In 2019, Destination Mansfield – Richland County and the area’s local Wine & Ale Trail locations expanded the original trail to create a more regional appeal and get more eyes on each stop. In addition to the seven Richland County sites, we gained two new partners in contiguous counties. The addition of Uniontown Brewing Co. in Ashland, Ohio and Fox Winery in Galion, Ohio brings the total number of stops on this local trail to nine. The new sites joined a collection of partners whose passion for craft and connection to history bring people from near and far to sip and savor their way through the trail. Learn more about each of the stops in the new Wine & Ale Trail brochure.
In addition to a NEW Wine & Ale Trail brochure that showcases all locations, there was an investment in getting the word out about the trail, the locations, and the history that surrounds many of our sites.
“Since many towns tout their own version of a beverage trail, we wanted to set our trail apart by focusing on and promoting the connection to history at our wineries and breweries,” said Lee Tasseff, President, Destination Mansfield Richland County. “Wine & Ale seekers not only can enjoy local wines and brews on our trail, but they can immerse themselves in real local history in a century-old mortuary, a vintage bank vault, a blueberry plantation, and an old-world cask ale brewery to mention a few. As the brochure says ‘Cheers to History,’” concluded Tasseff.
Destination Mansfield-Richland County is known for connecting the dots and creating themes to benefit the area and this is just another example of that approach. Our organization partnered with TourismOhio, the state tourism marketing organization, to create a storytelling marketing campaign themed around our “Cheers to History” message. The plan included a new story written by Great Lakes Publishing about out trail, including all the historic components. That story was turned into a landing page that resides in the Eat/Drink section of DestinationMansfield.com. Other components of our campaign included digital and social media marketing and the invitation to an established blogger and social media influencer to expand our message reach. Check out his blog post. Overall, the campaign generated 914,099 impressions and 6,830 clicks to our message.
New experiences are popping up and we are proud to have curated one of those experiences in the Wine & Ale Trail. It’s part of what Destination Mansfield – Richland County does to let visitors know what’s here and increase the visibility of the greater community on an ever-widening scale. We always strive to position the community positively outside of this region to create an image of success and desirability. When more visitors, no matter the reason, come and spend their money here, they help support the economic viability of great amenities like high-end wineries, specialty breweries, and small businesses in our community. These amenities are used by visitors and locals alike and are essential for the quality of life that makes Mansfield and Richland County a great place to live and work.