VISIT PHILADELPHIA Announces New Summer Marketing Initiatives

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VISIT PHILADELPHIA Announces New Summer Marketing Initiatives

5/23/2019
Today VISIT PHILADELPHIA® announced a major summer-long marketing effort designed to get leisure travelers to visit Philadelphia and stay overnight from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Highlights include the debut of the Filadelfia – You Gotta Feel It marketing campaign directed at the Latinx market, the second-largest and second-fastest-growing ethnic population in the country, and two new TV commercials that will run in markets from Washington, DC to Hartford, Connecticut.

The region’s tourism marketing agency will deploy an integrated approach that uses its website, social media properties and public relations to complement the $2.4 million advertising spend.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA will also continue to promote two high-value hotel packages to encourage visitors to book their stays: the Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package and the Visit Philly Live Nation Package, both of which include free hotel parking and numerous other perks and are bookable at visitphilly.com/hotels.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s marketing plan includes these high-impact tactics as well:

A stronger advertising presence centered on TV and mass transit in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia
A high-profile advertising takeover of New York’s Penn Station, where Filadelfia – You Gotta Feel It ads will be the centerpiece and where geofencing and mobile phone retargeting will reinforce the Philadelphia message while people are at the station and for 30 days afterwards
A Philadelphia Pioneers On The Road To Stonewall float, featuring trailblazers of the LGBTQ civil rights movement and appearing in three major parades in New York and Philadelphia, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that spurred the LGBTQ civil rights movement

“Philadelphia’s momentum continues to build, and there are so many great reasons to visit the region and stay a few nights this summer,” said Jeff Guaracino, president & CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “Our marketing approach is a bold mix of innovative and traditional advertising tactics aimed at attracting first-time visitors and people in the untapped markets of DC, Maryland and Virginia, where we see good potential for visitation growth.”

“Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, is a welcoming place for all people at all times of the year,” Mayor Jim Kenney, City of Philadelphia. “VISIT PHILADELPHIA is using its marketing muscle to make sure that potential visitors know they’re wanted and appreciated here this summer and every other season.”

Summer Advertising:

Debuting this week, VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s summer advertising campaign features two new television commercials and a strong presence and big impressions in the New York, Washington, DC and Philadelphia designated market areas. Campaign highlights include:

Two New TV Commercials: VISIT PHILADELPHIA is working with Neighborhood Film Company to produce a fun, upbeat, cinematic TV spot that will begin running in Washington, DC and Philadelphia in mid-June. In addition, a new spot to promote Wawa Welcome America, the city’s multi-day Fourth of July celebration, is in the works. Running in markets from Washington, DC to Hartford, Connecticut through a partnership with Comcast, the spot will feature the week’s best happenings, including finale concert headliners Jennifer Hudson and Meghan Trainor.
Penn Station Domination: VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s ninth Station Domination in New York City’s Penn Station includes 275 units—two-sheets, columns, clocks, kiosks, stairs and, new for 2019, a full-motion video projection screen. These displays show the 6.1 million people who pass through the station each month why Philadelphia is worth visiting. Throughout June, commuters will see messages that appeal to Latinx, LGBTQ and general audiences.

A Penn Station First: On June 21, VISIT PHILADELPHIA will refresh the stair graphics—a first in nine years of Station Domination—in time for the NYC Pride March and the major international event that is WorldPride, taking place for the first time in the United States.
Geofencing & Retargeting: To enhance the advertisements in Penn Station, VISIT PHILADELPHIA will use geofencing and retargeting tactics to serve ads to potential visitors while they are at the station and for 30 days afterwards.

Beyond Penn Station: Ads will also run on digital billboards visible to drivers from various tunnels leaving New York City, and in North Jersey on NJ Transit buses and bus shelters and at Simon Malls.
Washington, DC: Philadelphia will have an increased presence in Washington, DC this summer, with ads on buses and rail platforms throughout the Metro system and digital ad takeovers at the Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom stops. Additional ads will appear at Fashion Center at Pentagon City and on television stations.
Philadelphia: Ads will also appear in market via static and digital billboards along I-95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-676 and Route 30, supported by a digital network of boards throughout the region. VISIT PHILADELPHIA is also partnering with NBC10 and Telemundo 62 on specially produced custom vignettes and news integrations that will promote the city’s live music scene, special events and festivals.

Diversity Marketing Programs:

This year, VISIT PHILADELPHIA is ramping up its diversity marketing efforts with a $1.25 million budget, the majority of which will be spent this summer. The organization will launch a new Latinx campaign and continue its invitations to the African American and LGBTQ communities through event support and activations.

Latinx Marketing Initiative:

VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s three-year campaign to woo Latinx travelers is the centerpiece of the company’s advertising takeover of Penn Station in June. According to Pew Research Center, the country’s Latinx population’s purchasing power tripled from 2006 through 2016, increasing from half-a-billion dollars to $1.5 trillion.
Conceptualized by Wing, a marketing communications agency focused on the intersection of the U.S. Hispanic, Latin American and general markets, Filadelfia – You Gotta Feel It aims to improve the perception of Philadelphia as a leisure destination for Latinx residents of New York, Washington, DC and Philadelphia. The image-driven ads feature fun lines and photos that provoke the senses.
The campaign will also have a presence at music and film festivals highlighting Latinx arts and culture: Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (May 30-June 2), LAMC Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York (July 9-13), and the Latin Night at the Lodge (August 22) and Salsa on Spruce (September 20) events presented by Philadelphia’s Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
Consumers will also see Filadelfia – You Gotta Feel It on Telemundo 62 thanks to VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s sponsorship of Copa América Brasil and FIFA Women’s World Cup coverage.

African American: VISIT PHILADELPHIA is building on the success of its award-winning We Got You: Philly By Tarik travel video series by supporting and sponsoring events that attract African American visitors. Among them: African American Music Appreciation Month (June), Roots Picnic (June 1), Odunde Festival (June 9), Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade & Festival (June 22) and Black Restaurant Week Philadelphia (June 9-23). Throughout the month, VISIT PHILADELPHIA will run ads on Pandora, host journalists and influencers for a food-focused press trip, conduct a Girlfriends Getaway contest, distribute press releases that tout events, and execute a paid distribution strategy for relevant web and social media content pieces.
LGBTQ: To celebrate Pride Month, mark the 50th anniversary of the history-making Stonewall Riots that launched the gay civil rights movement and remind potential visitors that Philadelphia is a welcoming destination for all, VISIT PHILADELPHIA is taking its LGBTQ marketing message to the streets and rails of New York, DC and Philadelphia this June and beyond. The float, Philadelphia Pioneers On The Road To Stonewall, features trailblazers of the LGBTQ civil rights movement and will appear in three summer parades (Philly Pride Parade, June 9; NYC Pride March, June 30; Salute to America Independence Day Parade, July 4). There will also be a float-decorating event at Cherry Street Pier (June 8) and a significant advertising presence in Penn Station, complete with rainbow stairs and a massive floor graphic that features the hashtag #IAmStonewall.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, www.visitphilly.com and www.uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.

Contact:
arturo@visitphilly.com