Sunshine Matters

Each year, VISIT FLORIDA contracts with Strategic Marketing and Research, Inc. (SMARInsights) to conduct a survey to determine the return on investment from our domestic marketing efforts.  I am pleased to share that VISIT FLORIDA’s 2013-14 branded advertising and sponsorship efforts generated $300 in traveler spending and $18 in new sales tax revenue for every $1 of sponsorship and media spend.  These results were unveiled during today’s VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Council Steering Committee meeting.

Thanks to increased funding from Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature, VISIT FLORIDA has moved from a single Spring media campaign to an “always on” strategy that now includes four seasonal campaigns and significant investment in sponsorship activities.  This strategy was a huge success, generating 2.8 million new and repeat trips which resulted in $6.8 billion in visitor spending that would not have occurred without VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing efforts.

VISIT FLORIDA’s 2013-14 media buys were focused on markets east of the Mississippi and in eight spot markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  All markets, including east of the Mississippi, had the opportunity to see both print and online advertising, with select markets receiving additional TV, radio and outdoor creative tied to a seasonal theme.

The move to multiple campaigns over the course of the fiscal year resulted in considerably higher awareness, with nearly 11.6 million households indicating they were aware of VISIT FLORIDA’s paid media.  This was up 3 million from the single season campaign in Spring 2013 and resulted in 66% of households being aware of some form of the campaign over the course of the fiscal year, compared to 55% the year before.

One of the most significant changes in the 2013-14 VISIT FLORIDA marketing program was the investment in sponsorship components.  With subject matter covering outdoors, culinary and sports, the sponsorships were able to reach consumers through their areas of interest.  Consumers were most influenced when sponsorships were seen in combination with traditional marketing.  When these messages were viewed together, a significant number of additional trips were generated.

Finally, the research showed that VISIT FLORIDA produced highly-rated creative, landing in the top 10% of all DMO campaigns SMARInsights evaluated.  Combining strong creative messages, efficient and effective media buys that took full advantage of our increased funding, and the addition of targeted sponsorship components, VISIT FLORIDA’s “always on” multi-season campaign strategy for 2013-14 produced record visitation and visitor spending that have resulted in a remarkable return on investment.