New Tourism Campaigns & Social Media for Every Season

“Love Every Second of Sydney” User Generated Content Winter Campaign

Aiming to build its winter numbers and reach 2020 overnight visitor targets, Destination NSW has just launched a new campaign telling Aussies and Kiwis they’ll ‘Love every second of Sydney’.

The campaign was designed to emit a romantic factor behind Sydney while showcasing the wide range of events running throughout the city during the colder season.

Utilising ‘first time’ initiatives, the campaign includes digital and social media promotion including a first ever eight page fold out in the New Zealand Herald as well as tram wraps in Melbourne, bus sign in Auckland and light projections in Brisbane and Auckland.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase, said the campaign theme captures what research has shown people want in short breaks and weekends away: exciting, vibrant experiences packed into every second. She said the Group was also making an increased effort in combining its events with tourism promoting relevant shows.

This campaign will be the first time consumer generated content will be uploaded onto some of the key outdoor sites in Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. Social media will play a key role in the campaign with travellers urged to “Capture the Perfect Sydney Second” and share their favourite Sydney memories online, where their photos are displayed in a second by second timeline as well as play a type of ‘pass the parcel’ game on Facebook that will see fans win prizes every now and then.

Source: www.sydney.com, www.destinationnsw.com.au

Visit Florida New Summer Social Media Campaign

Visit Florida which recently announced an increased number of visitors and visitor spending for the first quarter of this year, launched its newest social media-based campaign to increase destination awareness as a summer vacation destination.

The campaign features “Florida’s Three for Free Giveaway” sweepstakes, where participants from the U.S can enter to win a grand prize of three personally selected Florida vacation packages. The five-week campaign, which is expected to garner more than 425 million impressions, kicks off with targeted Facebook and Twitter ad buys. Visit Florida worked closely with the two social media giants to develop a highly-defined target audience that includes families and couples throughout the North and Southeast who are interested in summer drive travel. As a way to continue the campaign’s momentum, house ads on VisitFlorida.com and a dedicated email blast to e-newsletter subscribers will begin in early June.

In the summer of 2011, Visit Florida conducted a highly-successful Facebook-driven campaign that became the subject of white papers from Facebook and Wildfire – the Facebook marketing software provider that produced the applications used in the sweepstakes. A Nielsen study on the “Sunshine Moments” campaign showed a 10-point increase in intent to visit Florida and a significantly improved opinion among the state’s key demographic of 25-34 year olds.

Destinations Dressing up for Valentine’s Day

Since this is the “Love” week of the year, its a nice opportunity to have a look at some -Valentine’s special- online & offline marketing initiatives that caught our eye.

We liked what we saw, with VisitPhilly rolling out its first sweepstakes, a highly targeted initiative focused on couples, aiming to increased room nights and not missing the chance to lift Facebook engagement and destination awareness.  “LOVE is in the Air” at the City of Waynesboro as well, where as part of the Virginia is For Lovers campaign, Virginians have the opportunity to put their love on display and drive visitation to the city.

‘Get a Room’ with 29 Nights of Philly Dates

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) continues capitalizing on its successful 3 year old “With Love” destination brand campaign with a special “Love” Facebook contest running throughout February.

With this initiative is sends its sleepover message exclusively to couples, since according to a GPTMC hotel visitor survey, this was the most popular trip type from January through March.

The new 29 Nights of Dates sweepstakes, part of a $825,000 winter campaign—running January through March— feature more than 60 prizes on facebook.com/visitphilly, all aimed at getting couples to spend a night or two in a Philadelphia hotel this winter.

Apart from the goal of increasing room nights around the region, at the same time VisitPhilly uses the contest as an opportunity to lift  its Facebook page engagement as well, showcasing the entire region and offering targeted destination information.

According to the survey, a winter “getaway with a spouse/partner” is the #1 reason people are traveling to Philadelphia in Q1 (39%). This figure gave VisitPhilly the incentive to run the promotion, engaging their visitors with something that they were already seeking, as Robert Pierson from GPTMC explained to us.

More than $13,000 in fun, romantic prizes have been offered from local businesses to be given away every day during the month of February, while most of the prizes are centered around visitor needs like hotel nights, restaurants, attractions, events, and things to do in the city.

Fans of facebook.com/visitphilly will have a chance to win one of 29 fun, romantic and inspired Philly dates (nice way to take advantage of the extra -leap year-February day. All who enter to win a date will also be eligible to nab the grand prize on February 29: a red two-seat Vespa and a couple of With Love-branded helmets.

Love is In The Air of Waynesboro

Waynesboro Tourism is holding a special photo contest dedicated to Love this month. In partnership with the Virginia is for Lovers campaign, they are giving Virginians the opportunity to put their love on display at their first annual Love is in the Air event and photo contest.

A 6 ft tall, 16 ft long Virginia is for Lovers LOVE artwork is on display for photo opportunities from Feb. 11-Feb. 15 at a central city location, while the photos can be shared on Your Waynesboro Facebook Page, Virginia is For Lovers Facebook Page and Twitter using #LOVEVA. The aim is to increase visitation to down town Waynesboro and enjoy a day filled with LOVE events.

Katie McElroy, tourism director for the City of Waynesboro and coordinator for bringing the LOVE artwork to Waynesboro, said this is the first year Waynesboro has planned this event.

The LOVE artwork is part of the “Virginia is for Lovers” campaign, which promotes the message that love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation,” McElroy said.

The LOVE artwork has made stops at Virginia Welcome Centers, attractions and localities throughout 2011 and will travel to more locations in the Commonwealth in 2012.

Source: www.virginia.org