AMERICA GETS COZY
So long, star-spangled bravado. After the first decade of the
century saw the United States’ share of global-travel spending
plummet from 17.2% to just 11.6%, Congress is initiating a new
marketing campaign to give America a makeover. Dubbed
Discover America and created by Brand U. S. A., it aims to create a unified, approachable image of the nation—and give a
welcome boost, in terms of both money and manpower, to
cities that have struggled to sell themselves individually.
While the potential economic benefit is sizable—by one estimate, just 35 new tourists leads to the creation of one U.S.
job—so are the campaign’s challenges. —MARGARE T RHODES
Problem: Cities compete with countries.
“Orlando is a global
brand, but without a
national campaign,
we’re up against
Egypt, Spain, Turkey,”
says Danielle Courtenay of Visit Orlando.
Solution: “Sell the
whole, not the parts,”
says Brand U.S.A. CMO
Chris Perkins. Ninety
percent of Discover
America’s $200 million
budget will be used to
depict a unified U.S.
Problem: Name recognition. “ Tourists know
one or two U.S. cities. It’s
the only context,” says
Perkins. “If they want
an outdoor experience,
how do we guide them
to the right location?”
Solution: Partnerships
with airlines create
bundle tours offering
intelligent pairings
that take visitors to
gateway cities—Miami,
New York—before introducing them to
smaller markets.
Problem: These days,
communities large
(Los Angeles) and
small (Mackinac
Island, Michigan) are
strapped for cash.
Solution: Mackinac
Island—a small,
vehicle-free town—
uses a one-person
letter-writing campaign to gain overseas
press. Discover America’s budget will amp
up existing efforts. “It’s
1+ 1= 3 in this case,” says
Perkins.
Problem: Postcrisis recovery. “We had to let
folks know case by
case that we were open
for business” after the
BP oil spill, says Mark
Romig of New Orleans
Tourism Marketing.
Solution: Brand U. S.A.’s
crisis approach will
match local spending
dollar for dollar to assist recovery, and it will
employ a hefty social-media campaign to
spread the message
that cities are safe.
