Destination Meets Personalization: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Unveils 2019 Marketing Plan

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today more than 500 hospitality industry partners gathered for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau's 2019 Marketing Plan presentation. The 2019 marketing roadmap, which launched October 1, reflects the destination's image transformation and includes robust, research-driven marketing initiatives – identifying lifestyle, demographics and spending data – to grow its more than 14 million annual visitors.  

"Today, people want to discover a destination that offers individualized, authentic and personalized experiences, and there's no better place to create those moments and memories," said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Beyond our beautiful beaches, this is a diverse and distinctive destination – exciting restaurants, hidden gems, eco-adventures, vibrant arts and music scene – we attract and welcome visitors of all interests, cultures and lifestyles."

Applying in-depth qualitative and quantitative research data, Greater Fort Lauderdale has defined key audience personas, representing unique consumer groups for growth potential, to develop integrated marketing communications initiatives. This sophisticated persona strategy will allow hyper-targeting and customization – from distinct language to visuals – throughout all consumer touchpoints including website content, editorial outreach, traditional advertising, public relations, social media, online engagements, etc.

"Last year we led with big data, and through digital analytics advancements and research findings, we know who to target, how to reach them and what inspires them to visit a destination," said Ritter. "What we are doing new this year is promoting the destination's transformation and providing a platform for a new brand architecture that better defines our assets and appeal to a new generation of travelers."   

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau 2019 highlights include: 

• Fully integrated Advertising and Public Relations to drive destination preference through persona identification and shared, earned and owned content
• Consumer e-newsletter redesign promoting seasonal happenings, promotions and trending content
• Social media influencer relationships creating authentic exposure and inspiring community engagement
• Sunny.org refresh and enhanced user experience, with a modern, editorial-like design allowing users to more easily find relevant information
• Multi-city consumer activation events showcasing the destination's younger vibe in key persona-based markets
• Vacation and Meeting Planner Guide revamp with magazine-style editorials featuring rich content for destination "exploration"
• Family Reunion Concierge to serve as a liaison between multicultural reunion groups and hotels
• Next Generation "Hip to Have Kids" family marketing campaign from the CVB's Underground Create Division to introduce new forms of family activities and entertainment
• Experience Dedicated Destination (EDD) visitor satisfaction program to improve destination service standards
• Diversity Sports Summit to celebrate multicultural, LGBT+ and female figures in sports
• Expansion of LGBT+ global initiatives to increase LGBT+ leisure and business conferences and events; promotion of the first international Pride of the Americas in Greater Fort Lauderdale in 2020
• Roving Web Cam broadcasting live feeds from throughout the destination; supported by a social media campaign
• Meetings and Incentive marketing for high-yield business industries new to the destination
• Underground Create comprehensive marketing initiative, bringing together all the destination's creative industries and assets
• Visit Lauderdale TV, formerly Hello Sunny TV, re-imagined with a new look and feel, offering even more high-quality videos and on-demand content, including live events and original network series

Also announced is a significant CVB initiative for 2019, DestinationNEXT, a destination diagnostic tool developed by the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) and InterVISTAS Consulting, to assess how Greater Fort Lauderdale scores as a tourist destination. The assessment serves as a scorecard and benchmark for opportunities to attract and inspire visitors to the destination.

"As our audiences are evolving, we're adapting how we approach travelers," said Ritter. "Through progressive tools, industry expertise and market knowledge, Greater Fort Lauderdale will continue to elevate as a global tourist destination."

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) 2019 Marketing Plan is developed and supported, in cooperation with the GFLCVB, Tourist Development Council and Marketing Advisory Committee, as well as the bureau's advertising and public relations agencies of record, Starmark and Finn Partners, respectively. 

For more information and a copy of the 2019 Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau's Marketing Plan, visit www.sunny.org/partners. Visuals of the 2019 Marketing Plan initiatives are available upon request.

About Greater Fort Lauderdale
From the seagrass to the sawgrass, Greater Fort Lauderdale, located in Broward County, boasts more than 34,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts, and Superior Small Lodgings reflecting a vibrant cosmopolitan vibe. Visitors enjoy 23 miles of Blue Wave certified beaches, discover 300+ miles of inland waterways that run from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Everglades, dine at thousands of restaurants and eateries, get immersed in a thriving arts and culture scene and indulge in top shopping.

For more information, contact the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 22-SUNNY or visit www.sunny.org. Get social and engage with Greater Fort Lauderdale on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @visitlauderdale.

SOURCE Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

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http://www.sunny.org