GPTMC Launches Philadelphia Neighborhoods Campaign

PHILADELPHIA, April 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today announced the launch of a new campaign -- Philadelphia Neighborhoods -- that spotlights 14 of the visitor-ready areas surrounding Center City. The campaign encourages locals and visitors to explore the neighborhoods' storied streets, buzzed-about restaurants, emerging art galleries, independent shops, intimate music venues, plentiful parks and annual festivals. Components include a highly visual and compelling neighborhood section on visitphilly.com/neighborhoods, strong social media programs and promotions, extensive press outreach and research. The campaign is supported in great part by the William Penn Foundation.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130405/PH88055 )

"Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality and attractions from museums and music to restaurants and historical venues, not to mention great shopping," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Our goal is to encourage visitors and residents alike to look at what all of Philadelphia has to offer, beginning with these 14 vibrant neighborhoods surrounding Center City."

"This isn't our first time promoting Philadelphia's neighborhoods," said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, GPTMC. "Starting with our Neighborhood Tourism Network in the 1990s and including current campaigns such as Philly Te Ama, With Art Philadelphia^™ and Philly 360 degrees^®, GPTMC has been uncovering the creative energy happening all over the city for years. And we're not finished yet."

Which Neighborhoods Are Featured & Why?:
The neighborhoods included in the project are Fishtown, Northern Liberties, Callowhill, Spring Garden, Fairmount, Queen Village, Bella Vista, Pennsport, East Passyunk, Graduate Hospital, University City, Powelton Village, Spruce Hill and Cedar Park. These neighborhoods form a ring around Center City, and they're within a 15-minute walk or ride from Center City hotels. GPTMC's mission remains clear: drive overnight visitation.

The Marketing:
The campaign uses GPTMC's proven website, social media assets and public relations to amplify the neighborhood message. And, of course, all GPTMC campaigns begin with research and the guidance of an advisory committee.

• Neighborhood Advisory Committee: Helping to inform GPTMC's marketing efforts are 30 people from the neighborhoods themselves. Key to the vitality of their neighborhoods, these connected stakeholders will keep GPTMC posted on events that drive visitors to the neighborhoods, act as liaisons with local businesses and connect GPTMC to people who can best tell the area's stories.
• Visitphilly.com/neighborhoods: The campaign's main call to action, visitphilly.com/neighborhoods, serves as the go-to spot for visitors looking to plan their time in one of the 14 communities featured. The dynamic site features more than 600 new attraction listings, along with itineraries, maps, videos and photos to provide a full view of the city's happening neighborhoods. Another fun and useful feature: user-generated content that will feed into the site via Instagram and Foursquare, enabling people to see what other visitors are doing and experiencing in the city's neighborhoods. In the coming weeks and months, GPTMC's blog uwishunu.com -- especially popular among locals -- will expand its neighborhood coverage, adapting content and featuring photos and videos from visitphilly.com's expansive new section.
• Social Media: GPTMC's vast social media properties will spread the campaign's messaging, with Instagram playing a key role in showing visitors what they can expect to see in each neighborhood. A guest Instagrammer program will kick off in April and will showcase the neighborhood through the eyes of people who live there. Additional promotions are in the works.
• Public Relations: GPTMC's communications team has developed a wealth of neighborhood content -- both words and pictures -- to sell the neighborhood story to press. It's a marketing story first, opening the door to ongoing coverage of the neighborhoods themselves. As always, the team will host media during themed press trips that allow the journalists to see and experience the neighborhoods for themselves.
• Research & Planning: Prior to launching the campaign, GPTMC conducted a year of research and planning, collecting information about accessibility, neighborhood amenities and visitor readiness, etc. The team will monitor the success of the campaign post-launch by assessing the social buzz associated with various neighborhoods.

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 visitphilly.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 HearPhilly, 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.

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation