By Alex Schoettmer, Brand Director

Every year, brands plan for the Kentucky Derby by focusing on what’s happening at Churchill Downs. But Derby isn’t just a race, it’s a citywide behavioral shift.

When we analyzed foot traffic across more than 100 locations in Louisville – spanning several venue categories – a clearer picture emerged. Derby is defined by how people move across the city, not just where the race happens. For marketers, that movement creates a set of opportunities that extend well beyond race day.

Here’s how we approached it: To better understand consumer behavior during Derby season, we analyzed visitation data from over 100 locations across Louisville using our location intelligence platform, Unacast. We grouped locations into six categories: Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Attractions, Grocery stores and Liquor stores. And we reviewed patterns from Q1 2022 through Q2 2026 to identify consistent trends across time. The goal wasn’t to measure how busy Derby season is, it was to understand how demand builds, where it concentrates, and how consumers move. 

And here’s what we found:

1. Brands Should Plan for Derby as a Multi-Week Ramp

Derby demand builds well before race weekend. Across hotels, attractions, and dining locations, visitation begins increasing ahead of Derby, while grocery and liquor retail activity indicates that local preparation starts even earlier. Demand builds in stages, not all at once.

What brands should do:  Plan campaigns to activate in phases: early (local prep), mid (visitor arrival), and peak (high-intent activity)

2. Brands Should Segment Derby Audiences by Behavior

Derby audiences are not uniform. They fall into distinct behavioral groups: tourists, social/nightlife audiences, and locals preparing or hosting

What brands should do:  Tailor messaging, timing and targeting to each group.

3. Brands Should Activate Beyond Churchill Downs

Consumer activity extends across the city, especially in dining, nightlife and cultural districts.

What brands should do:  Expand targeting to high-traffic zones beyond the racetrack.

4. Brands Should Align With Local Culture, Not Just the Event

Locations tied to Louisville’s identity – particularly cultural and bourbon-related destinations – act as anchors in visitor behavior. Visitors’ stops before and after their hotel indicate the demand to experience Louisville culture.

What brands should do:  Connect campaigns to local culture and experiences.

In Conclusion

Derby is shaped by how consumers move across the city. Brands should plan in phases, segment audiences, expand targeting, align with culture, and execute with precision timing. And those that understand how people behave – not just where they gather – are best positioned to win during the Derby season.

To learn how BCH can apply similar location-based data to your marketing communications strategies, email partners@bch.com.

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“I didn’t find myself laughing, crying or saying “wow” as much as other years … so overall it was a down year (not unlike the game itself).” writes BCH partner Matt Kamer, in a recent contribution in Louisville Business First. 

The newsweekly, part of American City Business Journals, featured Matt’s views on what advertisers and brands did right at this year’s Super Bowl and what went wrong. What tactics hit the nail on the head and which ones missed it? Matt discusses Levi’s, AI and the unique Liquid I.V. ad. 

1. Matt named Levi’s ad the best of the year, writing “The “Behind Every Original” spot showed just how Levi’s are THE jeans for all types of Americans, from cowboys and construction workers to rock stars and rebels.”

2. AI was a strong theme this year, with a few brands commenting on the pitfalls of AI usage but overall missing the mark, positioning themselves as the cautionary tale of this year’s Super Bowl. 

3. The unusual goes to Liquid I.V.’s singing toilets, giving a not-so subtle nod to their specialty, hydration. 

The impact of this year’s Super Bowl ads is not contributing to the noise, but cultivating impactful advertising tailored by human stories that resonate with audiences. 

Read the full article here:https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2026/02/09/which-ads-won-the-super-bowl-local-execs-weigh-in.html

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“This is the year illusion falls away — and intention takes its place,” writes BCH partner Allison Pitman, in a recent column in Louisville Business First. 

The newsweekly, part of American City Business Journals, featured Allison’s views on what marketers and brands should consider in 2026. With the meteoric rise of AI, how does a brand create value in an increasingly synthetic world? Allison focuses on three areas:

‎‎ ㅤ1. Just buying advertising reach isn’t enough. Real voices and credible perspectives consistently outperform clickbait performance marketing.

‎ ㅤ2‎. Culture is becoming a scarce resource. The great irony of the AI age is that the more automated things become, the more valuable human connection becomes.

ㅤ3. Trust is no longer assumed. A.I. “answer engines” will force brands to earn credibility.

Marketing in 2026 won’t be won by louder ads or more automation, Allison writes. It’ll be won by trust, cultural relevance, and real human connection. 

Read the full article here: https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2026/01/23/marketing-outlook-2026-opinion.html

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Several BCHers brought home the gold recently at the 2025 Public Relations Society of America’s Landmarks of Excellence Awards, with all 14 submitted projects earning recognition and nine receiving the event’s top honor, the Award of Excellence.

