Inspiring Consumers

Always-On Marketing: Keeping the USA Top of Mind

In FY2023, our media budget facilitated remarkable outreach, resulting in nearly 6 billion impressions, 827 million completed views, and 7.4 million web conversions. Yet, with such success comes the risk of creative fatigue.

To address this, we developed an interim campaign called "Experience It All." Building upon the foundation laid by our previous consumer campaign, "This Is Where It's At," the latest traveler data and comprehensive creative testing informed this evolution. At its core, our campaign aims to cater to our target audiences and their motivations to travel. Through the campaign's creative assets, we aimed to showcase the USA as a destination where travelers can immerse themselves in various experiences for every passion and preference.

The overarching goal of "Experience it All" is to elevate the consideration of the USA as the ultimate travel destination. By showcasing our country's unparalleled diversity and richness, we seek to inspire wanderlust. Whether visitors seek bustling cityscapes, tranquil natural wonders, cultural immersion, or adrenaline-pumping adventures, the United States promises an experience like no other, and we are committed to showcasing the diverse offerings of every destination. Our campaign's reach extends across key markets worldwide, including Canada, the UK, Mexico, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, Colombia, and South Korea.

In November 2023, we partnered with Visit Las Vegas to host three influencers from the UK and Mexico on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the inaugural Formula 1 (F1) in Vegas. The influencers flew into three different cities, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, and "raced" their way to Vegas. As a complementary effort, Brand USA also partnered with Nicolas Hamilton, the brother of F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, to extend his already planned Las Vegas visit into a road trip culminating in Salt Lake City, Utah. In total, the influencers created 329 pieces of content, garnering 290.8k impressions and 1,037,200 engagements.  

In January 2024, we kickstarted three global content partnerships with TripAdvisor, Matador, and Elle, running through the end of the fiscal year. These three content partnerships will highlight destinations through and beyond the gateways and serve as trusted voices in the market to connect travelers with the experiences the USA offers. All three partners are producing bespoke content in collaboration with Brand USA, with formats ranging from articles and social-first videos to influencer trips and paid media campaigns, reaching audiences in Canada, UK, Mexico, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, Colombia, and South Korea.

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GoUSA TV's Latest Updates and Strategic Expansions

GoUSA TV is the premier channel for stories about travel, where we inspire consumers through award-winning series, movies, and shorts about outdoor adventures, exciting road trips, foodie hot spots, and must-see places across the USA.

We are thrilled to share the latest developments for GoUSA TV, showcasing our commitment to delivering captivating content that celebrates the diverse tapestry of the United States.

Strategic Platform Expansions: GoUSA TV has successfully launched on several new platforms since October 2023. These include Netgem (UK, Ireland, Gibraltar), Sling TV (U.S. Only for now), and TCL International (Australia, Brazil, Germany, France, and Mexico). These expansions reflect our commitment to meeting the consumers where they are worldwide.

New Season Premieres:  While strategic platform expansions ensure broader global reach, we are also celebrating the launch of several new and returning seasons on GoUSA TV. These include "Lucky in Love," "Small Town Big Story," "USA Through Film," "Sorted Food Goes Big in Texas," "American Beats," "Get Out of Town," "Notes From the USA," and "Trails and Trailblazers." Each series showcases American culture and serves as a testament to our dedication to quality programming to inspire consumers to visit the USA.

Through these series' immersive storytelling and stunning visuals, we have highlighted more than 45 unique destinations across the United States.

Record-Breaking Engagement: In FY2023, GoUSA TV experienced its most-watched year to date, with viewers consuming a remarkable 99.7 million minutes of content. This significant milestone underscores the growing popularity of our platform and reaffirms the interest and desire to visit the USA.

To showcase your destination's unique stories on GoUSA TV, submit your storytelling video to [email protected] for consideration in our video library.

Accepted content is automatically entered into the Storytelling Awards, recognizing destination marketing organizations for exceptional video storytelling. Finalists and winners are honored at ESTO.

Discover more about the Brand USA Video Storytelling Awards here.

Haven't had a chance to check out GoUSA TV? Watch anytime, anywhere, on LG Channels, Samsung TV Plus, Sling, Rakuten, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Plex and many more, or visit here.

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A Game-changing Collaboration: Brand USA Scores Big with NFL Partnership

In a significant move aimed at leveraging the global appeal of American football to drive tourism, a partnership deal was sealed with NFL International. This strategic collaboration positioned Brand USA as the Official Partner of the NFL in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the Official Partner of the NFL in Germany.

According to the findings of Brand USA’s 2023 Market Intelligence Study, 56% of international travelers across 25 countries listed pursuing personal hobbies and passions, such as sports, as important to them when selecting destinations for their international overnight leisure trips.

In a effort to capitalize on NFL international games, a comprehensive marketing campaign was launched spanning various channels. From paid and social media to trade engagements, localized out-of-home advertising, influencer collaborations, and consumer activations, the campaign encompassed a multifaceted approach to engaging audiences in the U.K. and Germany.

