Today, at the direction of Governor Rick Scott, VISIT FLORIDA announced an aggressive new marketing campaign to highlight the Sunshine State following Hurricane Irma. The multi-phased campaign will be paid for with existing VISIT FLORIDA funding and include digital, social, broadcast and traditional components in both domestic and international markets. It will begin this week and run for approximately one month leading up to the beginning of VISIT FLORIDA’s traditional winter campaign. The Keys will be a major focus of this marketing plan once our partners there have indicated they are ready to welcome visitors back.
Ken Lawson, President & CEO of VISIT FLORIDA said, “Following Hurricane Irma, it’s more important than ever for us to spread the word that the coast is clear and the Sunshine State is open for business. At Governor Scott’s direction, we have put together an aggressive marketing plan that showcases sunshine, blue skies and good times at over 12,000 industry businesses across the state. I want to thank Governor Scott for his leadership as we work to let the world to know that Florida is still the number one place to visit.”
Phase one of the marketing plan is the immediate response communicating in real time that Florida is open for business. It includes:
- Sharing our partners’ content on social media as they post messages post-Irma.
- Streaming live video broadcasts from locations across the state to targeted domestic and international audiences.
- Deploying production teams across the state to develop video content that we will post and promote on social channels, YouTube and Digital TV.
- Sponsoring social media efforts to encourage state-wide usage of #LoveFL by Florida residents.
- Activating international tour operators in core international markets to manage any potential misperceptions of damage and encourage continuation of bookings, especially in the upcoming high booking month of October.
- Reaching out to influencers and journalists who have been hosted on press trips to share their experiences from areas they visited.
Phase two of the plan will focus on heavier, more traditional advertising tactics to keep Florida top of mind as the top global destination. It will include:
- Launching a multi-channel paid-media campaign that could include platforms such as billboards, digital transportation banners, social, online travel agencies, promotions, broadcast, YouTube and a co-branded media partnership.
- Increasing our “Share a Little Sunshine” advocacy program to send advocates to local areas and connect with local Instagram communities to create InstaMeets across the state, in which Instagrammers meet up to take photos and videos of a certain area that they share in a branded effort.
- Working with influencers to travel to areas around the state and share the message that Florida is sunny and open for business.