Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA and our advertising agency-of-record Alma DDB were honored with a top award in the most competitive category of the prestigious Association of National Advertisers (ANA) 2011 Multicultural Excellence Awards.  The win came in the category of “Campaign with Significant Results” for VISIT FLORIDA’s “Your Florida Side” campaign.

The campaign was recognized for having a winning combination of compelling creative, a strong media mix, market selection and efficient media buying that, year over year, garnered a 47% increase in incremental trips to the state, generated a 48% increase in direct consumer spending and delivered a 20% increase in ROI in 2011.  Judges were particularly impressed with the results given that the campaign was active immediately following a period in which an economic recession and a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had caused the state’s share of the U.S. travel market to decline for the first time in almost 4 years. Continue reading »

I am excited to share with you that the Corporation for Travel Promotion will now be conducting business as “Brand USA, Inc.”

Created in 2010 to encourage international visitation to the United States, the Corporation for Travel Promotion – now Brand USA, Inc. – has developed a new global brand and positioning strategy that focuses on increasing international visitation to the U.S. through marketing and promotional efforts.  Brand USA is the first critical effort in launching the United States into the global travel market, with the goal of making it a top-of-mind destination for international travelers to visit. Continue reading »

The 44^th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held September 25 – 27 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, was quite a success with more than 750 members of the travel industry, nearly 100 exhibitors and sponsors, and over 20 industry speakers in attendance.

Each year, VISIT FLORIDA hosts this premier educational conference for the Florida tourism industry.  The event is designed to educate and engage members of the industry by highlighting the latest marketing strategies, critical research data and best practices. Continue reading »