438. Earned Media Essentials for Tourism Marketers, with Colleen Onuffer
Release Date: 07/30/2025
445. Immersive Travel and Community Empowerment, with Florence Li
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444. Reclaiming Imagination in Business, with Susan Robertson
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443. Helping Tourism Professionals Reach Gen Z Audiences, with Nathan Oyer
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442. Sacramento’s Farm to Fork and Festival Revolution, with Mike Testa
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, Mike Testa, President & CEO of Visit Sacramento, describes how his destination has diversified their focus to include festivals and events, sports, leisure markets, and culinary. He explains how positioning themselves as America’s Farm to Fork Capital has paid dividends, including booking a 10-year contract to host the Terra Madre Americas convention. Mike also discusses why tourism is not for tourists and how that plays into action through Visit Sacramento’s work and community partnerships. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why Mike’s...
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441. The Story Behind Hands Up Holidays’ Ethical Family Adventures, with Christopher Hill
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Christopher Hill, Founder of Hands Up Holidays. Christopher takes us inside his journey from a career in finance to launching a travel company focused on eco-luxury family volunteer vacations. In our conversation, Christopher shares the story behind Hands Up Holidays, and we discuss the company’s focus on family and ethical travel with a holistic approach that ensures each journey leaves a positive impact on local communities and their visitors. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Christopher built Hands Up Holidays by combining...
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440. Boosting Tourism Marketing Success with Owned Media Tactics, with Camille Zess
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Camille Zess, Vice President of Growth at TAP, who brings 14 years of wide-ranging expertise in digital strategy, website development, email marketing, and the ever-evolving world of AI. We discuss the “Owned” media segment of the —your website, blog, email marketing, and other assets you have complete control over. Camille shares practical tips on evaluating and optimizing these owned channels, from knowing when it’s time for a website refresh to the power of blog audits and list segmentation. Our discussion also explores...
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439. PESO Model in Action: Social Media and Shared Tactics, with Adrienne Currie and Brittany Lynn
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Adrienne Currie, Community & Marketing Manager at TAP, and Brittany Lynn, Senior Account Manager at TAP for the third installment of a special four-part series exploring the Model—a framework for creating integrated marketing plans that drive results in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Our conversation shines a spotlight on the “S”—shared media, and Adrienne and Brittany dive into the strategies behind creating impactful social media campaigns, from identifying your target audience to understanding the value of...
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438. Earned Media Essentials for Tourism Marketers, with Colleen Onuffer
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Colleen Onuffer for the second installment of a four-part series exploring the Model—Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media—in integrated marketing. Colleen shares more about earned media: what it is, why it’s critical for building credibility, and how organizations in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry can use it to tell their story more powerfully. From collaborating with influencers to maximizing media placements, she explains how earned media fits into the bigger picture and interacts with other parts of the PESO...
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437. Paid Media Tactics That Work in Travel and Tourism, with Colleen Senglaub
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Colleen Senglaub, Digital Account Manager at TAP, for the first installment of a four-part series exploring the Model—a foundational framework for integrated marketing plans in travel, tourism, and hospitality. We dig into the “P” of PESO—Paid Media. Colleen shares her expertise on digital advertising, breaking down today’s must-have channels, including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, programmatic, and connected TV campaigns. They also touch on emerging platforms like Pinterest and TikTok, offering fresh ideas for...
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436. Inspiring Confident Communication, with Karen Laos
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On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Karen Laos, a communication expert and confidence cultivator, about the most common mishaps that we make when communicating, and practical advice on how to avoid them. We discuss the importance of communication as a woman, the benefits of building strong relationships, and why being interested is a better strategy than being interesting. She also gives us easy phrases and questions to help us start creating deeper connections today. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Karen Laos discovered the power of confident communication, from...
info_outlineOn this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Colleen Onuffer for the second installment of a four-part series exploring the PESO Model—Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media—in integrated marketing. Colleen shares more about earned media: what it is, why it’s critical for building credibility, and how organizations in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry can use it to tell their story more powerfully. From collaborating with influencers to maximizing media placements, she explains how earned media fits into the bigger picture and interacts with other parts of the PESO framework.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- How Colleen Onuffer defines earned media and why it is considered more credible and trustworthy by consumers compared to paid and owned channels
- Why the Peso Model is essential for creating an integrated and effective PR strategy, and what the interconnections are between paid, earned, shared, and owned media
- How to approach strategic PR planning, including the importance of starting with research, setting clear goals, and understanding your audience
- What types of earned media tactics Colleen recommends for destination marketers, including media relations and influencer partnerships
- How emerging trends like artificial intelligence (AI), podcasts, and the rise of micro and niche influencers are shaping the landscape of earned media
- Why measurement and the Barcelona Principles are so critical for PR success, and how to plan up front to track the true impact and quality of earned placements
- How to start small, leverage multi-channel opportunities, and set yourself up for measurable success
How Earned Media is Different from PR
Destination marketers know that cutting through the noise to reach travelers is harder than ever. In a world saturated with content and advertising, earning trust and attention calls for a sophisticated mix of strategy, storytelling, and smart tactical planning. We’re discussing the critical “E”—Earned Media—in the integrated PESO model this week.
The Value and Challenge of Earned Media
Earned media is any publicity gained through organic means rather than paid advertising. Unlike owned or paid channels, it’s the result of others—media outlets, influencers, travelers, or even locals—talking about your destination. Think press coverage, travel blogger posts, influencer recommendations, glowing TripAdvisor reviews, or enthusiastic social shares.
Colleen emphasizes that earned media carries higher trust among consumers. Because earned media is not paid for by a brand directly, it’s often perceived as more credible or trustworthy by consumers. Mainly because brands don’t control the message. Unlike owned or paid media, where the brand is the voice, earned media relies on the voices of others to push the brand or narrative. It’s both valuable and vulnerable—a product of relationships, storytelling, and a bit of risk-taking.
Creating an Earned Media Strategy
It’s tempting to jump straight to pitching, press trips, or influencer outreach. But effective PR starts with strategic foundations. Colleen recommends that travel marketers:
- Define Their Positioning: What’s the unique appeal or challenge your destination faces?
- Unlock Insights Through Research: Deeply understand audience motivations, needs, and media behaviors.
- Set SMART Goals: How many placements? What kind of coverage, and where? Do you want to attract a niche or mass audience?
- Build Audience Personas: Understand their pain points, decision-making process, and where they seek inspiration.
With these insights, your earned media initiatives—whether hosting writers, partnering with content creators, or launching brand ambassador programs—are more likely to land meaningful, measurable results.
Resources:
- https://spinsucks.com/communication/peso-model-comprehensive-guide/
- Website: https://travelalliancepartnership.com/
- LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenonuffer/
- LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tapintotravel/
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