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Poppy Awards

Honoring the California tourism industry's successes

March 11, 2026

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Brand advertising is divided into two entrant pools based on program budget:
- $1 million and up
- under $1 million
An organization's brand is more than a logo, an ad or visual identity. It reflects the essence of a destination, its unique character, lifestyle and assets. Effective distribution is essential to communicate a brand to its target customer.

This category honors destinations or businesses with the best brand advertising campaign that amplified, communicated and reinforced the brand through paid media. Campaigns can include digital video, social media, programmatic, print, TV, out-of-home and other paid channels.

Entries should spotlight campaigns that effectively performed against stated goals and objectives, engaged audiences and delivered a measurable impact. Submissions must include your destination’s unique brand promise and any reflection of the overall brand positioning, and show how the brand was introduced to consumers and business partners. Judges will evaluate the creative integration of the brand into paid media, as well as the overall performance of the campaign.

We welcome campaigns that found innovative ways to engage audiences across all paid platforms that directly resulted in positive business outcomes for a destination or business.

Example program
Here is a Visit California program that would fit into this category, as an example. For example, Visit California’s new road trips platform, Playful Journeys, gives road trippers playful ways to engage with road trip content across channels, leveraging emotional drivers like music, bonding and spontaneous discovery to inspire road trips California road trip. The media buy includes national linear TV, online TV, paid custom digital content and digital partnerships across key markets in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico and China. This initiative was executed broadly across Visit California’s marketing ecosystem, including extensions in the owned, earned, international and trade channels that help to reinforce that California, The Ultimate Playground, is also the ultimate road trip destination.
Creating and leveraging content is what sets great organizations apart. Content outreach through your website, e-newsletters, blogs, podcasts, social media or printed materials can break through the clutter in this always-on, digital world. Showcase your best content marketing initiative, either as a part of a larger program or as a stand-alone campaign. Share your approach, including the program’s goals, target audience, platforms used, distribution strategy, media spend (if applicable) and results. In your performance recap, please also include year-over-year growth in the channels used for the initiative.

We welcome content-driven initiatives that reflect the authentic reality of your business or destination.

Example program
Here is a Visit California program that would fit into this category, as an example. Visit California’s “A Perfect Day” content series was a video-driven, social-forward, content series and included new website content, multiple social posts, inclusion in email and Gifs marketing that highlighted the variety of destinations and travel options in the Golden State. This was a predominantly organic promotion with only $50K spent on media support.

Another example, the new road trip planner on VisitCalifornia.com integrates AI to provide personalized itineraries. The tool’s natural language processing and search helps users create itineraries finely tuned to their interests, which increases bookings at a greater range of businesses. A user interface is layered over the language model that allows users to map, save and share trips. The model pulls from a database of locations to ensure accuracy and that all trips occur within California.
This category rewards the best use of influencer marketing, which leverages storytelling, endorsements, destination mentions and personal perspectives from influential individuals with a dedicated online following. Programs and campaigns may feature any type of content creator, from lesser-known local influencers to YouTube stars or global celebrities.

Campaigns can target niche markets or a general audience and may also incorporate traditional PR components such as media outreach, broadcast integrations, consumer activations, crisis communication or issues management.

Example Program
Here is a Visit California program that would fit into this category, as an example. Visit California geared up to launch its latest edition of "California Road Trips" and celebrate “Playful Journeys” as the road trip extension of The Ultimate Playground, the organization hosted a diverse group of influencers, who helped showcase the joy of hitting the open road in California. Influencers added an authentic dimension to the campaign, showing their own personal road trips, from a family snow trip to a photographer’s dream Northern California journey, an accessible, wheel-chair friendly road trip and much more. Influencers were featured in the 2025 "California Road Trips", with content shared on social channels throughout the trips, and additional posts to celebrate the launch of the guide and encourage orders.
Effective public relations puts storytelling at the forefront and supports marketing initiatives with valuable earned media. This category invites entries showcasing a campaign that featured California tourism products. Campaigns may target niche markets or a general audience and can also include special events, and consumer or media activations. Entries should incorporate research, planning, creativity and measurable results, which may include total impressions, media pickup and social media integration, if applicable.

Example Programs
Here are a few Visit California programs that would fit into this category:
- A media event at Dotdash Meredith (now People Inc.) that engaged 34 partners and top editors from all of DDM’s titles and resulted in two immediate People Magazine features.
- Working with NewsNation on a brand-new travel show that aired on NewsNation in full, as well as segments on "Morning in America," across Nexstar Media Group stations in top markets, on YouTube, and via social.
- Visit California promoted its new Accessibility Hub across all English-speaking markets and in Europe via a press release and pitches, resulting in more than 311 million impressions in just the first few days.
Collaboration can take a good campaign and make it extraordinary. This award recognizes a marketing effort in which two or more organizations cooperated to promote business or travel to a region within California. The entrant may have contributed to developing, financing or executing the project.

