effort Marketing application process and have any questions about how it works, get in touch with our grant coordinator Abbie Hill. Her contact information is linked to the right. To give you your first lay of the land, she's prepared the "what to expect" overview below. Now, if you've been through the drill and are familiar with this grant program, then feel free to head directly to the application materials and get started.
First, Determine the Category
There are five categories of Joint Effort Marketing grants from which to choose. Read through these quick descriptions to see which one best fits your project.
Destination Marketing This category offers communities funding to increase visitor spending during softer travel months. We'll be awarding dollars to projects that market your area's point-of-difference - that's your brand - and leverage state resources. To qualify, you must have three or more municipalities committed to working together. You'll need to fill out an application with information about current traveler spending in your region and specifics on how you'll track and measure the effectiveness of your branded marketing campaign. We are looking for a project goal that clearly defines the increased visitor spending and demonstrates how you will measure those results. Up to $40,000 may be awarded, or $10,000 per community for the total project. Three years of funding are available (a new application must be submitted each year). The first year will reimburse up to 75% of the advertising costs; 50% in the second year and 25% in the third year. Make sure you explain how the project will develop after the first year, as we are looking for projects that have the potential to become self-sufficient.
New Event This category covers an event that has not previously been held in your area. It needs to be an event you'll repeat regularly and is beyond the scope of your normal daily operations. The maximum award is $39,550. Three years of funding is available.
Sales Promotion There are two keys to this category - you must offer significant incentives and those incentives must come during a limited period of time, usually 6-8 weeks. Your goal will be to persuade targeted customers to visit the area. Applications need to include a list of participating businesses and the proposed incentives. The maximum award is $39,550. Funding for two consecutive years is available.
Existing Event If you'd like to grow an event that already exists, here's your chance. Grant dollars can go toward advertising in a new geographic market, targeting a new demographic of traveler, or advertising in a new medium. To qualify in this category, you'll need to submit the previous year's advertising budget and demonstrate how the grant funding will substantially increase the number of visitors over the previous year's visitor count. The maximum award is $39,550. Funding for two consecutive years is available.
One-Time, One-of-a-Kind If you're hosting an event of major significance and believe it has great potential to generate stories throughout the Midwest and maybe even nationally, then consider this category. Please note that anniversaries and birthdays are excluded. The maximum award is $28,250 and, of course, funding is limited to one year.
What Is and Is Not Covered
Eligible promotional expenses include these items: e-mail marketing campaigns; advertising in magazines, newspapers, on radio and TV; internet marketing; direct mail; media kits and publicity materials; and billboards.
There are some expenses that Joint Effort Marketing grants do not cover and those include: operational costs like staff salaries, travel costs, facility rental and insurance; local advertising; research and tracking; and posters and flyers that are not direct-mailed.
Timing and Deadlines
Joint Effort Marketing applications must be received by the JEM Coordinator at least 90 days prior to the first day of advertising that will be paid using these funds. For example, if your first ad is scheduled to run August 1, then your application must be submitted by May 1.
Also, the deadlines for New Event, Existing Event, Sales Promotion and One Time, One-of-a-Kind applications are August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1. In turn, we review applications in those same four months. For the Destination category, we'll review in September and April.
The Review Process
Your application will first be reviewed at the Department of Tourism. Then it goes on to a panel of your peers. That group is made up of members of the Governor's Council on Tourism as well as people from outside the Council who bring a balance to the process in terms of geography and tourism segments. The Department of Administration also reviews the applications. The final review is made by the Secretary's office. For those that make it to final approval, it's a huge point of pride.
We ask all grant recipients to help us spread the good word on Wisconsin Tourism by including the Wisconsin Department of Tourism logo on all grant-funded ads. An electronic file of that logo is available.
Evaluating Your Results
After your project wraps up - within 45 days - you'll need to submit a written evaluation, complete with copies of your promotional and operational expenses, documentation of in-kind services, and the actual traveler spending generated by your grant-funded campaign. The last piece of the evaluation is an income/revenue statement reporting your actual profit/loss. From time to time and based on circumstances, an extension of the evaluation due date may be arranged. You'll contact Abbie Hill for that. Just a reminder that the final 10% of the approved grant funding will be paid upon receipt of this final evaluation.