Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today revealed With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™, a new $1.4 million tourism marketing campaign developed in direct response to the current economic climate and designed to increase leisure visitation and hotel occupancy.

In total this summer, GPTMC will spend $2.5 million to woo leisure visitors here. GPTMC’s tourism marketing repertoire features With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™, which includes promotion of Historic Philadelphia; the Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy exhibition at The Franklin Institute Science Museum; Philly Overnight®; Philadelphia – Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay®; and efforts with the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and American Automobile Association (AAA).

What’s more, GPTMC will soon debut a redesigned gophila.com and uwishunu.com to address changes in how consumers use the Internet. gophila.com, the region’s official tourism Web site, will sport a new design; fresh content, including more videos; and enhancements that will make planning a trip, booking a hotel room and reminiscing afterwards more fun for the consumer.

“In economic downturns, we need more marketing not less, so our new campaign helps us stay competitive,” says Meryl Levitz, GPTMC president and CEO. “Travelers will have many choices this summer as destinations compete feverishly for tourism dollars. GPTMC will aggressively promote our region as an affordable, accessible and fun destination.”

“With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ builds upon the ‘love’ equity that GPTMC’s marketing campaigns have built upon beginning with the region’s first advertising campaign in 1997 called Philadelphia. The Place That Loves You Back®,” continued Levitz. “Love is a time-tested and effective message that travelers respond to.”

With Love Advertising:
With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ is a highly customized advertising campaign that includes 54 distinctive creative executions and a 30-second television commercial airing in June. While other destinations are promoting deals, added-value offers and discounts, GPTMC will focus on selling the Philadelphia experience and overnight hotel stays.

Each ad speaks directly to visitors who are most likely to travel during a recession, including festival and event goers; weekend getaway travelers; affluent travelers; families with children; African-American and gay and lesbian visitors; visiting friends and relatives; and repeat visitors.

The love letters act as an invitation to potential visitors and center on a specific Philadelphia experience. The city conveys its distinct personality in each message—all of which are affectionately signed With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™. Philadelphia-based agency Red Tettemer developed the campaign.

Examples of the 54 creative executions include: Dear Great Big World, Dear School’s Out for Summer, Dear World Champions, Dear Powdered Wig Lovers, Dear Room Service Junkie, Dear Guys Who Like Guys and Girls Who Like Girls, Dear Party People, Dear Art Oglers, Dear Burbs, Dear Shaking Your Groove Thing, Dear People Who Like Telescopes and Beards and Dear
Son-In-Law.

GPTMC’s summer advertising begins May 18 and runs through September. Advertising will appear in print, national magazines and newspapers, on billboards, cable and broadcast television, transit stations, street banners and online. The buy also includes extensive search engine marketing. Online advertising and select magazine advertising will reach a national audience, but a majority of the advertising is aimed at people living close by in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Philadelphia’s MayoSeitz Media and The Star Group developed the media buy.

With Love Public Relations:
An aggressive North American public relations effort is underway to extend the advertising and to promote the many experiences awaiting visitors to Philadelphia and The Countryside®. GPTMC is planning a series of publicity stunts; developing social media programs using Facebook and Twitter; staging press conferences; and working with partners on special events.

Hotel Packages & Customized Marketing Program:
Philadelphia hotels are offering travelers around 80 different hotel packages throughout the summer. In addition to the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which includes a two-night stay and free hotel parking, hotels are selling many packages that appeal to specific interest groups such as families, couples, exhibition goers, festival enthusiasts and bargain shoppers. Visitors who book one of the featured packages on gophila.com/withlove will receive a special gift at check-in that includes a Philadelphia Privileges coupon book, a five-pack of With Love postcards a With Love pin and more.

In addition, GPTMC is working closely with hotels to develop customized With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ marketing programs for each property.

Partnerships:
To help energize the Philadelphia region about the new campaign, GPTMC has forged a series of marketing partnerships with local television and radio stations, including CBS 3/The CW Philly, 6abc, NBC 10, FOX 29, WIP Sportsradio and KYW Newsradio. Each of the broadcast partners has been working with GPTMC to develop specialized summer promotions. Details will be announced separately by GPTMC and the individual broadcast partner.

GPTMC is also engaged with local organizations and residents who can reach potential travelers through the Web, databases, social networking tools and cooperative marketing programs. For example, GPTMC has engaged Quest for Freedom partner organizations and the Philly 360˚™ Coalition to promote Philadelphia to potential African-American visitors.

Research:
With leisure travelers accounting for 80% of the nearly 30 million visitors to the five-county Philadelphia region each year, it’s important that GPTMC continue to aggressively market to this segment of visitors. In 2008, 10.4 million people were overnight leisure visitors (those who travel for purposes other than business, such as for a holiday, vacation, weekend escape or a visit with friends and relatives, and stay overnight). In Center City alone, overnight leisure visitors (individually and in groups) accounted for 38% of hotel occupancy in 2008, occupying nearly one million rooms. And, for the fifth straight year, Saturday night was the busiest night of the week for Center City hotels.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to Hear Philly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):

• Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789
• Jeff Guaracino, (215) 599-2290