Submission should clearly outline program goals and results based for each participating organization. Visit California co-ops are not eligible for submission in this category. If applicable, entries should explain how the strategic partnership expanded reach to a new audience or market, added value to stakeholders and strengthened brand awareness.

Example Program
Here is a Visit California program that would fit into this category, as an example. In early 2025, Canada, one of California’s top international markets, showed signs of softening travel sentiment. Visit California partnered with Expedia to launch “California Loves Canada,” a campaign that combined emotional messaging with real value. The effort reminded Canadians they are welcome and offered up to 25% off hotels, attractions and experiences across the state.

Visit California led the strategy and creative, while Expedia activated the offer on its platform and managed the media buy. The message was simple, heartfelt and well-timed. It was shared through paid media, earned placements and owned channels. Creative featured diverse travelers enjoying sunny California moments with a direct call to action: enjoy up to 25% off.

The campaign delivered strong results. It drove more than 26,000 bookings on Expedia and generated 780 earned media hits. Nearly 1,000 hotels and 64 attractions participated. Expedia ensured reach and performance, while Visit California aligned messaging with brand and industry goals.
California’s travel and tourism industry faces a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by wide-ranging disruptions: economic volatility, shifting global perceptions, rising operational costs, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and post-crisis misconceptions. From natural disasters to divisive geopolitics, destinations and businesses are continuously either responding to or preparing for the next crisis.

At the same time, tourism stakeholders are advancing stewardship practices by enhancing residents’ quality of life, celebrating local and native culture, supporting travelers with disabilities and championing environmental responsibility.

This award honors a business or destination that has demonstrated exceptional leadership in resilience planning, crisis response or stewardship. It celebrates efforts to balance economic vitality with environmental and sociocultural sustainability, while also recognizing excellence in preparing for or recovering from crises.
Submissions may include initiatives that reduce negative environmental impacts, aid community engagement efforts, foster inclusive tourism programs, fortify resilience planning and infrastructure, and rebuild trust and visitation after a crisis.

Example Programs
Here are two Visit California programs that would fit into this category:
- Stewardship - Visit California commissioned and co-developed a Sustainable & Regenerative Tourism Guidebook as part of its Regional Strategic Tourism Planning initiative. This guidebook provides tactical strategies for managing visitor behavior, preserving cultural and environmental assets, and promoting responsible growth.
- Resilience - Following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, a four-phase crisis recovery plan was implemented in partnership with Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, including activations before and during the globally broadcast 2025 Academy Awards. The campaign generated significant ad recall and $385 million in incremental visitor spending.
Tourism thrives on connection — with travel trade partners, media audiences and ultimately, travelers themselves. This category honors innovative experiential marketing activations by tourism businesses and destination marketing organizations that bring a brand to life and generate measurable impact across these diverse audiences.

Eligible submissions may include trade show exhibits, meeting planner showcases, media activations and consumer-facing extensions. Winning entries will highlight how immersive design, interactive strategies, and cross-audience engagement elevated traditional formats, strengthened brand identity, and delivered results — with consumer activations serving as a powerful extension of trade and media impact.

Example Program
Here is a Visit California program that would fit into this category, as an example. At IPW 2025 in Chicago, Visit California partnered with U.S. Travel and eight state tourism offices to launch the Route 66 Café, a 1950s-inspired diner experience celebrating the upcoming Route 66 Centennial. Designed to engage global buyers and media, the activation blended nostalgic design with modern storytelling — complete with retro booths, themed menus and interactive “Get Your Kicks Cash” vouchers. The café also provided a high value setting for meetings, interviews and receptions, reinforcing California’s role as both the gateway and anchor of the iconic highway.

The activation drew thousands of attendees, generated widespread media coverage and strengthened California’s image as The Ultimate Playground. Partners reported new business leads, increased visibility and enhanced collaboration opportunities, with the café driving momentum toward the 2026 centennial.

A consumer extension in the form of a keepsake Route 66 publication was designed to inspire travelers with a blend of retro road nostalgia and modern explorer energy. The special edition was revealed at IPW to trade and media audiences and then distributed to 100,000 Travel + Leisure and Midwest Living subscribers.
By elevating the traditional trade show experience with an immersive environment, Visit California showcased creativity, collaboration and measurable impact, making the Route 66 Café a standout example of exhibition marketing success.
California Welcome Centers represent Visit California’s personal touchpoint with consumers. Each welcome center is independently owned and operated, reflecting the local experience positioned as the expert resource for community and statewide information. More than 1.4 million travelers annually utilize California Welcome Centers, resulting in extended stays of 1.8 nights on average in the state.

This category is open to existing California Welcome Centers that opened in 2024 or earlier. It highlights the successes of CWCs, including collaborations, activations, visitor and destination impact, and unique offerings that set California Welcome Centers apart from other visitor centers.