Harford County's 'Hello Harford' tourism campaign earns national recognition for data-driven approach

BEL AIR, Md. —  A Harford County tourism campaign that started modestly 18 months ago has grown into a nationally recognized, data-driven marketing effort — earning an achievement award from the National Association of Counties.

"Hello Harford" uses highly produced marketing spots to showcase what the county has to offer. Jodi Marschhauser, the county's tourism manager, said the name was chosen deliberately.

"We just threw around different ideas and 'Hello' was one of those things that just sounded very welcoming, which is what represents Harford County," Marschhauser said.

The campaign goes beyond traditional marketing. Intelligence and foot traffic data compiled with software tied to visitors' cell phones has made it an invaluable tool for the county and its businesses.

Maryland's largest Italian festival saw the impact firsthand. The event had its best year when it moved to Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, drawing almost 25,000 people. The data revealed a shift in where attendees were coming from.

"Where they were seeing the change was more people coming from the Philadelphia area, more people coming up from the D.C. and Southern Baltimore so it was able to validate that they've been doing those marketing efforts and that's why there was a change," Marschhauser said.

The tool also tracks how long visitors stay at events — a metric that carries direct financial implications.

"It allows them to say, 'Well, if someone's only for a half an hour, maybe we need to make a change to get them to stay longer,'" Marschhauser said. "Obviously, the longer they stay, the more money they're going to spend, the better experiences they're going to have, the more they're going to talk about it, tell their friends, come back---all of those things that help the bottom line."

The data is shared freely with event organizers and other businesses across the county.

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