Sunshine Matters

I would like to provide you with an update on VISIT FLORIDA’s destination marketing efforts to support the counties directly impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

If VISIT FLORIDA is going to be the trusted source for travel planning information after this potential crisis passes, we need to offer credible and transparent information to our customers before and during this situation.  VISIT FLORIDA will also continue to compliment that transparency of information with aggressive marketing programs to continue to drive interest in and visitation to the Sunshine State.

VISIT FLORIDA activated an integrated marketing team to address the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Friday, April 30  when the State activated the Emergency Operations Center, and the team has been working aggressively to coordinate messaging with the State and our partners, to proactively develop marketing messages and programs that support the State’s most important industry and to react to all media inquiries.

On Friday, May 7, as the Official Tourism Marketing Corporation for the State of Florida, VISIT FLORIDA prepared and submitted a marketing plan to help mitigate the economic impact caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  This plan was delivered to BP through the Governors Office.  The proposed plan included $34.75 million in immediate funding to support the summer travel season, as well as additional longer term funding based on the possibility of future environmental impacts.  The Governor’s request ultimately resulted in a grant of $25 million to be invested by VISIT FLORIDA to support the summer travel season. The $25 million grant from BP has not yet been received.  However, VISIT FLORIDA has prepared an integrated plan to implement an aggressive campaign when the funds are available.

In the meantime, on Wednesday, May 12, the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors approved the allocation of $2 million from our economic risk fund to launch a new marketing campaign to jumpstart the summer travel season with an emphasis on those feeder markets that traditionally travel to Northwest Florida.

On Tuesday May 11, VISIT FLORIDA launched Florida Live, a new social media platform on the www.VISITFLORIDA.com website with real time updates from local communities and Floridians via: Facebook, Twitter and webcams, as well as travel deals from VISIT FLORIDA partners.

Online advertising driving traffic to the Florida Live section of www.VISITFLORIDA.com was launched on Saturday May 15 and will deliver 60 million impressions over 4 weeks in 15 traditional drive markets, including: Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Greenville/Spartanburg/ Ashville, Houston, Louisville, Nashville, New Orleans, Raleigh/Durham and St. Louis.

Television advertising, including both broadcast and cable ads, will launch this Saturday, May 22 in Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, New Orleans, Raleigh/Durham and St Louis. The new television spot, shot around the state this week, features real people – not actors – enjoying the entire state of Florida and the call to action will be the Florida Live platform on www.VISITFLORIDA.com.

In keeping with the Marketing Principle that VISIT FLORIDA is focused on developing marketing platforms that the industry can build on rather than purely umbrella marketing efforts, DMO’s from around the state are encouraged to utilize the Florida Live platform and submit your consumer Twitter feeds, as well as recommended webcams.

Additionally, VISIT FLORIDA will leverage our media buy and marketing message to provide counties with an opportunity to promote individual destinations with local messages. DMO’s from around the state are asked to submit a :10 television tag to be attached to the :20 VISIT FLORIDA advertising message. This is a FREE Marketing Opportunity to help promote individual destinations in this critical timeframe.

Initially, this offer will be extended just to those counties that have been declared to be under a State of Emergency.  However, when the additional $25 million in funding from BP is realized, VISIT FLORIDA will open the opportunity to all counties in the State with the caveat that the most impacted counties will receive a pro-rated share of the advertising impressions.

In the case of counties that do not have a :10 television spot nor the funding to create a new :10 spot, VISIT FLORIDA, through our advertising agency of record, will pay for the production of a spot utilizing existing photography, video, logos and call-to-action information.

In order to participate in the first flight of the co-op television, please provide a DigiBeta or Beta SP of your completed :10 spot to the address below by Wednesday, May 26 at 5pm. If you do not have an existing :10 television spot and would like for VISIT FLORIDA to assist in the production, or if you have any specific questions, please contact Martha Falcon at DDB – Miami at martha.falcon@miami.ddb.com

Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions and, as always, we very much appreciate your continued support.