Sunshine Matters

I am pleased to announce that VISIT FLORIDA’s efforts to market the Sunshine State to visitors around the globe in 2012 had a significant influence on their travel planning decisions.  Results just in from the annual Return on Investment Influencer Study show that, of the surveyed respondents who had been to Florida in the past year, 38.8 percent were significantly influenced in their decision to visit the state by one or more VISIT FLORIDA marketing initiatives.  This figure represents a 0.7  percentage point increase over 2011 and marks the fourth consecutive year of ROI increases, which have risen a total of 12.1 percentage points since 2008. 

Of the six top direct influencers, VISITFLORIDA.com scored the highest at 25.6 percent, followed by visiting a Welcome Center at 23.1.  A new influencer, “VISIT FLORIDA social media” – added this year to encompass our social media efforts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – received 18.5 percent.

A strong focus on integrating all marketing disciplines, optimizing paid advertising, and utilizing storytelling to enhance online content were some of the keys to maximizing the impact of VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing efforts this past year.

About the study:

Conducted online by Toluna USA, Inc., the Return on Investment Influencer Study surveyed 500 domestic visitors who had been to the state in the past year asking them what items influenced their decision to choose Florida as a destination.

The survey, comprised of 19 items, gauged the respondents’ level of importance when considering Florida as a destination location.  Each item was ranked on a scale of  1 – 5, with 5 representing a “very important” factor in the decision-making process.  Those respondents ranking VISIT FLORIDA efforts with a 4 or 5 were deemed “significantly influenced.”

The six factors directly attributable to VISIT FLORIDA include our website, Welcome Centers, advertising, print publications, social media, and contests and sweepstakes.  In addition to these factors, other items considered in the survey included non-direct influencers, such as brochures at trade shows, advertising by individual Florida locations and information found on the Internet outside VISITFLORIDA.com.  Several non-marketing influencers were also factored in, including reading travel articles and extending business trips into vacations.