Since 1982, the annual awards have highlighted the very best public relations, journalism, marketing, and professional communications projects in the PRSA Bluegrass Chapter. Submitted projects are judged by public relations experts from PRSA chapters across the country, awarding submissions that surpass industry standards.

Here are our award-winning submissions in their respective categories:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE:

1.        Bardstown Bourbon Company – Social Media Management

2.        Belle of Louisville – Season Lineup News Release

3.        Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow – Media Relations

4.        Green River Distillery – Daytona Social Media Campaign

5.        Kosair – Rocket Ship TV Spot

6.        Louisville Water – River Road Campaign

7.        LOUMED – LOUMED Commons Announcement

8.        Taco Bell – L.A. Influencer Campaign

9.        Jeff’s Donuts – Branding/Design Assets

AWARDS OF MERIT:

1.        Louisville MSD – Annual Report

2.        LOUMED – Walkability Op-Ed

3.        Metro TV – Paid Social Media Campaign

HONORABLE MENTION:

1.        Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow – Influencer Campaign

2.        Kentucky Lottery – Jackpot Factory Mural

We are grateful to our clients for entrusting us with their vision for their brand, and for giving us the runway and working alongside us to bring it to life.

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Ever wonder who makes sure Kentucky horse racing remains the best in the world? 

BCH recently partnered with the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation to establish a brand strategy for the newly chartered organization tasked with regulating horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, sports wagering and charitable gaming in the Commonwealth, while also being the overall champion horse racing, breed integrity and development in the Bluegrass and beyond. 

BCH utilized its Brand Adoption process to uncover the consumer, category and cultural truths relevant to this organization and its vision, and reflected that in developing the new brand. We needed to emphasize the purpose behind the organization while acknowledging both sides of the coin: Kentucky’s rich history and expertise in horse racing and its bright future in the gaming industry. The resulting logo features a horse within the bold black and gold initials, and the tagline: Kentucky’s Safe Bet.

“In designing the new Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming logo, we wanted to capture the organization’s boldness, pride and excitement for the gaming industry,” said Brian Garr, partner and creative director at BCH Agency. “Integrating the horse within the initials pays tribute to their roots in, and continued commitment to, Kentucky horse racing – while its sleek, modern style demonstrates confidently stepping into the future of gaming opportunities. We then underscored the mark with the tagline, Kentucky’s Safe Bet – a promise that integrity, safety and excellence are the everyday standard of KHRG.”

KHRG board member Mike Berry participated in BCH’s Brand Adoption process. “I am proud of the results, and we look forward to continuing to serve the horse racing, breeding, and gaming communities, and the wagering public in Kentucky.”
Read more about BCH Brand Adoption.

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The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the leading trade organization for the North American recreational boating industry, looks to BCH Agency to drive excitement, interest and attendance to its long-running industry show in Louisville. 

The Discover Boating^® Louisville Boat, RV & SportShow, has been an outdoor enthusiast’s dream for more than 60 years, bringing together several days of the newest products and experiences in recreational boating and the outdoor lifestyle, all on display under one roof at Kentucky Venues’ Kentucky Exposition Center. As the exclusive PR partner for NMMA since 2013, BCH plans and implements strategic communication plans involving public relations, influencer marketing and organic social media. 

In the doldrums of winter, when snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures are descending on the city, our strategy leverages the dreary weather to inspire dreams of sunny days and summer adventures. Because of the show’s long-running success, part of our goal is reaching new audiences to introduce the Millennial and Gen Z audiences who are newer to boating. The social media strategy leaned heavily into video “Reels” and carousel units to optimize discoverability based on the current algorithms on the social platforms.

For the 2025 event, our media relations efforts garnered 122 news coverage placements with 10 significant features, including two coveted Courier-Journal “Home of the Week” placements. In total our efforts generated nearly 200 million impressions through earned and social media, along with 4,500 social media engagements. All told, BCH’s public relations efforts contributed to NMMA’s second-highest performing of all its boat shows around the country in terms of ticket sales and partner revenue. 

Now get out there and Discover Boating!

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BCH Agency walked away from the American Advertising Federation’s Louisville ADDY Awards last week with full arms and fuller hearts. Work for two of our destination-marketing clients – the Louisville Zoo and Belle of Louisville Riverboats – earned eight of the agency’s nine awards, including a prestigious Judge’s Choice Award.

The award show was the first round of AAF’s annual competition, where projects winning Silver or better recognition in regional judging are eligible to advance to national competitions. All entries are judged by a panel of industry professionals, and receiving an ADDY is recognition of meaningful audience engagement through disruptive ideas that have been executed with excellence.

