Pinehurst Expands Visitor Appeal Through Digital Storytelling

Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area has promoted the world-renowned golf destination in North Carolina for four decades. But as brand equity and website traffic began to wane, the organization faced a critical inflection point. Traditional marketing approaches were consuming resources without delivering measurable growth, and the destination’s story had become narrowly defined.

By bringing MediaOne into its agency mix, the CVB set out to elevate its digital presence and storytelling, transforming stagnant performance into a diversified, long-term marketing and digital strategy.

Going Further as the Home of American Golf

While Pinehurst is globally recognized as the “Home of American Golf,” that legacy alone was no longer enough to fuel future growth across the entire destination. The CVB had a two-fold objective: attract a younger generation of golfers, and diversify its audience to include leisure visitors and weekend getaways. That meant telling a broader story, one that highlighted the Pinehurst area’s small towns, local events, cultural authenticity, outdoor recreation, and year-round appeal.

Phil Werz, CVB President & CEO tapped MediaOne for its results-driven digital strategies and creative storytelling expertise to help position Pinehurst as more than a golf destination.

“To solve such a complex challenge, we needed the help of experts who could see the big picture,” Werz said. 
Together, he and MediaOne:

• Engaged 15 content curators to produce more than 100 articles educating travelers on untapped opportunities throughout the North Carolina Sandhills.
• Leveraged a full-funnel media mix including video, native advertising, programmatic display, paid social, and email marketing to reach high-quality travel planners and amplify engagement across channels.
• Developed innovative campaigns like “GoPro and Play,” blending influencer-driven content with sweepstakes to create buzz, expand reach, and position Pinehurst as aspirational, experiential, and accessible to both leisure travelers and golf enthusiasts.

This approach ensured that content creation, distribution, and conversion worked together, reinforcing Pinehurst’s evolving brand narrative at every touchpoint.

Driving Diversified, Year-Round Growth

This wraparound marketing strategy delivered transformational results, both digitally and economically. The destination’s visitor economy grew by almost 53 percent since 2019 to a record $860 million in 2024. During that period, there were 38 consecutive months of record lodging tax collections.

Digital performance gains reinforced that momentum over the past year:

• 98% increase in outbound link clicks to partners
• 90% increase in paid YouTube viewing hours
• 80% increase in conversions driven by video content
• 40% increase in organic website visits
• 24% increase in top 250 keyword search volume

Sweepstakes and campaigns generated more than 50,000 entries and 20,000 new email opt-ins, strengthening first-party data assets and creating a foundation for future marketing efforts.

Pinehurst transitioned from stagnant growth to a thriving, diversified destination brand. As Werz said, “The expertise of the MediaOne team has been instrumental in helping us drive home the critical role the CVB plays in transforming our visitor economy.”