Sunshine Matters

Consumer promotions are a great way to build positive brand awareness and consumer engagement.  VISIT FLORIDA’s Promotions Department makes it easy for our Industry Partners to participate in programs in key feeder markets, as well as regionally and nationally.  The team works with radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines and retailers to feature Florida vacation packages as prizes in contests and sweepstakes.  We negotiate the terms of each program and pitch the opportunities to our Partners to put together the vacation packages.

Why does this work?  I’m going to let you in on the big secret.  People love free trips to Florida.  They go crazy for them!  When we tell someone they have won a trip to Florida, they scream. They call their friends, they tweet about it, they post it on Facebook.

In turn, our media partners enjoy working with us because they know how much people love Florida vacations, too.  Our job is to build relationships with key players in our target markets so they know who to call when they’re looking for fabulous Florida vacation prizes.

And programs like this really work.  During fiscal year 2012-2013, VISIT FLORIDA promotions programs generated $73.3 million in media value and more than 2.1 billion consumer impressions.

We have made the process of getting involved in VISIT FLORIDA promotions very easy for our Industry Partners.  Here’s all it takes:

1. Let us know which markets you’re interested in.  Fill out the Promotions Opportunity Form.  We only send you opportunities for the markets you prefer.
2. Watch for opportunities from our team in your email.  When a program is right for you, sign on to participate. Each opportunity has a response deadline, at which time we hold a drawing of all interested Partners to choose which businesses will be featured.
3. Sit back and enjoy the spotlight!  VISIT FLORIDA will handle the rest.  You’ll have the opportunity to review scripts and layouts.  We’ll send you a full recap once the promotion is over and even handle the winner fulfillment.

Want to know more?  Join me next Tuesday, July 23 at 10:00 a.m. for a Partner webinar.  Also, for those who will be attending the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism this year, plan to attend the “Power of Promotions” breakout session on Thursday, September 12 at 2:00 p.m.