BCH’s top award was the Judge’s Choice Award where each judge recognizes one project from among all entries in all categories. BCH earned this honor for our Belle Center Stage integrated advertising campaign for the historic Belle of Louisville riverboat attraction. This visually striking campaign transports audiences to the Vaudeville era when the historic Belle first began her steam-powered cruises on the Ohio River. 

BCH’s awards included:

Judge’s Choice Award

• Belle Center Stage Campaign

Integrated Advertising Campaign–Consumer/Local

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage Campaign
• Silver Award: Louisville Zoo–Koala Campaign

Television Advertising/Regional and National Single Spot Up to 2:00

• Silver Award: Kentucky Lottery–Minnie & Max

Television Advertising/Local :30 Single Spot

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage

Television Advertising/Local :15 Single Spot

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage–Good Times Roll
• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage–Steamy

Television Advertising/Local Campaign

• Silver Award: Belle Center Stage
• Silver Award: Louisville Zoo–New Boys Koala

We appreciate the partnership of our colleagues and clients that together create award-winning work.

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Members of the BCH team recently joined our client, Kentucky Lottery, to unveil downtown Louisville’s latest piece of public art: an inspiring mural titled “Jackpot Factory,” filling an entire side of the Lottery’s headquarters building on Main Street.

We partnered with renowned mural artist Wilfred Sieg to create the mural to greet and inspire community members and visitors as they travel along 11th Street to the highly anticipated western expansion of Louisville Waterfront Park along the Ohio River, now under development. 

Jackpot Factory features an artful and whimsical nod to all the systems at work at the Lottery to create the fun and exciting lottery games Kentuckians play every day. It also depicts the output of the factory – Lottery proceeds that fund higher education for Kentucky students, which now exceeds more than $5 billion since the Lottery’s establishment.

“We developed the line “Fueling Imagination, Funding Education,” to be more than a tagline for the Lottery; it’s at the core of the organization’s being,” said BCH Creative Director Brian Garr. “It’s the daydream of a player’s lucky numbers being pulled, the joy of handing a check to a winner, the pride of providing Kentucky students educational opportunities. The mural is a piece of art that expresses those truths in a way the community can enjoy.”

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Our #BCHampions brought home some hardware last month at the PRSA Landmarks of Excellence Awards, going an impressive nine for nine with each submitted project earning recognition.

This annual event has celebrated the impactful work of communications professionals in the Public Relations Society of America Bluegrass Chapter for nearly 40 years. Submitted projects are judged by public relations experts from various PRSA chapters across the country, evaluated against 10 criteria to recognize work that exceeds industry standards.

We’re especially grateful to our clients who trust us to bring their vision to life—these awards are as much a testament to our partnerships as they are to our team’s dedication. Here are the accolades that BCH earned this year:

Awards of Excellence:

• Social Media Influencer Campaigns – Louisville Zoo Wild Lights Campaign
• External Communications / Consumer Relations – Heaven Hill Brands Spirited Neighbor Initiative
• Commercials – Belle of Louisville “Not the Same Ol’ Belle” Ad Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Presbyterian Giving Catalog Likes and Follows Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Green River Distillery Full Proof Campaign
• Single Printed Piece – Louisville MSD Annual Report

Awards of Merit:

• Media Relations – Discover Boating Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow
• External Communications / Consumer Relations – Bardstown Bourbon Company House of Bardstown Campaign
• Social Media Campaigns – Bardstown Bourbon Company Amrut Campaign

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A National Historic Landmark, the Belle of Louisville holds the title of the oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat in the world. As she approaches her 110^th birthday this fall, the Belle’s management brought BCH Agency on board to lead marketing and public relations efforts.

In recent years, Belle of Louisville Riverboats transformed from offering a single, traditional dinner cruise to providing over 20 diverse, fun and engaging experiences aboard the Belle and her sister vessel, Mary M. Miller. However, the target audience has limited awareness of the Belle’s offerings, with many only thinking of their grade-school field trip.

BCH wanted to reposition the Belle as a dynamic attraction while preserving its historic charm. At the same time, we wanted to expand beyond the radio and out-of-home media used previously to include digital channels, including connected TV, to reach both existing and new audiences and expose them to the diversity of cruise offerings.

Our first foray is a new TV spot, entitled “Belle Center Stage,” that transforms the Belle herself into a character to challenge perceptions and spark curiosity about the Belle’s offerings. The spot is visually striking and emotionally engaging, transporting audiences to the Vaudeville era when the Belle first began cruising while showcasing a range of cruises and events to demonstrate that it’s not the same ol’ Belle.

See our Belle Center Stage spot below, and you can find a cruise that suits you to celebrate the 110^th birthday season of Louisville’s historic treasure, at belleoflouisville.org.

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