The Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation (WCTC) is launching a $1.4 million summer tourism campaign, its largest paid media campaign to date since the September 11 recovery efforts in the first quarter of 2002.The Washington, DC tourism industry is inviting visitors to get a dose of creativity this summer as Washington, DC Celebrates American Originals. From Memorial Day through Labor Day 2006, museums, theatres, attractions, restaurants and hotels in the Capital Region are celebrating all things uniquely American and uniquely Washington. Headlining the promotion is the July 1 opening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, along with a major exhibition at the National Archives and DC’s First Capital Fringe Festival and 50 other special events and exhibitions. American Originals is produced by the Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation with support from Cultural Tourism DC.
The $1.4 million campaign was built through investment by WCTC, the Washington Convention Center Authority and by leveraging partnerships and media placement. WCTC sparked the effort with an initial investment of $500,000 in media and the Washington Convention Center Authority matched that investment with another $500,000. WCTC also secured partnerships and sponsorships leveraging an additional $400,000 in advertising and promotions. For example:
• Metro is a major sponsor of American Originals, providing exposure with Metro rail cards, bus cards, dioramas, posters and brochure distribution throughout the system and promotional space on the exterior of buses.
• Guest Services, Inc. is a supporting sponsor providing funding for additional promotion such as street banners and additional brochures.
• American Express is supporting the summer campaign by including American Originals hotel and restaurant offers in a direct mail campaign to 50,000 card members in DC’s top feeder markets including New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Richmond.
• WCTC leveraged its advertising buy with The New York Times, representing Washington, DC’s top feeder market, to include additional exposure through email campaigns and additional print advertisements.
The paid media schedule includes a mix of travel and arts magazines, newspaper and online media that target Washington, DC’s top feeder markets: New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Richmond and Atlanta.
The paid media schedule includes:
• Condé Nast Traveler, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, National Geographic Travel, Art Bulletin, Art Journal and Smithsonian magazines
• The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Raleigh News & Observer and the Richmond Times Dispatch
• Online and email campaigns with nytimes.com, nationalgeographic.com, philly.com, Sherman’s Travel, Trip Advisor and other outlets.
Washington, DC Celebrates American Originals has already generated more than $500,000 in publicity through articles in media outlets across the country.