The overarching goal of the campaign was to heighten awareness of U.S. destinations among avid sports enthusiasts. The aim was to showcase the myriad of attractions and experiences that make U.S. destinations exceptional by tapping into fandom and sports culture.

Central to the campaign's execution was the concept of "Go [to] Destination," a play on words that underscored the versatility of the messaging beyond football-specific audiences by aligning destination marketing with the excitement of NFL events.

All destinations with an NFL team playing in the international games were featured within the creative executions using cohesive branding and messaging for stronger brand recall and impact. Additional paid opportunities were offered to amplify exposure within the campaign; four partners, Visit Jacksonville, Visit Baltimore, Tennessee DoTD, and Greater Miami CVB, participated in these opportunities.

In addition to a multi-channel campaign, in-market fan activities immersed U.K. and German consumers in the American football experience. These activations, hosted in fall of 2023, recreated the ambiance of a genuine American game day experience through watch party takeovers at local pubs infusing player jerseys, football-themed decor, USA-inspired snacks, and destination-specific information.

Additionally, we partnered with several influencers to amplify messaging and provide firsthand insights into the excitement of attending an NFL game in the U.S. They shared their trip activities and experiences with their followers.

The partnership between Brand USA and NFL International brought together the synergy of sports and travel, leveraging the universal appeal of American football to showcase the richness and diversity of U.S. destinations.

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Educating the Industry

Brand USA Celebrates Successful Sales and Media Missions in India, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand 

International sales missions are a critical platform in our marketing strategy. During these trade missions, participants meet with tour operators, airlines, travel agents, incentive and meeting planners, and media at various planned events and functions to educate international buyers on the diversity of experiences found only in the USA.

Brand USA recently wrapped up Sales and Media Missions to India, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

The 10th Sales and inaugural Media Mission to Goa, India, saw over 40 U.S. partners engaging in more than 1,900 trade and media appointments and educational sessions over five days. Topics ranged from updates on the Indian market and Brand USA’s marketing efforts to insightful discussions on airlines, travel trade, and a special Tata Cliq Luxury session. Notably, the USA remains the preferred choice for Indian long-haul travelers, with over 1.7 million visitors welcomed last year.

The Mexico Sales and Media Mission, which took place in Mexico City and Guadalajara, included 1462 pre-scheduled 1-1 business meetings, 528 pre-scheduled media appointments, and training sessions for 283 travel agents on 42 destinations, attractions, and experiences. Over 60 U.S. partners participated in Travel Trade and Media tracks with 34 tour operators and 22 top-tier media representatives. Mexico is the second-largest inbound market to the U.S., with 14.6M visitors in 2023 and projections of over 18M visitors in 2024, making it one of the first few markets to reach 2019 visitation levels.
 
In February, we engaged in a two-week series of events to educate and network with Australian and New Zealand buyers alongside U.S. partners. The Brand USA New Zealand Expos in Auckland and Christchurch featured 73 exhibitors from 50 U.S. partner companies, training 317 New Zealand travel agents on 50 U.S. destinations. During the Visit USA Australian Expos in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, we trained 647 travel agents on U.S. products and provided a market update to the 78 U.S. partners present. The Australia B2B Day also connected 85 suppliers from 62 U.S. partner companies with 52 buyers from 39 Australian & New Zealand trade companies, resulting in over 1,300 appointments.

These efforts underscore our continued commitment to promoting international travel to the U.S. and educating the global travel trade on the unique experiences that the USA offers.

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How Brand USA is Leveling the Playing Field for Travel and Tourism

Brand USA and Tourism Exchange USA are collaborating to increase inbound international travel to more cities and states in the USA. 

Tourism Exchange USA serves as a vital link connecting all facets of the travel trade industry, encompassing tourism suppliers, distributors, destinations, booking systems, and potential customers. This collaboration aims to optimize inventory sharing and bolster product offerings from the USA.

"The Exchange serves as a platform fostering diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the tourism economy by connecting historically underrepresented businesses and communities to global markets. By collaborating with the Exchange, Brand USA aims to differentiate the U.S. from competitors through a myriad of unique experiences, empowering new markets and amplifying the impact of international visitation." - How Brand USA is Leveling the Playing Field for Travel and Tourism, Skift article published Dec. 21, 2023

International travel trade has historically focused on high-volume destinations. But research shows that many travelers desire smaller destinations offering unique, authentic experiences.

Pre-pandemic, online travel bookings were at two-thirds globally, expected to reach 74% by 2027. Yet, only 50% of tours and activities are online.

The Tourism Exchange USA platform bridges this gap between consumer demand and traditional contracting processes by expanding access to available bookable inventory to tour operators and travel agents, as well as online marketplaces. This creates an opportunity for all businesses, including rural and BIPOC-owned businesses, to gain distribution, thereby driving greater equity of marketing reach, visitor distribution, and economic impact.

Learn more about how Tourism Exchange USA, in collaboration with Brand USA, is positively impacting different segments of the travel industry here: TourismExchangeUSA.com

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