While the destination enjoys a strong winter season and has experienced record visitor numbers, the CVB has identified the summer season as a major opportunity for growth. The $4 million advertising program for 2006 includes significant increases in media spending by MARC USA, particularly in summer – dubbed Greater Fort Lauderdale’s “Second Season” in the marketing program – “Second Season” advertising will see an increase of 20% in spending in 2006. Additionally, outdoor advertising will increase by 196% and online ad spending will increase by nearly 50%. Greater Fort Lauderdale will also expand its advertising to new vehicles, including Vogue, Men’s Vogue, Smithsonian magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.

Along with a newly redesigned “Beach on Wheels” traveling to new markets including Detroit for the Super Bowl, the CVB is also expanding its guerilla marketing initiatives, with wall projections, “legal” graffiti, bus sides, maxi boards in Times Square, hand warmer inserts in home delivered newspapers, and other interactive media.

The public relations program, developed by the CVB and its public relations agency, M. Silver Associates, focuses its strategies and tactics on the new positioning of the destination, showcasing the destination’s distinct qualities and new developments, including the opening of several new five star hotels in 2006 and 2007.

The PR program also calls for developing alliances and promotions with product and media partners to increase destination brand awareness, supporting multicultural initiatives and group/association sales through marketing and public relations activities and working synergistically with advertising to add reach credibility and leverage buys for greatest impact and exposure.

“Our 2006 marketing plan positions Greater Fort Lauderdale as a quality, year-round destination, not just a winter beach vacation. As Greater Fort Lauderdale has become more chic, so have our visitors. We’re now targeting a younger demographic, 30-somethings, in addition to sports enthusiasts, meetings and reunions, “dinks,” gay and international visitors,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“While still targeting other groups, such as the baby boomers, we’re cognizant of the fact that Gen Xers now outspend baby boomers in average per-trip spending for vacations involving a hotel stay. When you think about it, Greater Fort Lauderdale offers experiences for many types of visitors, whether it’s upscale shopping, cultural performances, high-profile exhibits such as King Tut, dining or a lively nightlife scene,” added Grossman.