A co-op campaign launched by SDTA in partnership with the San Francisco Travel Association won first place in International Marketing at the 2019 U.S. Travel ESTO Destiny Awards. The “Best of California” Campaign showcased the links between the two cities, highlighting the unique outdoor, culinary and culture experiences offered in each of the iconic cities.
Building on a robust marketing program in China, the newest campaign proved to be a success, delivering more than 54 million advertising impressions and 260,863 clicks, boosting the awareness of the destinations while simultaneously generating interest and intent to travel for Chinese visitors. In order to deliver maximum results, the two teams strategically identified Chinese traveler insights based on performance data, traveler trends and knowledge gaps for the two destinations. The data-driven approach spurred engaging creative elements, new calls to action and a content shift focused on the interests of Chinese travelers.
“China has become California’s largest overseas visitor market,” said Kerri Kapich, COO of SDTA. “Our research uncovered a knowledge gap among potential Chinese travelers when it came to California. While aware of the large cities, potential visitors weren’t familiar to the unique attributes of those cities. This ‘Best in California’ campaign leveraged brand commonalities of San Diego and San Francisco (outdoors, culture and culinary) in a unique way that resonated with travelers. As a result, the campaign showed strong response and year-over-year bookings.”
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