The year ahead is an exciting one. As we put 2013 behind us and look forward to the opportunities ahead of us, we see our destination poised for growth.
Thanks to the leadership of the Tourism Marketing District, the TMD funding was restored allowing the SDTA to implement our long term strategic plan to grow demand for San Diego. Through the end of our fiscal year in June, the SDTA will spend $12 million in advertising to put San Diego back in the market and tell potential travelers that we are open for business.
- To kick start this effort, we have negotiated a media partnership with CBS Sports to run our “Happiness is Calling” TV spot during the Charger-Bronco NFL playoff game this Sunday, reaching an estimated 35 million viewers and showcasing San Diego while most of the nation is dealing with the “polar vortex.” As part of this partnership, we will also air the TV spot during the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Jan 23-26, reaching over 3 million viewers.
- Beginning mid-February through May, we will run a spot television campaign in key feeder markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle. Our commercial will be shown in prime-time during sweeps and include added value exposure through media promotions. We will follow this effort with TV spots and live broadcasts from San Diego with our partner SeaWorld in a two month cooperative campaign in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco.
- Running now and continuing through Spring, we will reach our digital audience through an assortment of initiatives including Online Travel Agency promotions on Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz and Trip Advisor, video display adverting on high impact sites, as well as search and social media advertising on Google, Facebook and other partners.
- Finally, this spring we will once again coordinate member supported cooperative programs with an insert in Westways Magazine and free standing inserts in regional newspapers in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Oregon. If you would like information on how to participate in these cooperative programs, contact Gaby Arroyo at garroyo@sandiego.org.
If the last year has taught us anything, it is that we must continue to reach beyond the tourism industry and educate the region on the tremendous value tourism brings to San Diego. Tourism is our second-largest traded industry, generating $18 billion in economic impact, $157 million in City of San Diego TOT, and 160,000 San Diego jobs. Destination marketing ensures the stability of those jobs and economic impact, and gives us the framework to grow in the years ahead.
GO CHARGERS! AND GO SAN DIEGO!
Joe Terzi
President and CEO
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