Visit Philly Annual Report 2021 - Flipbook - Page 4
OUR 2021 MARKETING
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES
In 2021, it was time to drive visitation back to Greater Philadelphia in a significant way and in the most competitive
travel market we’ve ever seen. As people eased back into travel, we knew that our efforts would be most successful if
we focused largely on local and regional markets, as well as on intrepid travelers.
Nazeer Sabree, Love + Grit Storefronts artist
We wanted to show people that they could get a much-needed escape — and all the rewards that come with it —
without going too far away. Our campaigns focused on what people were looking for in destinations: ease and
plenty of outdoor space, for starters, followed by iconic attractions and standout food and drink offerings.
STANDOUT RESULT: A New York Times article — among more than
60 others — that touted our effort as a “win-win” for small business
owners and landlords
Here’s a look at the marketing work we did to help jumpstart our
tourism economy in 2021:
NEW CAMPAIGN
Los Cuatro Soles
Pack Light. Plan Big. For Philly.
Launched in March 2021, our new campaign aimed to drive day and
overnight visitation just as people were ready to start traveling again. Our
ads promised an easy getaway in a place that would wow them at every
turn. It ran throughout the year and included digital, print and TV
placements on Orbitz, Travelocity, NBC10 and Telemundo. As summer’s
end neared, we gave the campaign a boost with a summer giveaway that
yielded major publicity (225 million impressions), including placements in
Travel + Leisure, Yahoo!, MSN and others.
STANDOUT RESULT: 60,800 room nights sold as a result of our
Love + Grit Storefronts
An extension of our popular podcast, the citywide Love + Grit Storefronts
exhibition transformed the city’s empty storefronts into art installations,
featuring original creations by Philly’s talented QBIPOC artists that
highlighted innovative Black- and Brown-owned businesses. Our goals? To
support businesses adversely affected by the pandemic and showcase the
potential of storefronts available for lease — all while beautifying the city.
Dine Latino Restaurant Week
We put our marketing muscle behind this relatively new Greater
Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce initiative. To help them get
people dining during the promotion, we supplemented their efforts with
advertising, web and social media content, search-engine marketing and
optimization, photography, and public relations support.
STANDOUT RESULT: Commissioning brand-new photography —
1,500+ images in total — for many of the participating restaurants
to use for marketing during the restaurant week promotion and
well beyond
Wawa Welcome America
Expedia ad buy alone
Expanded Fourth of July Celebration
For the first time ever, the city’s Wawa Welcome America celebration ran
from Juneteenth through the Fourth of July. We did our part to tell the
story of this expanded festival and its importance with new content, a
Philadelphia Voices of Freedom-Liberty video series and a brand-new TV
spot that ran nationally on Comcast.
STANDOUT RESULT: $1.5 million in national TV airtime — a
huge win as the pandemic eased a bit — thanks to successful
negotiations with Comcast
VISIT PHILADELPHIA: Black Greek Edition
This ongoing effort encourages the 2 million members of the National
Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), an organization composed of Black
fraternities and sororities, to visit the region. It includes videos and
itineraries with trip suggestions from prominent Philadelphians who are
members of NPHC.
Black Greek Edition
And The Award Goes To….VISIT PHILADELPHIA!
We scored three bronze Adrian Awards from HSMAI and one award from the Arts +
Business Council for Greater Philadelphia for our “Pack Light. Plan Big. For Philly.”
campaign and programs supporting Black-owned businesses in the wake of COVID-19.
4
VISIT PHILADELPHIA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
STANDOUT RESULT: Bringing together 16 influential Philadelphians
— from City Council members to media personalities to business
professionals — to share their Philly favorites with the world
Shop Black Business Friday
For the second year, we partnered with Philadelphia City Council on a Shop
Black Business Friday resolution, supporting the effort with a sweepstakes
and increased exposure for these hard-hit businesses during the holidays.
STANDOUT RESULT: 90,000+ pageviews to content on
visitphilly.com that featured the Shop Black Business
Fridays initiative
VISIT PHILADELPHIA 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
5