The Great Frederick Fair is a time-honored event in Frederick, Maryland that promotes the county’s historic roots in the agricultural industry, educates youth on the importance of farming and sustainability, and fosters a feeling of community in the region. The Great Frederick Fair annually brings together generations of Frederick locals and tourists for nine days of agriculture education, competitive exhibits, carnival rides, games, fun fair food, entertainment, demonstrations, and SO much more at The Frederick Fairgrounds.
In 2023, ahead of the 161st Annual Great Frederick Fair, the fair committee needed marketing support to help expand the Fair’s outreach for advanced pre-ticket sales, competition entries, and general engagement with the community. PPR Strategies, headquartered in the heart of downtown Frederick, is made up of team members who have experienced the joy and entertainment of The Great Frederick Fair for years with family and friends; taking on the project to help support our local county fair was done without hesitation (and with great pride).
With ample time to support the marketing and promotional efforts ahead of the event, PPR Strategies orchestrated an advertising campaign for The Great Frederick Fair across various platforms and avenues. PPR Strategies formulated and executed an advertising plan utilizing the given budget that would reach locals and other counties across the tri-state area. To engage residents, public transit ads were created, and splash messages at the beginning of each movie at Warehouse Cinemas in Frederick! To further the reach, advertisements were created for social media, print, digital, Google ads, radio, and billboards.
Advertising placements across the board promoted the Great Frederick Fair’s pre-sale tickets alongside the memorable advanced ticket or “JackPass” mascot, Jack the Blue Donkey. Ads were seen far and wide along the County.
Transit ads yielded 1,411,200 impressions and 130,000 from cinema ads. Through the social media campaigns, the Great Frederick Fair ads averaged a reach of 29,881, 14,160 impressions, and 5,923 clicks. 41.8% of viewers clicked the ads, which is seven times the average click-through rate; an impressive level of engagement even for a well-known event.
Overall, impressions totaled 3,097,168 across all advertising platforms. The campaign’s impressive reach encouraged new participation in the event from outside the county and reignited interest in residents who had not participated in the event recently.
During the outreach phase, PPR Strategies drafted press releases to showcase the various attractions of the Great Frederick Fair and crafted individualized pitches to support those efforts. PPR Strategies secured and coordinated 10 media placements in print, digital, and broadcast media leading up to and during the fair. Press included local features in DC News Now, Frederick News-Post, WFMD, and WTOP!
PPR Strategies is committed to helping all our clients tell their stories, reimagine their place, and drive people to experience it, thus elevating communities. It was a meaningful experience to promote an event and institution that is integral to the Frederick community and to see it prosper with help from PPR’s marketing efforts.
