Portland Rose Festival
The Portland Rose Festival is a cherished tradition in the Pacific Northwest, known for bringing the community together through sparkling parades, vibrant celebrations, and family-friendly events. But like every iconic event, staying fresh and engaging year after year takes more than tradition—it takes strategy. That’s where we came in. With a clear mission to amplify the Festival’s reach, attendance, and impact, we partnered with the Portland Rose Festival Foundation to refresh their digital presence and connect with their audience in new, meaningful ways.
The Results
42%+
Increase in Instagram Reach
150%+
Increase in traffic to the website from Instagram
200K+
Reached audiences through influencer partnerships with a collective following of over 200,000 across accounts.
Nick Brodnicki, Chief Operating Office, Portland Rose Festival Foundation
“The Avenue team has been an absolute dream to work with. They were comprehensive in setting up our account, goals, and focus for the year, diligent in keeping both themselves and our team on task, and always kept the creativity coming to help us deliver on growth that exceeded all goals for the year. This team feels like an extension of our team and we were successful in our marketing and social media efforts this year because we worked with Avenue. I recommend a conversation with Avenue to all of my partners who need support with their marketing and communication efforts. I love the Avenue team!”
The Challenge
The Portland Rose Festival team knew that their digital engagement didn’t reflect the excitement their in-person events generate. They wanted to:
Drive digital engagement to offline participation. Social media followers weren’t always translating to ticket sales or event attendance.
Connect with their audience on a deeper level. Growing followers and engagement was only part of the equation—they wanted a vibrant, active online community.
Increase brand awareness. Despite their strong reputation, they needed to reach new audiences while reigniting excitement among loyal attendees.
Services Implemented
Social Media Research & Strategy
Conducted audience and competitor analysis to inform platform-specific strategies and messaging.
Paid Social Research & Strategy
Developed advertising strategies to maximize reach and engagement through optimized targeting and creative.
Ongoing Social Media Management & Reporting
Managed content creation, posting schedules, and community engagement while delivering monthly performance insights.
Ongoing Paid Social Management & Reporting
Executed and optimized ad campaigns to ensure efficient spending and maximize ROI, with consistent performance tracking.
Influencer Outreach & Management
Sourced and vetted influencers to align with brand values and campaign objectives. Secured partnerships and managed all aspects of influencer relationships, including content approvals, campaign coordination, and performance tracking.
The Solution
We knew the Portland Rose Festival deserved a digital presence as vibrant as its parades. With that in mind, our team took a full-funnel approach, leveraging both organic and paid strategies:
Enhanced Content Strategy
We doubled down on Instagram and Facebook with a posting cadence of 5–7 posts per week, balancing organic, engaging content with strategic boosting.
Instagram Stories became a hub for real-time engagement, featuring reposts, influencer collaborations, and behind-the-scenes action.
Influencer Partnerships
We identified and partnered with four local influencers (including one with 110k+ followers) to authentically promote key events like CityFair and the Starlight Parade.
Targeted Paid Campaigns
Our ad strategy focused on brand awareness and ticket sales, reaching over 795k unique users and generating 5.5M+ impressions across Meta platforms.
Evergreen ads highlighted flagship events like CityFair and parades, ensuring maximum visibility.
Community Engagement
We actively managed social interactions, responding to comments, liking posts, and creating a two-way dialogue with followers.
With creativity, consistency, and a little bit of Rose City magic, we built a strategy that resonated with Portlanders far and wide.
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We believe in ferris wheels, funnel cakes, and family fun. Tickets for this year's CityFair are on sale now - don't miss out on the best event of the summer! Visit the link in our bio for more information.
And, Ahem because the boss is out of the office we're having a little fun with pricing this weekend! -
Portland is blooming right before our eyes 🌹
This month, we’re partnering up with @tulipcowboy to install pop-up floral installations all around the city leading up to CityFair. Each installation is a celebration of Portland’s community, creativity, and all the upcoming fun at CityFair!
Go check out the first installment at @rogueales on 9th and Belmont, and stay tuned throughout the month for more! -
We've been viewing Portland through rose-colored lenses since 1907. Swipe through to take a look at some of our favorite programs from the past 117 years. Which one do you like best?
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We believe in imagining the future of Portland.
Let's address the elephant in the room: Portland has gotten a bad rap over the last few years. But we believe in this city, its community, its history, and most importantly, its future. That's why our theme for this year's Rose Festival is "Dream Forward." We'll never stop dreaming about what Portland can be, and this is just the beginning.
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