Visit Philadelphia takes social marketing route to bring more people to town

Listen

Philadelphia tourism boosters are turning to digital media instead of TV to make up for a lost state funding.

The group Visit Philadelphia, which is responsible for the individual tourist marketing in the city, has relied heavily on state grants. Meryl Levitz, who heads the organization, said the group does joint ad campaigns with hotel and tourist groups to stretch its dollars, but the latest state budget has taken a heavy toll.

“We applied for grants all the time,” she said. “Part of the reason we’ve done joint marketing is to bring in additional sources of funding, but it’s really hard to make up for $4 million each year.”

The new campaign, dubbed “My Phillyosophy,” will use pictures on Facebook, Twitter and other social media to tell the story of the city’s tourism attractions.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Visualizing Philadelphia through the billboards and social media slides was the idea of Steve Red, president of the ad agency that worked with Visit Philadelphia on the campaign.

president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99
president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99
president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99
president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99

president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99
president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99
president and chief executive of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners, which worked with Visit Philly for the ads.Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/city/Visit_Philadelphia_launches_new_ad_campaign_My_Phillyosophy.html#QQbKybUrZcMbpUAa.99

“We wanted to create scenes where you felt like you were walking right into a moment of the day in Philadelphia,” he said. “One [shows] some kids running home from school as they interact with travelers who are seeing Elfreth’s Alley for the first time. The copy reads ‘My Phillyosophy, leave no cobblestone unturned.'”

Visit Philadelphia is spending just over $1 million on the ad campaign which includes a state grant designed to include suburban towns in the marketing effort.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal