As we approach the end of August and the kids are getting ready to go back to school, it’s the perfect time for families to squeeze in a last-minute getaway. Without a solid plan, and with August gas prices at a four-year low, these tourists will likely be hitting the road. Marketing to end-of-summer travelers creates opportunities to get fun and creative with messaging and media choices, as your brand might be the exact thing a family is looking for on their spontaneous “quest for fun.”

Even the best laid plans can be disrupted by bad weather, work schedules, and everything in between. When the consequence of an unexpected detour is a car load of grumpy family members, the next attraction — be it amusement park, museum, or even the world’s largest ball of twine — can be a sight for sore eyes. When marketing to end-of-summer travelers, make sure your brand is taking all the right steps to capture them, with these three tips:

1. Get creative with out-of-home ads. OOH advertising captures your target audience while they’re on the move, but it doesn’t have to be limited to billboards and roadside signage. Placing banners in common checkpoints like restaurants in high transit areas is a great way to reach weary travelers looking for family-friendly attractions. Get to know the popular highway exits on the way to your attraction where tourists tend to make pit stops and scope things out. Even RV parks and picnic areas could get your brand some traction.

2. Put a bug in their ears. When weather is the determining factor of a vacation’s success, your target is surely tuning in to the local radio stations to monitor the situation. Speak directly to them with sponsored weather or traffic reports. Your efforts might be sponsoring an unwelcome thunderstorm, but news of an indoor museum nearby will be music to your wandering listener’s ears.

3. Keep an eye on social media. Consumers are 70% more likely to buy from a brand recommended to them by friends on social media. This has turned channels like Facebook and Twitter into rapid response advice columns with desperate parents looking for alternative activities to entertain rowdy kids (and themselves). Monitor these channels for conversations happening in your area, and be ready to share suggestions, even discounts or promotions, to drive these end-of-summer travelers to your attraction.

Travel plans can change at the drop of a hat, leaving tourists desperate to fill unexpected hours, even days. For attractions, capturing these visitors is not just a one-time victory, but an opportunity to foster lifelong brand advocates who can bring positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations back home — if you play your cards right. Expanding messaging beyond the typical borders and media can help attractions capture end-of-summer travelers, and keep them coming back for years to come.