Carbon Corridor welcomes new marketing agency

At Wednesday’s Carbon County Commission meeting, a contract with Corvita Creative for marketing and media buying for the Carbon Corridor was approved. The approval coincided with a multi-day visit to Carbon County by Corvita Creative last week.

In 2019, a partnership between HUB LLC, Corajo Group, Utah Tourism Authority, and Carbon County rebranded the county’s tourism efforts. The result was Carbon Corridor, a brand that HUB has enhanced with campaigns and marketing over the years.

However, in late 2023, the Carbon County Tourism Board issued a request for proposals for marketing as well as media buys to advance the Carbon Corridor initiative. This proposal was reviewed by members of the Carbon County Tourism Tax Advisory Committee, who recommended that the commissioners enter into a contract with Corvita Creative to continue these marketing efforts over the next several years.

With offices in Idaho and Colorado, the Corvita Creative team is no stranger to Utah, as staff members often stop in between offices. One of those stops he frequents is in Carbon County, and owner Jill Coyle recognized the value of the community even before this week’s visit.

“The Carbon Corridor is a region close to our hearts,” said Coyle, founder and owner of Colvita Creative. “As a team dedicated to hospitality and tourism, we are passionate about promoting high-profile areas such as corridors for sustainable tourism growth. By combining our expertise with the region’s unique charm, we aim to redefine the future of tourism.”

While exploring the area, Corvita’s team spent extra time talking with residents, business owners, and elected officials. This included his ideation session with nearly 20 participants on Tuesday afternoon.

During the session, Corvita outlined five goals for Carbon Corridor’s tenure. These purposes include:

• Promote the Transient Lodging Tax by attracting visitors to Carbon County, promoting overnight stays, and encouraging longer stays.
• Positioning the Carbon Corridor as a must-see destination, enriching the overall visitor experience and fostering sustainable growth.
• Increase destination awareness, enhance visitor engagement, and foster strong, positive connections with your target audience.
• Spend the next two years building your brand and digging into your creative identity. While encouraging activity, we showcase Carbon County’s charm and unique connected experiences, highlighting its unique people, rich history, cultural heritage, vibrant lifestyle, and core values.
• Build deeper connections with both visitors and locals, fostering a sense of pride and community. Through creative storytelling and an immersive campaign, we will solidify Carbon County’s status as a destination that goes beyond just tourism, creating meaningful and lasting impressions for years to come.

“Our goal is to create a compelling story that showcases the area’s great amenities and attractions,” Coyle said. “I couldn’t be more excited to see what the future holds.”

Next, Colvita’s team wanted to hear from attendees about Carbon County’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Each participant was encouraged to write their opinion on each of these topics before a vote was taken to determine the top choices in each category.

The group started with the strengths of the carbon corridor. Popular choices included the abundance of community events, universities, and proximity to Salt Lake City and Moab. Another common answer was the geography, rock art, and archeology prevalent in the region.

Continuing with weaknesses, one of the common answers was the staffing issues faced by companies. This often results in reduced business hours and a lack of advocacy for staff. Another perceived weakness is the diversity of businesses and their hours of operation, as well as the lack of community support for things like the university and the North Springs Shooting Range.

This has led to discussions about opportunities for the region, from tour guides to increased community buy-in to enhanced workforce training. The overwhelming opinion was that the corridor should be a destination, not just a stop on a map.

Colvita Creative takes this information together with other details collected during your stay and incorporates it into the identified objectives. Carbon County Tourism is excited about the new partnership and the benefits it will bring to the corridor.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Corvita Creative team,” said Tina Grange, Carbon County Tourism and Film Specialist. She said: “I think we are on the right path to taking destination marketing to the next level because they are already taking so much care in getting us known as a community. I hope so.”