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Author: Phuong Nguyen

Unearthing Oregon’s Truffle Scene: A Look at Shoulder Season in the Willamette Valley

Unearthing Oregon’s Truffle Scene: A Look at Shoulder Season in the Willamette Valley

Truffle Hunting in Oregon's Willamette Valley

Photo by Andrew Shepherd

Oregon Wine Country’s Best-Kept Secret

There’s something undeniably special about Oregon’s wine country during the shoulder season, a quieter, slower, and cozier time in the region. Beyond the endless vineyards and world-class Pinot Noirs, the Willamette Valley is home to a hidden culinary treasure, Oregon truffles. Every winter, the Willamette Valley welcomes truffle foragers, chefs, and foodies to celebrate this underground delicacy. Skilled truffle-hunting dogs and their human handlers venture into the region’s forests, using their keen senses to unearth these treasured morsels. This seasonal tradition draws people in, not just to the land’s natural bounty, but the businesses, culture, and communities that thrive around it.

Bringing Shoulder Season to Life

When our client, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association (WVVA), set out to capture the essence of Oregon’s truffle season and the cozy charm of cellar season we knew storytelling and imagery would be at the heart of this campaign. From foraging and sampling chef-crafted dishes to enjoying a fireside glass of wine at a vineyard, this season offers a uniquely personal experience we knew had to be shared. We supported the vision from the team at WVVA to help amplify truffle hunting and cellar season by telling authentic stories of the Willamette Valley. From on-location shoots capturing the region’s culinary charm and intimate vineyard experiences to tagging along on a truffle hunt with some furry friends, we enjoyed every second of the Willamette Valley’s winter magic.

To support WVVA’s goals of increasing winter visitation and website traffic, we launched a comprehensive Shoulder Season Campaign that blended compelling visuals, paid Meta ads, and a well-rounded organic social strategy. The campaign introduced engaging video and photo content, expanding their asset library, and brought brand-new footage capturing truffle hunts, cozy cellar moments, winter adventure, and boutique stays.

Our creative process breakdown:

🎥 Scouting locations, filming, and production

📸 Content creation (organic and paid social) & storytelling

📲 Social media strategy & execution

🎯 Targeted Meta Ads

📊 Campaign engagement metrics

The results:

💬 Total social reach: 1,665,587

👀 Impressions: 5,911,420

💬 Engagements: 14,857

👤 New Followers Gained: 1,340

These results demonstrate not only strong visibility and reach, but meaningful audience engagement, which is exactly what is needed to inspire travel during a traditionally quieter season.

Photo by Andrew Shepherd

Rooted in Story

This campaign is a testament to the power of creative collaboration and the unending magic of Oregon’s Shoulder Season. When businesses, enthusiasts, and communities come together with a shared vision, the impact goes beyond a single season—it fosters engagement, strengthens brand identity, and highlights what makes a region truly special. From the thrill of truffle hunting dogs uncovering hidden treasures to the connection between food, wine, and region, these stories bring the essence of the season to life. A campaign’s success comes from telling stories in an authentic and reflective way and we’re here to make that happen.

Got a story to tell? Let’s connect!

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A Return to WordPress: A Fresh Start for Leadville – Twin Lakes

A Return to WordPress: A Fresh Start for Leadville – Twin Lakes

Finding the Right CMS Platform

Sometimes the scenic route takes you right back to where you started, but with a clearer understanding and destination. Leadville Twin-Lakes had moved away from WordPress to explore another CMS platform to host their website. The change did not quite support the region’s needs and the need to return to WordPress was more than evident when they struggled with content management, user experience, and flexibility on the backend.

An Organizational Nightmare Turned Streamlined Hub

Migrating the site back to WordPress wasn’t just a quick fix, it was a full-scale technical and organizational overhaul. In collaboration with the Leadville–Twin Lakes team, we tackled technical challenges and content complexity to create a site that better reflects their beautiful Colorado destination:

🔄  Seamlessly transferred a massive amount of content from the previous platform

🧹 Cleaned up nearly 30,000 duplicate pages and content, bringing the total down to about 700 core pages & blog posts

🗂️ Dramatically improved content organization and navigation structure

🧩 Introduced a custom Trails Map to highlight outdoor adventures

✅ Excellent SEO and accessibility scores, including a 100% Google Lighthouse score on the homepage

🌱 Built a seasonal toggle that automatically switches between winter and summer themes, fully controllable in the WordPress admin

🚀 Successful website launch with minimal bugs 

All done without disruption to current site visitors.

Trusted by Adventurers Like You

“Working with the agency was an absolute pleasure,” said Adam Ducharme, Director of Tourism and Economic Development for Lake County Government. “They were professional, fast, and truly listened to our goals. The whole process felt seamless, and the results speak for themselves.”

Katie Hild, Tourism Manager for Visit Leadville – Twin Lakes, added, “It was refreshing to work with a team that just got it. They understood our brand, delivered a beautiful and intuitive site, and made the transition back to WordPress incredibly easy.”

Results that Speak for Themselves

From launch, the feedback was clear. There were virtually no bugs reported and minimal client or user concerns post-launch, an ideal rollout in our books! With a 100% accessibility score on the homepage and dynamic seasonal content, visitors now enjoy a smoother, more relevant experience that reflects the destination they’re planning to explore!

This project proves what’s possible when thoughtful UX, destination storytelling, and technical strategy align. It’s more than just a website, it’s a digital experience for DMOs and CVBs to inspire and welcome visitors. 

Got a story to tell? Let’s connect! 

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