by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
New Yorkers will be getting a 30-second dose of Jacksonville every hour for the next two weeks.
The Jacksonville & the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau began running the spots Thursday on the CBS “Super Screen” in Times-Square in New York City. Funding for the spots was approved Thursday at the quarterly meeting of the Tourist Development Council in the form of an $8,000 grant.
The ad was created by The Dalton Agency and depicts several areas of town. It will run hourly, 18 hours a day through the end of the month. CVB President John Reyes said the spot will reach approximately 1 million people a day and is designed to tout Jacksonville’s slogan — “Jacksonville, Where Florida Begins” — to a populated market that may be unaware of what Jacksonville has to offer.
Reyes said Jacksonville is competing with other cities for tourist dollars and many of those cities are outspending Jacksonville. The New York ad, he said, will reach a large audience on a regular basis at a minimal expense.
The CVB has a $500,000 marketing budget and has rarely used TV in the past due to the cost of advertising on television.
Overall, the TDC approved over $ 240,000 worth of projects Thursday including $65,000 that will help the PGA Tour promote this year’s Players Championship when it’s played in May for the first time.
The funding was requested by Reyes and will go towards the Players Championship Phase II “Move to May” initiative. According to Reyes, outside funding for the tournament will not be enough to cover costs.
Reyes said that with enough leverage, the Players Championship brand could greatly promote Jacksonville as a preferred tourist vacation destination – and with proper promotion, could reach a potential audience of 20 million through an initiative known as “Move to May.”
“We will also extend electronic marketing to increase room night revenue,” said Reyes, adding that an advertising media schedule in excess of $130,000 is in place, utilizing seven outlets, including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfworld.com.
The TDC considers events that have the potential of attracting substantial numbers of visitors who will book hotel rooms, eat in area restaurants, visit attractions and shop in the city while attending the supported event when reviewing a grant application.
Other project receiving funding Thursday include:
• National reigning horse show and derby event — $5,440
• The 2007 Tyson American Cup Gymnastics Event — $25,000
• Ice Breakers 2007 — $4,200
• The 16th Annual International Conference for Post Secondary Leaders — $25,000
• Springing the Blue 2007 — $25,000
• adidas First Coast Volleyball Festival — $15,000
• All-Star Challenge Clash of the Titans — $40,000
• Score at the Shore 2007 — $25,000
• Jacksonville unique water transportation brochure — $15,000
• Hospitality Industry Golf Organization meeting — $5,000
• The Golfe-Meeting Masters — $5,000