Episode Summary: Cristal Rodriguez, Tempe Tourism

Larry catches up with Cristal Rodriguez, Director of Marketing at Tempe Tourism and a recent Marketer of the Year, for a conversation that covers solo travel, a rooftop renaissance, a 13-years-in-the-making rebrand, and the slightly terrifying reality of competing with ChatGPT for "best pizza in Tempe" searches. Cristal makes a strong case that Tempe isn't trying to out-Scottsdale Scottsdale or out-Phoenix Phoenix — it's carving its own lane as the more elevated, walkable, slower-paced cousin in the metro, and that positioning is finally clicking with the solo-traveler segment they've leaned hard into.

The meatier marketing conversation is about life after the big rebrand reveal. Cristal is candid that plenty of DMOs nail the launch and then coast — she's deep in phase two/three, asking what comes after awareness. She and Larry get into the intangibility problem unique to destination marketing (you can't hold the product, attribution windows are a guessing game), the AI search hit on paid performance, and why the DMO community calling each other "colleagues, not competitors" is becoming a real survival strategy. Also: tequila, jalapeño margaritas, and a half-serious threat to push Larry into a Tempe pool live on Aqua Talks.

Key Takeaways

Solo travel is a serious lane, not a fringe trend. Tempe is intentionally building around what solo travelers actually want — safety, walkability, centrality, strong food and bar scenes — including dedicated solo-influencer partnerships and itinerary content built specifically for the audience.
The rebrand was a two-year, all-hands-on-deck operation — and social led the launch. After 13 years untouched, the new Tempe brand kicked off on social channels first, with ads and the website rolling out in sequence. The shift in tone was POV-driven: less "things to try" and more "here's what we think you should try, and here's why."
Phase two is the harder phase. Cristal flagged a pattern of DMOs nailing the rebrand reveal and then losing momentum. Tempe's current focus is sustaining post-launch energy and moving past awareness into deeper engagement — modeled in part on Visit Philly and LA, who keep pushing forward.
The Canada case study Cristal can't stop watching. Canada's destination work that leans into the faults (yes, it's cold; yes, sometimes there's nothing to do) is, in her view, one of the smartest contrarian plays in destination marketing right now — and the metrics back it up.
Positioning by contrast, not competition. Tempe sits intentionally between Scottsdale (luxury/spa/golf) and Phoenix (urban/fast-paced) and leans into being neither — slower, more elevated, off the beaten path. The DMOs in metro Phoenix actively collaborate rather than compete, sharing tactical intel as the AI-search landscape shifts under them.
AI is rewriting the paid playbook in real time. Tempe's paid search took a hit last year as more travel research moves to ChatGPT and similar tools. Cristal's response: tighter cross-DMO collaboration to share what's working, faster pivoting, and accepting that the rules are getting rewritten week to week.
Destination marketing's measurement problem is real. With no physical product to point at and attribution windows that can stretch six months, DMOs are forced to lean harder on data and analytics than almost any other marketing discipline — while accepting they'll never quite know which billboard sealed the deal.
The ASU narrative is a gift and a curse. Tempe Tourism is actively working to reframe outsider perception of Tempe as a "college town" — particularly intra-state, where Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff residents may not have visited since their own ASU days. The city has matured. The marketing is working to catch the audience up.